Dr Watson & Partners, Pontefract: patient reviews and CQC rating
Dr Watson & Partners is a GP practice in Pontefract with 13,128 registered patients (September 2026). In the 2026 GP Patient Survey, 64% of its patients described their overall experience as good, below the England figure of 77% (West Yorkshire: 76%). The Care Quality Commission rates it Good overall, in a report published in January 2024. It has 7.6 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs, or 1,720 patients per GP.
Latest data: September 2026. Patient survey 2026; registered patients September 2026; appointments to August 2026.
What patients say about Dr Watson & Partners
Its best result against England is the share who found it easy to contact the practice using the NHS App: 59%, against 54% across England. Its weakest is the share who found it easy to get through to the practice by phone: 35%, below the England figure of 57%. Of the 11 results in the table, 0 are above England and 5 below by more than the survey's margin of error, and 6 within it.
On overall experience it is 9th of the 9 practices in Pontefract with 50 or more responses. 35% found it easy to get through by phone (England: 57%). The overall experience result is 11 points lower than in 2025 (75%). 107 patients answered the survey (response rate 28%).
| Survey question | Dr Watson & Partners | West Yorkshire | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overall experience good | 64% | 76% | 77% |
| Easy to contact by phone | 35% | 53% | 57% |
| Easy to contact via the website | 57% | 54% | 58% |
| Easy to contact via the NHS App | 59% | 52% | 54% |
| Reception team helpful | 78% | 84% | 85% |
| Last contact good | 58% | 70% | 73% |
| Wait for appointment about right | 56% | 70% | 69% |
| Listened to well | 82% | 87% | 87% |
| Treated with care and concern | 80% | 85% | 86% |
| Confidence and trust in the clinician | 83% | 92% | 93% |
| Needs met | 89% | 90% | 90% |
In the Friends and Family Test for July 2026, 95% of 284 responses rated the practice good or very good (England: 92%).
CQC's overall rating for Dr Watson & Partners is Good, published in January 2024. One key question is rated differently: Responsive Requires Improvement. Its previous overall rating was Outstanding (November 2015).
| Key question | Rating |
|---|---|
| Safe | Good |
| Well-led | Good |
| Caring | Good |
| Responsive | Requires Improvement |
| Effective | Good |
13,128 patients were registered at Dr Watson & Partners in September 2026, down 0.6% on a year earlier (England: down 1.1%).
24% of its patients are aged 65 or over, against 19% across England. With 7.6 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs, there are 1,720 patients per GP, fewer than the England figure of 2,171 and West Yorkshire's 2,162. The practice also has 5.5 nurses and 2.7 other clinical staff such as pharmacists and physiotherapists (full-time equivalent).
| Year | Qualified GPs (FTE) | All GPs incl. trainees (FTE) |
|---|---|---|
| August 2023 | 8.7 | 13.9 |
| August 2024 | 7.9 | 10.1 |
| August 2025 | 6.9 | 9.9 |
| August 2026 | 7.6 | 12.9 |
From June 2026 to August 2026 the practice recorded 9,945 appointments a month, or 758 per 1,000 registered patients (England: 510). 53% were face to face (England: 63%). 37% took place on the day they were booked and 10% more than 28 days after booking (England: 45% and 5%).
29% were with a GP rather than another member of the practice team. 3% of booked patients did not attend.
| Measure | Dr Watson & Partners | West Yorkshire | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Appointments per 1,000 patients a month | 758 | 579 | 510 |
| Face to face | 53% | 66% | 63% |
| Same day as booked | 37% | 45% | 45% |
| More than 28 days after booking | 10% | 7% | 5% |
| Did not attend | 3% | 4% | 4% |
Compared with England, the practice has a higher share of patients on its registers for chronic kidney disease (8.4% against 4.6%), COPD (3.2% against 1.9%) and peripheral arterial disease (0.9% against 0.6%). It has a lower share for a learning disability (0.4% against 0.6%), serious mental illness (0.7% against 1.0%) and heart failure (0.8% against 1.1%). The practice's patients live in areas with an average deprivation score of 25.0 (England: 21.8; higher is more deprived).
Life expectancy for its patients' neighbourhoods is 81.5 years for women and 78.2 for men (England: 83.0 and 79.1).
| Condition register | Age group | Practice (2024/25) | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| High blood pressure | All ages | 20.2% | 15.2% |
| Depression | 18+ yrs | 10.6% | 14.3% |
| Diabetes | 17+ yrs | 9.3% | 7.9% |
| Chronic kidney disease | 18+ yrs | 8.4% | 4.6% |
| Asthma | 6+ yrs | 7.9% | 6.6% |
| Cancer | All ages | 4.7% | 3.8% |
| Coronary heart disease | All ages | 3.9% | 3.0% |
| COPD | All ages | 3.2% | 1.9% |
| Atrial fibrillation | All ages | 3.0% | 2.2% |
| Stroke and TIA | All ages | 2.5% | 1.9% |
| Osteoporosis | 50+ yrs | 0.9% | 1.2% |
| Dementia | All ages | 0.9% | 0.8% |
| Peripheral arterial disease | All ages | 0.9% | 0.6% |
| Heart failure | All ages | 0.8% | 1.1% |
| Epilepsy | 18+ yrs | 0.8% | 0.8% |
| Serious mental illness | All ages | 0.7% | 1.0% |
| Rheumatoid arthritis | 16+ yrs | 0.7% | 0.8% |
| Palliative care | All ages | 0.5% | 0.6% |
| Learning disability | All ages | 0.4% | 0.6% |
| Screening coverage | Period | Practice | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bowel cancer screening (aged 60 to 74) | 2024/25 | 78.7% | 72.9% |
| Breast cancer screening (women aged 53 to 70) | 2024/25 | 74.8% | 72.2% |
| Cervical screening (women aged 25 to 49) | 2023/24 | 76.6% | 67.5% |
| Cervical screening (women aged 50 to 64) | 2023/24 | 78.3% | 74.9% |
Dr Watson & Partners, Carleton Glen, Pontefract, WF8 1SU. Phone: 01977 704777. Website: www.friarwoodsurgery.co.uk.
| Nearby practice | Distance | Overall experience good |
|---|---|---|
| Northgate Surgery | 0.7 km | 73% |
| Drs Thachankary and Krishnan | 0.8 km | 72% |
| Station Lane Medical Centre | 3.5 km | 95% |
| St Thomas Road Surgery | 3.5 km | 85% |
| Ash Grove Medical Centre | 4.5 km | 73% |
- Ash Grove Medical Centre (73% overall experience good)
- Drs Thachankary and Krishnan (72% overall experience good)
- Northgate Surgery (73% overall experience good)
How do patients rate Dr Watson & Partners?
In the 2026 GP Patient Survey, 64% of patients described their overall experience of Dr Watson & Partners as good, below the England figure of 77%. 35% found it easy to get through by phone.
How many patients are registered at Dr Watson & Partners?
13,128 patients were registered in September 2026, down 0.6% on a year earlier.
What is Dr Watson & Partners's CQC rating?
Good overall, published in January 2024.
How many GPs does Dr Watson & Partners have?
7.6 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs (11 qualified GPs by headcount), which is 1,720 patients per GP against 2,171 across England.
Are appointments at Dr Watson & Partners face to face?
53% of appointments from June 2026 to August 2026 were face to face, against 63% across England.
What is Dr Watson & Partners's phone number?
01977 704777.