Canford Heath Group Practice, Poole: patient reviews and CQC rating
Canford Heath Group Practice is a GP practice in Poole with 12,120 registered patients (September 2026). In the 2026 GP Patient Survey, 90% of its patients described their overall experience as good, above the England figure of 77% (Dorset: 80%). The Care Quality Commission rates it Good overall, in a report published in November 2019. It has 3.9 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs, or 3,081 patients per GP.
Latest data: September 2026. Patient survey 2026; registered patients September 2026; appointments to August 2026.
What patients say about Canford Heath Group Practice
Its best result against England is the share who found it easy to get through to the practice by phone: 90%, above the England figure of 57%. Its weakest is the share who said the wait for their last appointment was about right: 68%, against 69% across England. Of the 11 results in the table, 7 are above England and 0 below by more than the survey's margin of error, and 4 within it.
On overall experience it is 2nd of the 9 practices in Poole with 50 or more responses. 90% found it easy to get through by phone (England: 57%). The overall experience result is 2 points higher than in 2025 (88%). 119 patients answered the survey (response rate 30%).
| Survey question | Canford Heath Group Practice | Dorset | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overall experience good | 90% | 80% | 77% |
| Easy to contact by phone | 90% | 63% | 57% |
| Easy to contact via the website | 71% | 65% | 58% |
| Easy to contact via the NHS App | 68% | 55% | 54% |
| Reception team helpful | 94% | 88% | 85% |
| Last contact good | 89% | 77% | 73% |
| Wait for appointment about right | 68% | 67% | 69% |
| Listened to well | 96% | 89% | 87% |
| Treated with care and concern | 94% | 88% | 86% |
| Confidence and trust in the clinician | 97% | 94% | 93% |
| Needs met | 96% | 92% | 90% |
In the Friends and Family Test for July 2026, 96% of 334 responses rated the practice good or very good (England: 92%).
CQC's overall rating for Canford Heath Group Practice is Good, published in November 2019. All 5 key questions are rated Good. It held the same rating in the report before (June 2016).
| Key question | Rating |
|---|---|
| Safe | Good |
| Well-led | Good |
| Caring | Good |
| Responsive | Good |
| Effective | Good |
12,120 patients were registered at Canford Heath Group Practice in September 2026, down 1.2% on a year earlier (England: down 1.1%).
22% of its patients are aged 65 or over, against 19% across England. With 3.9 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs, there are 3,081 patients per GP, more than the England figure of 2,171 and Dorset's 1,904. The practice also has 1.6 nurses and 3.6 other clinical staff such as pharmacists and physiotherapists (full-time equivalent).
| Year | Qualified GPs (FTE) | All GPs incl. trainees (FTE) |
|---|---|---|
| August 2023 | 4.4 | 4.4 |
| August 2024 | 5.0 | 5.9 |
| August 2025 | 5.0 | 5.9 |
| August 2026 | 3.9 | 5.0 |
From June 2026 to August 2026 the practice recorded 5,999 appointments a month, or 495 per 1,000 registered patients (England: 510). 81% were face to face (England: 63%). 25% took place on the day they were booked and 15% more than 28 days after booking (England: 45% and 5%).
31% were with a GP rather than another member of the practice team. 3% of booked patients did not attend.
| Measure | Canford Heath Group Practice | Dorset | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Appointments per 1,000 patients a month | 495 | 612 | 510 |
| Face to face | 81% | 63% | 63% |
| Same day as booked | 25% | 43% | 45% |
| More than 28 days after booking | 15% | 10% | 5% |
| Did not attend | 3% | 3% | 4% |
Compared with England, the practice has a higher share of patients on its registers for dementia (1.2% against 0.8%), coronary heart disease (4.1% against 3.0%) and stroke or TIA (2.4% against 1.9%). It has a lower share for palliative or supportive care needs (0.3% against 0.6%). The practice's patients live in areas with an average deprivation score of 15.1 (England: 21.8; higher is more deprived).
Life expectancy for its patients' neighbourhoods is 82.8 years for women and 80.5 for men (England: 83.0 and 79.1).
| Condition register | Age group | Practice (2024/25) | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| High blood pressure | All ages | 16.1% | 15.2% |
| Depression | 18+ yrs | 15.8% | 14.3% |
| Diabetes | 17+ yrs | 8.4% | 7.9% |
| Asthma | 6+ yrs | 8.1% | 6.6% |
| Chronic kidney disease | 18+ yrs | 5.9% | 4.6% |
| Cancer | All ages | 4.1% | 3.8% |
| Coronary heart disease | All ages | 4.1% | 3.0% |
| Atrial fibrillation | All ages | 2.6% | 2.2% |
| Stroke and TIA | All ages | 2.4% | 1.9% |
| COPD | All ages | 1.7% | 1.9% |
| Heart failure | All ages | 1.4% | 1.1% |
| Dementia | All ages | 1.2% | 0.8% |
| Epilepsy | 18+ yrs | 0.9% | 0.8% |
| Serious mental illness | All ages | 0.9% | 1.0% |
| Rheumatoid arthritis | 16+ yrs | 0.9% | 0.8% |
| Osteoporosis | 50+ yrs | 0.8% | 1.2% |
| Learning disability | All ages | 0.5% | 0.6% |
| Peripheral arterial disease | All ages | 0.4% | 0.6% |
| Palliative care | All ages | 0.3% | 0.6% |
| Screening coverage | Period | Practice | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bowel cancer screening (aged 60 to 74) | 2024/25 | 75.8% | 72.9% |
| Breast cancer screening (women aged 53 to 70) | 2024/25 | 78.1% | 72.2% |
| Cervical screening (women aged 25 to 49) | 2023/24 | 74.7% | 67.5% |
| Cervical screening (women aged 50 to 64) | 2023/24 | 77.8% | 74.9% |
74% of the practice's patients live in the BH17 postcode district, followed by BH15 (13%), BH12 (4%) and BH18 (3%). 98% live in Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole, the council area the practice is in.
Canford Heath Group Practice, 9 Mitchell Road, Canford Heath, Poole, BH17 8UE. Phone: 01202 772540. Website: www.chgp.co.uk.
| Nearby practice | Distance | Overall experience good |
|---|---|---|
| The Rosemary Medical Centre | 1.2 km | 82% |
| Evergreen Oak Surgery | 2.1 km | 84% |
| Shore Medical | 2.1 km | 70% |
| The Birchwood Practice | 2.4 km | 89% |
| Dr Newmans Surgery - The Newman Practice | 2.6 km | 91% |
- The Birchwood Practice (89% overall experience good)
- The Hadleigh Practice (94% overall experience good)
- The Harvey Practice (90% overall experience good)
How do patients rate Canford Heath Group Practice?
In the 2026 GP Patient Survey, 90% of patients described their overall experience of Canford Heath Group Practice as good, above the England figure of 77%. 90% found it easy to get through by phone.
How many patients are registered at Canford Heath Group Practice?
12,120 patients were registered in September 2026, down 1.2% on a year earlier.
What is Canford Heath Group Practice's CQC rating?
Good overall, published in November 2019.
How many GPs does Canford Heath Group Practice have?
3.9 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs (6 qualified GPs by headcount), which is 3,081 patients per GP against 2,171 across England.
Are appointments at Canford Heath Group Practice face to face?
81% of appointments from June 2026 to August 2026 were face to face, against 63% across England.
What is Canford Heath Group Practice's phone number?
01202 772540.