The Limes Medical Centre, Margate: patient reviews and CQC rating
The Limes Medical Centre is a GP practice in Margate with 16,820 registered patients (September 2026). In the 2026 GP Patient Survey, 72% of its patients described their overall experience as good, against 77% across England (Kent and Medway: 73%). The Care Quality Commission rates it Good overall, in a report published in August 2022. It has 4.3 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs, or 3,930 patients per GP.
Latest data: September 2026. Patient survey 2026; registered patients September 2026; appointments to August 2026.
What patients say about The Limes Medical Centre
Its best result against England is the share who had confidence and trust in the healthcare professional they saw: 94%, against 93% across England. Its weakest is the share who found it easy to get through to the practice by phone: 33%, below the England figure of 57%. 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 2nd of the 3 practices in Margate with 50 or more responses. 33% found it easy to get through by phone (England: 57%). The overall experience result is 16 points higher than in 2025 (56%). 92 patients answered the survey (response rate 21%).
| Survey question | The Limes Medical Centre | Kent and Medway | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overall experience good | 72% | 73% | 77% |
| Easy to contact by phone | 33% | 48% | 57% |
| Easy to contact via the website | 44% | 52% | 58% |
| Easy to contact via the NHS App | 52% | 50% | 54% |
| Reception team helpful | 74% | 82% | 85% |
| Last contact good | 66% | 67% | 73% |
| Wait for appointment about right | 65% | 65% | 69% |
| Listened to well | 87% | 85% | 87% |
| Treated with care and concern | 85% | 84% | 86% |
| Confidence and trust in the clinician | 94% | 91% | 93% |
| Needs met | 91% | 89% | 90% |
In the Friends and Family Test for July 2026, 89% of 99 responses rated the practice good or very good (England: 92%).
CQC's overall rating for The Limes Medical Centre is Good, published in August 2022. All 5 key questions are rated Good. It held the same rating in the report before (April 2018).
| Key question | Rating |
|---|---|
| Safe | Good |
| Well-led | Good |
| Caring | Good |
| Responsive | Good |
| Effective | Good |
16,820 patients were registered at The Limes Medical Centre in September 2026, down 2.5% on a year earlier (England: down 1.1%).
16% of its patients are aged 65 or over, against 19% across England. With 4.3 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs, there are 3,930 patients per GP, more than the England figure of 2,171 and Kent and Medway's 2,419. The practice also has 5.8 nurses and 7.2 other clinical staff such as pharmacists and physiotherapists (full-time equivalent).
| Year | Qualified GPs (FTE) | All GPs incl. trainees (FTE) |
|---|---|---|
| August 2023 | 3.7 | 3.7 |
| August 2024 | 3.7 | 4.5 |
| August 2025 | 4.3 | 4.3 |
| August 2026 | 4.3 | 5.3 |
From June 2026 to August 2026 the practice recorded 9,080 appointments a month, or 540 per 1,000 registered patients (England: 510). 47% were face to face (England: 63%). 60% took place on the day they were booked and 2% more than 28 days after booking (England: 45% and 5%).
62% were with a GP rather than another member of the practice team. 7% of booked patients did not attend.
| Measure | The Limes Medical Centre | Kent and Medway | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Appointments per 1,000 patients a month | 540 | 457 | 510 |
| Face to face | 47% | 62% | 63% |
| Same day as booked | 60% | 41% | 45% |
| More than 28 days after booking | 2% | 7% | 5% |
| Did not attend | 7% | 5% | 4% |
Compared with England, the practice has a higher share of patients on its registers for depression (21.2% against 14.3%), serious mental illness (1.5% against 1.0%) and COPD (2.7% against 1.9%). It has a lower share for palliative or supportive care needs (0.2% against 0.6%), dementia (0.4% against 0.8%) and chronic kidney disease (2.9% against 4.6%). The practice's patients live in areas with an average deprivation score of 44.3 (England: 21.8; higher is more deprived).
Life expectancy for its patients' neighbourhoods is 79.3 years for women and 74.9 for men (England: 83.0 and 79.1).
| Condition register | Age group | Practice (2024/25) | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Depression | 18+ yrs | 21.2% | 14.3% |
| High blood pressure | All ages | 15.5% | 15.2% |
| Diabetes | 17+ yrs | 7.5% | 7.9% |
| Asthma | 6+ yrs | 6.5% | 6.6% |
| Cancer | All ages | 3.2% | 3.8% |
| Chronic kidney disease | 18+ yrs | 2.9% | 4.6% |
| COPD | All ages | 2.7% | 1.9% |
| Coronary heart disease | All ages | 2.5% | 3.0% |
| Atrial fibrillation | All ages | 1.9% | 2.2% |
| Stroke and TIA | All ages | 1.7% | 1.9% |
| Serious mental illness | All ages | 1.5% | 1.0% |
| Osteoporosis | 50+ yrs | 1.2% | 1.2% |
| Epilepsy | 18+ yrs | 0.8% | 0.8% |
| Heart failure | All ages | 0.8% | 1.1% |
| Rheumatoid arthritis | 16+ yrs | 0.8% | 0.8% |
| Peripheral arterial disease | All ages | 0.7% | 0.6% |
| Learning disability | All ages | 0.6% | 0.6% |
| Dementia | All ages | 0.4% | 0.8% |
| Palliative care | All ages | 0.2% | 0.6% |
| Screening coverage | Period | Practice | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bowel cancer screening (aged 60 to 74) | 2024/25 | 65.7% | 72.9% |
| Breast cancer screening (women aged 53 to 70) | 2024/25 | 63.3% | 72.2% |
| Cervical screening (women aged 25 to 49) | 2023/24 | 62.4% | 67.5% |
| Cervical screening (women aged 50 to 64) | 2023/24 | 62.5% | 74.9% |
96% of the practice's patients live in the CT9 postcode district. 100% live in Thanet, the council area the practice is in.
| Postcode district | Registered patients | Share |
|---|---|---|
| CT9 | 16,283 | 96% |
The Limes Medical Centre, Trinity Square, Margate, CT9 1QY. Phone: 01843 222788. Website: www.thelimessurgery.nhs.uk.
| Nearby practice | Distance | Overall experience good |
|---|---|---|
| Northdown and Dashwood Surgery | 1.7 km | 75% |
| The Bethesda Medical Centre | 2.0 km | 69% |
| Westgate Surgery | 3.4 km | 91% |
| The Mockett's Wood Surgery | 3.5 km | 87% |
| St Peters Surgery | 3.8 km | 70% |
- Northdown and Dashwood Surgery (75% overall experience good)
- The Bethesda Medical Centre (69% overall experience good)
- The Mockett's Wood Surgery (87% overall experience good)
How do patients rate The Limes Medical Centre?
In the 2026 GP Patient Survey, 72% of patients described their overall experience of The Limes Medical Centre as good, against 77% across England. 33% found it easy to get through by phone.
How many patients are registered at The Limes Medical Centre?
16,820 patients were registered in September 2026, down 2.5% on a year earlier.
What is The Limes Medical Centre's CQC rating?
Good overall, published in August 2022.
How many GPs does The Limes Medical Centre have?
4.3 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs (5 qualified GPs by headcount), which is 3,930 patients per GP against 2,171 across England.
Are appointments at The Limes Medical Centre face to face?
47% of appointments from June 2026 to August 2026 were face to face, against 63% across England.
What is The Limes Medical Centre's phone number?
01843 222788.