The Potteries, Reading: patient reviews and CQC rating
The Potteries is a GP practice in Reading with 14,325 registered patients (September 2026). In the 2026 GP Patient Survey, 71% of its patients described their overall experience as good, against 77% across England (Thames Valley: 76%). The Care Quality Commission rates it Good overall, in a report published in April 2018. It has 5.1 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs, or 2,815 patients per GP.
Latest data: September 2026. Patient survey 2026; registered patients September 2026; appointments to August 2026.
What patients say about The Potteries
Its best result against England is the share who had confidence and trust in the healthcare professional they saw: 94%, against 93% across England. Its weakest is the share who found it easy to get through to the practice by phone: 33%, 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 24th of the 31 practices in Reading with 50 or more responses. 33% found it easy to get through by phone (England: 57%). The overall experience result is 2 points lower than in 2025 (73%). 89 patients answered the survey (response rate 28%).
| Survey question | The Potteries | Thames Valley | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overall experience good | 71% | 76% | 77% |
| Easy to contact by phone | 33% | 56% | 57% |
| Easy to contact via the website | 38% | 57% | 58% |
| Easy to contact via the NHS App | 38% | 53% | 54% |
| Reception team helpful | 84% | 84% | 85% |
| Last contact good | 52% | 72% | 73% |
| Wait for appointment about right | 55% | 69% | 69% |
| Listened to well | 87% | 88% | 87% |
| Treated with care and concern | 86% | 87% | 86% |
| Confidence and trust in the clinician | 94% | 93% | 93% |
| Needs met | 90% | 90% | 90% |
In the Friends and Family Test for July 2026, 93% of 383 responses rated the practice good or very good (England: 92%).
CQC's overall rating for The Potteries is Good, published in April 2018. All 5 key questions are rated Good. It held the same rating in the report before (March 2015).
| Key question | Rating |
|---|---|
| Safe | Good |
| Well-led | Good |
| Caring | Good |
| Responsive | Good |
| Effective | Good |
14,325 patients were registered at The Potteries in September 2026, down 1.6% on a year earlier (England: down 1.1%).
22% of its patients are aged 65 or over, against 19% across England. With 5.1 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs, there are 2,815 patients per GP, more than the England figure of 2,171 and Thames Valley's 2,121. The practice also has 3.2 nurses and 7.0 other clinical staff such as pharmacists and physiotherapists (full-time equivalent).
| Year | Qualified GPs (FTE) | All GPs incl. trainees (FTE) |
|---|---|---|
| August 2023 | 7.4 | 9.1 |
| August 2024 | 5.0 | 6.1 |
| August 2025 | 4.3 | 5.4 |
| August 2026 | 5.1 | 7.2 |
From June 2026 to August 2026 the practice recorded 7,013 appointments a month, or 490 per 1,000 registered patients (England: 510). 63% were face to face (England: 63%). 42% took place on the day they were booked and 8% more than 28 days after booking (England: 45% and 5%).
56% were with a GP rather than another member of the practice team. 8% of booked patients did not attend.
| Measure | The Potteries | Thames Valley | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Appointments per 1,000 patients a month | 490 | 451 | 510 |
| Face to face | 63% | 60% | 63% |
| Same day as booked | 42% | 45% | 45% |
| More than 28 days after booking | 8% | 4% | 5% |
| Did not attend | 8% | 5% | 4% |
Compared with England, the practice has a higher share of patients on its registers for palliative or supportive care needs (1.5% against 0.6%), osteoporosis (3.1% against 1.2%) and dementia (1.5% against 0.8%). The practice's patients live in areas with an average deprivation score of 14.6 (England: 21.8; higher is more deprived). Life expectancy for its patients' neighbourhoods is 84.5 years for women and 80.0 for men (England: 83.0 and 79.1).
| Condition register | Age group | Practice (2024/25) | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Depression | 18+ yrs | 22.7% | 14.3% |
| High blood pressure | All ages | 18.9% | 15.2% |
| Diabetes | 17+ yrs | 8.7% | 7.9% |
| Asthma | 6+ yrs | 8.5% | 6.6% |
| Chronic kidney disease | 18+ yrs | 8.3% | 4.6% |
| Cancer | All ages | 4.7% | 3.8% |
| Osteoporosis | 50+ yrs | 3.1% | 1.2% |
| Atrial fibrillation | All ages | 2.9% | 2.2% |
| Coronary heart disease | All ages | 2.8% | 3.0% |
| Stroke and TIA | All ages | 2.0% | 1.9% |
| COPD | All ages | 1.7% | 1.9% |
| Heart failure | All ages | 1.6% | 1.1% |
| Palliative care | All ages | 1.5% | 0.6% |
| Dementia | All ages | 1.5% | 0.8% |
| Rheumatoid arthritis | 16+ yrs | 1.4% | 0.8% |
| Epilepsy | 18+ yrs | 1.2% | 0.8% |
| Serious mental illness | All ages | 1.0% | 1.0% |
| Learning disability | All ages | 0.9% | 0.6% |
| Peripheral arterial disease | All ages | 0.5% | 0.6% |
| Screening coverage | Period | Practice | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bowel cancer screening (aged 60 to 74) | 2024/25 | 77.2% | 72.9% |
| Breast cancer screening (women aged 53 to 70) | 2024/25 | 79.6% | 72.2% |
| Cervical screening (women aged 25 to 49) | 2023/24 | 73.7% | 67.5% |
| Cervical screening (women aged 50 to 64) | 2023/24 | 75.0% | 74.9% |
The Potteries, Tylers Place, Tilehurst, Reading, RG30 6BW. Phone: 0118 942 7528.
| Nearby practice | Distance | Overall experience good |
|---|---|---|
| Grovelands Medical Centre | 1.1 km | 73% |
| Westwood Road Health Centre | 1.1 km | 65% |
| Drs T A Underwood & M A Thompson | 1.2 km | 74% |
| Western Elms Surgery | 2.3 km | 68% |
| Chatham Street Surgery | 3.1 km | 78% |
- Drs T A Underwood & M A Thompson (74% overall experience good)
How do patients rate The Potteries?
In the 2026 GP Patient Survey, 71% of patients described their overall experience of The Potteries as good, against 77% across England. 33% found it easy to get through by phone.
How many patients are registered at The Potteries?
14,325 patients were registered in September 2026, down 1.6% on a year earlier.
What is The Potteries's CQC rating?
Good overall, published in April 2018.
How many GPs does The Potteries have?
5.1 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs (8 qualified GPs by headcount), which is 2,815 patients per GP against 2,171 across England.
Are appointments at The Potteries face to face?
63% of appointments from June 2026 to August 2026 were face to face, against 63% across England.
What is The Potteries's phone number?
0118 942 7528.