Sutton Valence Group Practice, Maidstone: patient reviews and CQC rating
Sutton Valence Group Practice is a GP practice in Maidstone with 7,313 registered patients (September 2026). In the 2026 GP Patient Survey, 80% of its patients described their overall experience as good, against 77% across England (Kent and Medway: 73%). The Care Quality Commission rates it Outstanding overall, in a report published in October 2020. It has 2.1 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs, or 3,482 patients per GP.
Latest data: September 2026. Patient survey 2026; registered patients September 2026; appointments to August 2026.
What patients say about Sutton Valence Group Practice
Its best result against England is the share who described their last contact with the practice as good: 80%, against 73% across England. Its weakest is the share who said the wait for their last appointment was about right: 69%, against 69% across England. Of the 11 results in the table, 1 is above England and 0 below by more than the survey's margin of error, and 10 within it.
On overall experience it is 7th of the 15 practices in Maidstone with 50 or more responses. 59% found it easy to get through by phone (England: 57%). The overall experience result is 10 points higher than in 2025 (70%). 115 patients answered the survey (response rate 28%).
| Survey question | Sutton Valence Group Practice | Kent and Medway | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overall experience good | 80% | 73% | 77% |
| Easy to contact by phone | 59% | 48% | 57% |
| Easy to contact via the website | 61% | 52% | 58% |
| Easy to contact via the NHS App | 57% | 50% | 54% |
| Reception team helpful | 89% | 82% | 85% |
| Last contact good | 80% | 67% | 73% |
| Wait for appointment about right | 69% | 65% | 69% |
| Listened to well | 91% | 85% | 87% |
| Treated with care and concern | 88% | 84% | 86% |
| Confidence and trust in the clinician | 98% | 91% | 93% |
| Needs met | 90% | 89% | 90% |
In the Friends and Family Test for July 2026, 94% of 50 responses rated the practice good or very good (England: 92%).
CQC's overall rating for Sutton Valence Group Practice is Outstanding, published in October 2020. 3 key questions are rated differently: Safe Good, Well-led Good and Effective Good. Its previous overall rating was Good (November 2019).
| Key question | Rating |
|---|---|
| Safe | Good |
| Well-led | Good |
| Caring | Outstanding |
| Responsive | Outstanding |
| Effective | Good |
7,313 patients were registered at Sutton Valence Group Practice in September 2026, down 1.8% on a year earlier (England: down 1.1%).
21% of its patients are aged 65 or over, against 19% across England. With 2.1 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs, there are 3,482 patients per GP, more than the England figure of 2,171 and Kent and Medway's 2,419. The practice also has 2.7 nurses and 1.2 other clinical staff such as pharmacists and physiotherapists (full-time equivalent).
| Year | Qualified GPs (FTE) | All GPs incl. trainees (FTE) |
|---|---|---|
| August 2023 | 3.2 | 3.2 |
| August 2024 | 1.1 | 1.1 |
| August 2025 | 2.1 | 2.1 |
| August 2026 | 2.1 | 2.1 |
From June 2026 to August 2026 the practice recorded 3,215 appointments a month, or 440 per 1,000 registered patients (England: 510). 85% were face to face (England: 63%). 47% took place on the day they were booked and 6% more than 28 days after booking (England: 45% and 5%).
39% were with a GP rather than another member of the practice team. 4% of booked patients did not attend.
| Measure | Sutton Valence Group Practice | Kent and Medway | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Appointments per 1,000 patients a month | 440 | 457 | 510 |
| Face to face | 85% | 62% | 63% |
| Same day as booked | 47% | 41% | 45% |
| More than 28 days after booking | 6% | 7% | 5% |
| Did not attend | 4% | 5% | 4% |
Compared with England, the practice has a lower share of patients for serious mental illness (0.5% against 1.0%), heart failure (0.7% against 1.1%) and chronic kidney disease (3.2% against 4.6%). The practice's patients live in areas with an average deprivation score of 19.7 (England: 21.8; higher is more deprived). Life expectancy for its patients' neighbourhoods is 84.1 years for women and 81.9 for men (England: 83.0 and 79.1).
| Condition register | Age group | Practice (2024/25) | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| High blood pressure | All ages | 14.0% | 15.2% |
| Depression | 18+ yrs | 12.0% | 14.3% |
| Diabetes | 17+ yrs | 7.8% | 7.9% |
| Asthma | 6+ yrs | 6.2% | 6.6% |
| Cancer | All ages | 4.2% | 3.8% |
| Chronic kidney disease | 18+ yrs | 3.2% | 4.6% |
| Coronary heart disease | All ages | 2.4% | 3.0% |
| Atrial fibrillation | All ages | 2.3% | 2.2% |
| Stroke and TIA | All ages | 1.7% | 1.9% |
| COPD | All ages | 1.4% | 1.9% |
| Rheumatoid arthritis | 16+ yrs | 0.8% | 0.8% |
| Heart failure | All ages | 0.7% | 1.1% |
| Dementia | All ages | 0.7% | 0.8% |
| Osteoporosis | 50+ yrs | 0.6% | 1.2% |
| Epilepsy | 18+ yrs | 0.5% | 0.8% |
| Serious mental illness | All ages | 0.5% | 1.0% |
| Learning disability | All ages | 0.4% | 0.6% |
| Palliative care | All ages | 0.4% | 0.6% |
| Peripheral arterial disease | All ages | 0.3% | 0.6% |
| Screening coverage | Period | Practice | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bowel cancer screening (aged 60 to 74) | 2024/25 | 76.2% | 72.9% |
| Breast cancer screening (women aged 53 to 70) | 2024/25 | 76.4% | 72.2% |
| Cervical screening (women aged 25 to 49) | 2023/24 | 70.7% | 67.5% |
| Cervical screening (women aged 50 to 64) | 2023/24 | 78.8% | 74.9% |
Sutton Valence Group Practice, South Lane, Sutton Valence, Maidstone, ME17 3BD. Phone: 01634 240296.
| Nearby practice | Distance | Overall experience good |
|---|---|---|
| The Orchard Surgery | 2.9 km | 98% |
| Wallis Avenue | 4.4 km | 72% |
| The Mote Medical Practice | 5.2 km | 61% |
| Shepway Medical Centre | 5.7 km | 90% |
| Greensand Health Centre - Linton | 6.5 km | 47% |
- Bearsted Medical Practice (88% overall experience good)
- Len Valley Practice (60% overall experience good)
- The Orchard Surgery (98% overall experience good)
How do patients rate Sutton Valence Group Practice?
In the 2026 GP Patient Survey, 80% of patients described their overall experience of Sutton Valence Group Practice as good, against 77% across England. 59% found it easy to get through by phone.
How many patients are registered at Sutton Valence Group Practice?
7,313 patients were registered in September 2026, down 1.8% on a year earlier.
What is Sutton Valence Group Practice's CQC rating?
Outstanding overall, published in October 2020.
How many GPs does Sutton Valence Group Practice have?
2.1 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs (5 qualified GPs by headcount), which is 3,482 patients per GP against 2,171 across England.
Are appointments at Sutton Valence Group Practice face to face?
85% of appointments from June 2026 to August 2026 were face to face, against 63% across England.
What is Sutton Valence Group Practice's phone number?
01634 240296.