Swallowfield Medical Practice, Reading: patient reviews and CQC rating
Swallowfield Medical Practice is a GP practice in Reading with 15,347 registered patients (September 2026). In the 2026 GP Patient Survey, 85% of its patients described their overall experience as good, above the England figure of 77% (Thames Valley: 76%). The Care Quality Commission rates it Good overall, in a report published in August 2016. It has 6.7 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs, or 2,302 patients per GP.
Latest data: September 2026. Patient survey 2026; registered patients September 2026; appointments to August 2026.
What patients say about Swallowfield Medical Practice
Its best result against England is the share who described their overall experience of the practice as good: 85%, above the England figure of 77%. Its weakest is the share who said the wait for their last appointment was about right: 61%, against 69% across England. Of the 11 results in the table, 1 is above England and 0 below by more than the survey's margin of error, and 10 within it.
On overall experience it is 5th of the 31 practices in Reading with 50 or more responses. 49% found it easy to get through by phone (England: 57%). The overall experience result is 3 points lower than in 2025 (88%). 105 patients answered the survey (response rate 31%).
| Survey question | Swallowfield Medical Practice | Thames Valley | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overall experience good | 85% | 76% | 77% |
| Easy to contact by phone | 49% | 56% | 57% |
| Easy to contact via the website | 51% | 57% | 58% |
| Easy to contact via the NHS App | 58% | 53% | 54% |
| Reception team helpful | 90% | 84% | 85% |
| Last contact good | 77% | 72% | 73% |
| Wait for appointment about right | 61% | 69% | 69% |
| Listened to well | 87% | 88% | 87% |
| Treated with care and concern | 82% | 87% | 86% |
| Confidence and trust in the clinician | 91% | 93% | 93% |
| Needs met | 93% | 90% | 90% |
In the Friends and Family Test for July 2026, 93% of 368 responses rated the practice good or very good (England: 92%).
CQC's overall rating for Swallowfield Medical Practice is Good, published in August 2016. All 5 key questions are rated Good.
| Key question | Rating |
|---|---|
| Safe | Good |
| Well-led | Good |
| Caring | Good |
| Responsive | Good |
| Effective | Good |
15,347 patients were registered at Swallowfield Medical Practice in September 2026, down 2.8% on a year earlier (England: down 1.1%).
16% of its patients are aged 65 or over, against 19% across England. With 6.7 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs, there are 2,302 patients per GP, close to the England figure of 2,171 and Thames Valley's 2,121. The practice also has 1.7 nurses and 9.4 other clinical staff such as pharmacists and physiotherapists (full-time equivalent).
| Year | Qualified GPs (FTE) | All GPs incl. trainees (FTE) |
|---|---|---|
| August 2023 | 6.4 | 7.0 |
| August 2024 | 7.5 | 8.3 |
| August 2025 | 7.2 | 8.1 |
| August 2026 | 6.7 | 7.5 |
From June 2026 to August 2026 the practice recorded 5,837 appointments a month, or 380 per 1,000 registered patients (England: 510). 87% were face to face (England: 63%). 24% took place on the day they were booked and 5% more than 28 days after booking (England: 45% and 5%).
46% were with a GP rather than another member of the practice team. 5% of booked patients did not attend.
| Measure | Swallowfield Medical Practice | Thames Valley | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Appointments per 1,000 patients a month | 380 | 451 | 510 |
| Face to face | 87% | 60% | 63% |
| Same day as booked | 24% | 45% | 45% |
| More than 28 days after booking | 5% | 4% | 5% |
| Did not attend | 5% | 5% | 4% |
Compared with England, the practice has a lower share of patients for serious mental illness (0.5% against 1.0%), osteoporosis (0.7% against 1.2%) and a learning disability (0.3% against 0.6%). The practice's patients live in areas with an average deprivation score of 9.0 (England: 21.8; higher is more deprived). Life expectancy for its patients' neighbourhoods is 84.7 years for women and 82.1 for men (England: 83.0 and 79.1).
| Condition register | Age group | Practice (2024/25) | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Depression | 18+ yrs | 12.6% | 14.3% |
| High blood pressure | All ages | 12.5% | 15.2% |
| Diabetes | 17+ yrs | 6.0% | 7.9% |
| Asthma | 6+ yrs | 5.6% | 6.6% |
| Chronic kidney disease | 18+ yrs | 4.0% | 4.6% |
| Cancer | All ages | 3.9% | 3.8% |
| Coronary heart disease | All ages | 2.1% | 3.0% |
| Atrial fibrillation | All ages | 2.1% | 2.2% |
| Stroke and TIA | All ages | 1.4% | 1.9% |
| COPD | All ages | 1.1% | 1.9% |
| Heart failure | All ages | 0.9% | 1.1% |
| Rheumatoid arthritis | 16+ yrs | 0.8% | 0.8% |
| Palliative care | All ages | 0.7% | 0.6% |
| Epilepsy | 18+ yrs | 0.7% | 0.8% |
| Dementia | All ages | 0.7% | 0.8% |
| Osteoporosis | 50+ yrs | 0.7% | 1.2% |
| Serious mental illness | All ages | 0.5% | 1.0% |
| Learning disability | All ages | 0.3% | 0.6% |
| Peripheral arterial disease | All ages | 0.3% | 0.6% |
| Screening coverage | Period | Practice | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bowel cancer screening (aged 60 to 74) | 2024/25 | 75.3% | 72.9% |
| Breast cancer screening (women aged 53 to 70) | 2024/25 | 80.8% | 72.2% |
| Cervical screening (women aged 25 to 49) | 2023/24 | 72.2% | 67.5% |
| Cervical screening (women aged 50 to 64) | 2023/24 | 74.3% | 74.9% |
Swallowfield Medical Practice, The Street, Swallowfield, Reading, RG7 1QY. Phone: 0118 988 3134. Website: www.swallowfieldmedicalpractice.co.uk.
| Nearby practice | Distance | Overall experience good |
|---|---|---|
| South Reading Surgery | 3.1 km | 64% |
| Longbarn Lane Surgery | 6.5 km | 78% |
| Brookside Group Practice | 6.9 km | 82% |
| University Medical Group | 6.9 km | 72% |
| The Finchampstead Surgery | 7.0 km | 87% |
- The Finchampstead Surgery (87% overall experience good)
How do patients rate Swallowfield Medical Practice?
In the 2026 GP Patient Survey, 85% of patients described their overall experience of Swallowfield Medical Practice as good, above the England figure of 77%. 49% found it easy to get through by phone.
How many patients are registered at Swallowfield Medical Practice?
15,347 patients were registered in September 2026, down 2.8% on a year earlier.
What is Swallowfield Medical Practice's CQC rating?
Good overall, published in August 2016.
How many GPs does Swallowfield Medical Practice have?
6.7 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs (7 qualified GPs by headcount), which is 2,302 patients per GP against 2,171 across England.
Are appointments at Swallowfield Medical Practice face to face?
87% of appointments from June 2026 to August 2026 were face to face, against 63% across England.
What is Swallowfield Medical Practice's phone number?
0118 988 3134.