The Bethesda Medical Centre, Margate: patient reviews and CQC rating
The Bethesda Medical Centre is a GP practice in Margate with 18,398 registered patients (September 2026). In the 2026 GP Patient Survey, 69% of its patients described their overall experience as good, against 77% across England (Kent and Medway: 73%). The Care Quality Commission rates it Requires Improvement overall, in a report published in May 2022. It has 10.8 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs, or 1,709 patients per GP.
Latest data: September 2026. Patient survey 2026; registered patients September 2026; appointments to August 2026.
What patients say about The Bethesda Medical Centre
Its result closest to England is the share who said they were treated with care and concern: 86%, against 86% across England. Its weakest is the share who found it easy to contact the practice through its website: 35%, below the England figure of 58%. Of the 11 results in the table, 0 are above England and 3 below by more than the survey's margin of error, and 8 within it.
On overall experience it is 3rd of the 3 practices in Margate with 50 or more responses. 40% found it easy to get through by phone (England: 57%). The overall experience result is 2 points higher than in 2025 (67%). 103 patients answered the survey (response rate 26%).
| Survey question | The Bethesda Medical Centre | Kent and Medway | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overall experience good | 69% | 73% | 77% |
| Easy to contact by phone | 40% | 48% | 57% |
| Easy to contact via the website | 35% | 52% | 58% |
| Easy to contact via the NHS App | 40% | 50% | 54% |
| Reception team helpful | 80% | 82% | 85% |
| Last contact good | 70% | 67% | 73% |
| Wait for appointment about right | 67% | 65% | 69% |
| Listened to well | 86% | 85% | 87% |
| Treated with care and concern | 86% | 84% | 86% |
| Confidence and trust in the clinician | 90% | 91% | 93% |
| Needs met | 89% | 89% | 90% |
In the Friends and Family Test for July 2026, 85% of 99 responses rated the practice good or very good (England: 92%).
CQC's overall rating for The Bethesda Medical Centre is Requires Improvement, published in May 2022. 3 key questions are rated differently: Caring Good, Responsive Good and Effective Good. Its previous overall rating was Good (November 2015).
| Key question | Rating |
|---|---|
| Safe | Requires Improvement |
| Well-led | Requires Improvement |
| Caring | Good |
| Responsive | Good |
| Effective | Good |
18,398 patients were registered at The Bethesda Medical Centre in September 2026, down 2.6% on a year earlier (England: down 1.1%).
22% of its patients are aged 65 or over, against 19% across England. With 10.8 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs, there are 1,709 patients per GP, fewer than the England figure of 2,171 and Kent and Medway's 2,419. The practice also has 16.0 nurses and 13.0 other clinical staff such as pharmacists and physiotherapists (full-time equivalent).
| Year | Qualified GPs (FTE) | All GPs incl. trainees (FTE) |
|---|---|---|
| August 2023 | 8.3 | 9.4 |
| August 2024 | 8.3 | 9.4 |
| August 2025 | 9.0 | 9.0 |
| August 2026 | 10.8 | 12.6 |
From June 2026 to August 2026 the practice recorded 8,625 appointments a month, or 469 per 1,000 registered patients (England: 510). 72% were face to face (England: 63%). 36% took place on the day they were booked and 11% more than 28 days after booking (England: 45% and 5%).
47% were with a GP rather than another member of the practice team. 6% of booked patients did not attend.
| Measure | The Bethesda Medical Centre | Kent and Medway | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Appointments per 1,000 patients a month | 469 | 457 | 510 |
| Face to face | 72% | 62% | 63% |
| Same day as booked | 36% | 41% | 45% |
| More than 28 days after booking | 11% | 7% | 5% |
| Did not attend | 6% | 5% | 4% |
Compared with England, the practice has a higher share of patients on its registers for osteoporosis (2.1% against 1.2%), COPD (3.0% against 1.9%) and a learning disability (0.8% against 0.6%). The practice's patients live in areas with an average deprivation score of 41.5 (England: 21.8; higher is more deprived). Life expectancy for its patients' neighbourhoods is 80.4 years for women and 75.4 for men (England: 83.0 and 79.1).
| Condition register | Age group | Practice (2024/25) | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| High blood pressure | All ages | 18.7% | 15.2% |
| Depression | 18+ yrs | 17.0% | 14.3% |
| Diabetes | 17+ yrs | 9.1% | 7.9% |
| Chronic kidney disease | 18+ yrs | 6.4% | 4.6% |
| Asthma | 6+ yrs | 5.6% | 6.6% |
| Cancer | All ages | 4.0% | 3.8% |
| Coronary heart disease | All ages | 3.1% | 3.0% |
| COPD | All ages | 3.0% | 1.9% |
| Atrial fibrillation | All ages | 2.6% | 2.2% |
| Stroke and TIA | All ages | 2.3% | 1.9% |
| Osteoporosis | 50+ yrs | 2.1% | 1.2% |
| Heart failure | All ages | 1.2% | 1.1% |
| Serious mental illness | All ages | 1.2% | 1.0% |
| Epilepsy | 18+ yrs | 1.0% | 0.8% |
| Dementia | All ages | 0.9% | 0.8% |
| Learning disability | All ages | 0.8% | 0.6% |
| Rheumatoid arthritis | 16+ yrs | 0.8% | 0.8% |
| Peripheral arterial disease | All ages | 0.7% | 0.6% |
| Palliative care | All ages | 0.4% | 0.6% |
| Screening coverage | Period | Practice | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bowel cancer screening (aged 60 to 74) | 2024/25 | 71.6% | 72.9% |
| Breast cancer screening (women aged 53 to 70) | 2024/25 | 68.0% | 72.2% |
| Cervical screening (women aged 25 to 49) | 2023/24 | 63.3% | 67.5% |
| Cervical screening (women aged 50 to 64) | 2023/24 | 66.2% | 74.9% |
The Bethesda Medical Centre, Palm Bay Avenue, Cliftonville, Margate, CT9 3NR. Phone: 01843 209300. Website: www.bethesdamc.co.uk.
| Nearby practice | Distance | Overall experience good |
|---|---|---|
| Northdown and Dashwood Surgery | 1.0 km | 75% |
| The Limes Medical Centre | 2.0 km | 72% |
| The Mockett's Wood Surgery | 2.6 km | 87% |
| St Peters Surgery | 3.4 km | 70% |
| Broadstairs Medical Practice | 3.5 km | 80% |
- Northdown and Dashwood Surgery (75% overall experience good)
- The Limes Medical Centre (72% overall experience good)
- The Mockett's Wood Surgery (87% overall experience good)
How do patients rate The Bethesda Medical Centre?
In the 2026 GP Patient Survey, 69% of patients described their overall experience of The Bethesda Medical Centre as good, against 77% across England. 40% found it easy to get through by phone.
How many patients are registered at The Bethesda Medical Centre?
18,398 patients were registered in September 2026, down 2.6% on a year earlier.
What is The Bethesda Medical Centre's CQC rating?
Requires Improvement overall, published in May 2022.
How many GPs does The Bethesda Medical Centre have?
10.8 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs (14 qualified GPs by headcount), which is 1,709 patients per GP against 2,171 across England.
Are appointments at The Bethesda Medical Centre face to face?
72% of appointments from June 2026 to August 2026 were face to face, against 63% across England.
What is The Bethesda Medical Centre's phone number?
01843 209300.