Sonning Common Health Centre, Reading: patient reviews and CQC rating
Sonning Common Health Centre is a GP practice in Reading with 9,817 registered patients (September 2026). In the 2026 GP Patient Survey, 91% of its patients described their overall experience as good, above the England figure of 77% (Thames Valley: 76%). The Care Quality Commission rates it Outstanding overall, in a report published in August 2019. It has 8.1 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs, or 1,207 patients per GP.
Latest data: September 2026. Patient survey 2026; registered patients September 2026; appointments to August 2026.
What patients say about Sonning Common Health Centre
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: 66%, against 69% across England. Of the 11 results in the table, 8 are above England and 0 below by more than the survey's margin of error, and 3 within it.
On overall experience it is 2nd of the 31 practices in Reading with 50 or more responses. 90% found it easy to get through by phone (England: 57%). The overall experience result is 5 points higher than in 2025 (86%). 115 patients answered the survey (response rate 36%).
| Survey question | Sonning Common Health Centre | Thames Valley | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overall experience good | 91% | 76% | 77% |
| Easy to contact by phone | 90% | 56% | 57% |
| Easy to contact via the website | 63% | 57% | 58% |
| Easy to contact via the NHS App | 80% | 53% | 54% |
| Reception team helpful | 94% | 84% | 85% |
| Last contact good | 92% | 72% | 73% |
| Wait for appointment about right | 66% | 69% | 69% |
| Listened to well | 92% | 88% | 87% |
| Treated with care and concern | 98% | 87% | 86% |
| Confidence and trust in the clinician | 100% | 93% | 93% |
| Needs met | 100% | 90% | 90% |
In the Friends and Family Test for July 2026, 95% of 94 responses rated the practice good or very good (England: 92%).
CQC's overall rating for Sonning Common Health Centre is Outstanding, published in August 2019. 3 key questions are rated differently: Safe Good, Caring Good and Effective Good. It held the same rating in the report before (March 2015).
| Key question | Rating |
|---|---|
| Safe | Good |
| Well-led | Outstanding |
| Caring | Good |
| Responsive | Outstanding |
| Effective | Good |
9,817 patients were registered at Sonning Common Health Centre in September 2026, down 0.9% on a year earlier (England: down 1.1%).
26% of its patients are aged 65 or over, against 19% across England. With 8.1 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs, there are 1,207 patients per GP, fewer than the England figure of 2,171 and Thames Valley's 2,121. The practice also has 3.1 nurses (full-time equivalent).
| Year | Qualified GPs (FTE) | All GPs incl. trainees (FTE) |
|---|---|---|
| August 2023 | 9.3 | 12.5 |
| August 2024 | 8.5 | 12.4 |
| August 2025 | 8.4 | 11.2 |
| August 2026 | 8.1 | 13.0 |
From June 2026 to August 2026 the practice recorded 4,336 appointments a month, or 442 per 1,000 registered patients (England: 510). 93% were face to face (England: 63%). 34% took place on the day they were booked and 6% more than 28 days after booking (England: 45% and 5%).
42% were with a GP rather than another member of the practice team. 2% of booked patients did not attend.
| Measure | Sonning Common Health Centre | Thames Valley | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Appointments per 1,000 patients a month | 442 | 451 | 510 |
| Face to face | 93% | 60% | 63% |
| Same day as booked | 34% | 45% | 45% |
| More than 28 days after booking | 6% | 4% | 5% |
| Did not attend | 2% | 5% | 4% |
Compared with England, the practice has a higher share of patients on its registers for atrial fibrillation (3.6% against 2.2%), cancer (6.0% against 3.8%) and dementia (1.1% against 0.8%). It has a lower share for COPD (1.2% against 1.9%) and diabetes (5.7% against 7.9%). The practice's patients live in areas with an average deprivation score of 6.2 (England: 21.8; higher is more deprived).
Life expectancy for its patients' neighbourhoods is 86.2 years for women and 82.0 for men (England: 83.0 and 79.1).
| Condition register | Age group | Practice (2024/25) | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| High blood pressure | All ages | 16.8% | 15.2% |
| Depression | 18+ yrs | 15.0% | 14.3% |
| Asthma | 6+ yrs | 7.7% | 6.6% |
| Chronic kidney disease | 18+ yrs | 6.1% | 4.6% |
| Cancer | All ages | 6.0% | 3.8% |
| Diabetes | 17+ yrs | 5.7% | 7.9% |
| Atrial fibrillation | All ages | 3.6% | 2.2% |
| Coronary heart disease | All ages | 3.1% | 3.0% |
| Stroke and TIA | All ages | 2.1% | 1.9% |
| Heart failure | All ages | 1.3% | 1.1% |
| COPD | All ages | 1.2% | 1.9% |
| Osteoporosis | 50+ yrs | 1.1% | 1.2% |
| Dementia | All ages | 1.1% | 0.8% |
| Rheumatoid arthritis | 16+ yrs | 1.0% | 0.8% |
| Serious mental illness | All ages | 0.8% | 1.0% |
| Epilepsy | 18+ yrs | 0.7% | 0.8% |
| Peripheral arterial disease | All ages | 0.5% | 0.6% |
| Palliative care | All ages | 0.4% | 0.6% |
| Learning disability | All ages | 0.4% | 0.6% |
| Screening coverage | Period | Practice | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bowel cancer screening (aged 60 to 74) | 2024/25 | 83.0% | 72.9% |
| Breast cancer screening (women aged 53 to 70) | 2024/25 | 82.9% | 72.2% |
| Cervical screening (women aged 25 to 49) | 2023/24 | 81.2% | 67.5% |
| Cervical screening (women aged 50 to 64) | 2023/24 | 80.9% | 74.9% |
Sonning Common Health Centre, Sonning Common Health Centre, Wood Lane, Sonning Common, Reading, RG4 9SW. Phone: 0118 972 2188. Website: www.sonningcommonhealthcentre.co.uk.
| Nearby practice | Distance | Overall experience good |
|---|---|---|
| Emmer Green Surgery | 3.6 km | 90% |
| Balmore Park Surgery | 5.0 km | 85% |
| The Hart Surgery | 5.7 km | 89% |
| The Bell Surgery | 5.7 km | 94% |
| Grovelands Medical Centre | 6.4 km | 73% |
- Nettlebed Surgery (87% overall experience good)
- The Bell Surgery (94% overall experience good)
- The Hart Surgery (89% overall experience good)
How do patients rate Sonning Common Health Centre?
In the 2026 GP Patient Survey, 91% of patients described their overall experience of Sonning Common Health Centre as good, above the England figure of 77%. 90% found it easy to get through by phone.
How many patients are registered at Sonning Common Health Centre?
9,817 patients were registered in September 2026, down 0.9% on a year earlier.
What is Sonning Common Health Centre's CQC rating?
Outstanding overall, published in August 2019.
How many GPs does Sonning Common Health Centre have?
8.1 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs (11 qualified GPs by headcount), which is 1,207 patients per GP against 2,171 across England.
Are appointments at Sonning Common Health Centre face to face?
93% of appointments from June 2026 to August 2026 were face to face, against 63% across England.
What is Sonning Common Health Centre's phone number?
0118 972 2188.