The Ridge PCN: primary care network practices and patient survey
The Ridge PCN is a primary care network of 4 GP practices with 37,005 registered patients (September 2026). In the 2026 GP Patient Survey, 80% of its patients described their overall experience as good, against 77% across England. Its practices have 1,946 patients per qualified GP (England: 2,171).
Latest data: September 2026. Registered patients September 2026; GP Patient Survey 2026.
Across the 4 practices in The Ridge PCN with survey results, the share of patients describing their overall experience as good ranges from 60% at Len Valley Practice to 98% at The Orchard Surgery, with a median of 84% (England: 77%). 2 are above England and 1 below by more than the survey's margin of error. The Orchard Surgery has the highest share finding it easy to get through by phone (97%, England 57%).
| Practice | Registered patients | Overall experience good | Easy to contact by phone | CQC rating | Patients per GP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Orchard Surgery | 3,432 | 98% | 97% | Good | 1,609 |
| Bearsted Medical Practice | 16,027 | 88% | 66% | Good | 2,120 |
| Sutton Valence Group Practice | 7,313 | 80% | 59% | Outstanding | 3,482 |
| Len Valley Practice | 10,233 | 60% | 31% | Good | 1,416 |
Results for the network as a whole, from 436 responses, against Kent and Medway and England.
| Survey question | The Ridge PCN | Kent and Medway | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overall experience good | 80% | 73% | 77% |
| Easy to contact by phone | 58% | 48% | 57% |
| Easy to contact via the website | 71% | 52% | 58% |
| Easy to contact via the NHS App | 60% | 50% | 54% |
| Reception team helpful | 87% | 82% | 85% |
| Last contact good | 78% | 67% | 73% |
| Wait for appointment about right | 74% | 65% | 69% |
| Listened to well | 91% | 85% | 87% |
| Treated with care and concern | 90% | 84% | 86% |
| Confidence and trust in the clinician | 96% | 91% | 93% |
| Needs met | 91% | 89% | 90% |
There are 1,946 registered patients per full-time-equivalent qualified GP in The Ridge PCN, fewer than England's 2,171 and Kent and Medway's 2,419. Practices recorded 452 appointments a month per 1,000 patients (England: 510), 74% of them face to face. 39% of appointments took place on the day they were booked (England: 45%).
24% of registered patients are aged 65 or over (England: 19%). Lists grew by 0.3% over the year (England: shrank 1.1%).
| Measure | The Ridge PCN | Kent and Medway | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Patients per qualified GP | 1,946 | 2,419 | 2,171 |
| Appointments per 1,000 patients a month | 452 | 457 | 510 |
| Face-to-face appointments | 74% | 62% | 63% |
| Same day as booked | 39% | 41% | 45% |
| Did not attend | 5% | 5% | 4% |
| Patients aged 65 or over | 24% | 20% | 19% |
Relative to England, the register furthest above England's rate at practices in The Ridge PCN is cancer (5.2% against 3.8%), and the furthest below is serious mental illness (0.6% against 1.0%).
| Condition register | Age group | The Ridge PCN (2024/25) | England | Patients on register |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| High blood pressure | All ages | 17.5% | 15.2% | 6,437 |
| Depression | 18+ yrs | 15.2% | 14.3% | 4,497 |
| Diabetes | 17+ yrs | 7.9% | 7.9% | 2,376 |
| Asthma | 6+ yrs | 6.3% | 6.6% | 2,185 |
| Chronic kidney disease | 18+ yrs | 6.2% | 4.6% | 1,822 |
| Cancer | All ages | 5.2% | 3.8% | 1,931 |
| Coronary heart disease | All ages | 3.0% | 3.0% | 1,110 |
| Atrial fibrillation | All ages | 2.9% | 2.2% | 1,053 |
| Stroke and TIA | All ages | 2.1% | 1.9% | 770 |
| COPD | All ages | 1.6% | 1.9% | 572 |
| Osteoporosis | 50+ yrs | 1.0% | 1.2% | 166 |
| Rheumatoid arthritis | 16+ yrs | 0.9% | 0.8% | 281 |
| Dementia | All ages | 0.8% | 0.8% | 308 |
| Heart failure | All ages | 0.8% | 1.1% | 293 |
| Epilepsy | 18+ yrs | 0.8% | 0.8% | 223 |
| Serious mental illness | All ages | 0.6% | 1.0% | 237 |
| Learning disability | All ages | 0.6% | 0.6% | 227 |
| Palliative care | All ages | 0.4% | 0.6% | 147 |
| Peripheral arterial disease | All ages | 0.4% | 0.6% | 134 |
- Abc PCN (3 practices)
- Maidstone Central PCN (4 practices)
- The Mote & Wallis Health Primary Care Network (2 practices)
- Weald PCN (8 practices)
Which practices are in The Ridge PCN?
Bearsted Medical Practice, Len Valley Practice, Sutton Valence Group Practice and The Orchard Surgery.
How do patients rate The Ridge PCN?
80% described their overall experience as good in the 2026 GP Patient Survey, against 77% across England.
How many patients does The Ridge PCN cover?
37,005 registered patients across 4 practices in September 2026.
How many patients per GP does The Ridge PCN have?
1,946 per full-time-equivalent qualified GP, against 2,171 across England.