Theale Medical Centre, Reading: patient reviews and CQC rating
Theale Medical Centre is a GP practice in Reading with 10,895 registered patients (September 2026). In the 2026 GP Patient Survey, 82% 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 December 2021. It has 4.5 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs, or 2,410 patients per GP.
Latest data: September 2026. Patient survey 2026; registered patients September 2026; appointments to August 2026.
What patients say about Theale Medical Centre
Its best result against England is the share who found it easy to contact the practice through its website: 66%, against 58% across England. Its weakest is the share who said the wait for their last appointment was about right: 56%, below the England figure of 69%. Of the 11 results in the table, 0 are above England and 1 below by more than the survey's margin of error, and 10 within it.
On overall experience it is 11th of the 31 practices in Reading with 50 or more responses. 53% found it easy to get through by phone (England: 57%). The overall experience result is 10 points higher than in 2025 (72%). 124 patients answered the survey (response rate 32%).
| Survey question | Theale Medical Centre | Thames Valley | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overall experience good | 82% | 76% | 77% |
| Easy to contact by phone | 53% | 56% | 57% |
| Easy to contact via the website | 66% | 57% | 58% |
| Easy to contact via the NHS App | 62% | 53% | 54% |
| Reception team helpful | 84% | 84% | 85% |
| Last contact good | 71% | 72% | 73% |
| Wait for appointment about right | 56% | 69% | 69% |
| Listened to well | 90% | 88% | 87% |
| Treated with care and concern | 83% | 87% | 86% |
| Confidence and trust in the clinician | 92% | 93% | 93% |
| Needs met | 93% | 90% | 90% |
In the Friends and Family Test for July 2026, 96% of 1,019 responses rated the practice good or very good (England: 92%).
CQC's overall rating for Theale Medical Centre is Good, published in December 2021. All 5 key questions are rated Good. Its previous overall rating was Requires Improvement (April 2019).
| Key question | Rating |
|---|---|
| Safe | Good |
| Well-led | Good |
| Caring | Good |
| Responsive | Good |
| Effective | Good |
10,895 patients were registered at Theale Medical Centre in September 2026, almost the same as a year earlier.
19% of its patients are aged 65 or over, against 19% across England. With 4.5 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs, there are 2,410 patients per GP, more than the England figure of 2,171 and Thames Valley's 2,121. The practice also has 6.9 nurses and 3.3 other clinical staff such as pharmacists and physiotherapists (full-time equivalent).
| Year | Qualified GPs (FTE) | All GPs incl. trainees (FTE) |
|---|---|---|
| August 2023 | 2.1 | 2.1 |
| August 2024 | 2.5 | 2.5 |
| August 2025 | 2.5 | 2.5 |
| August 2026 | 4.5 | 4.5 |
From June 2026 to August 2026 the practice recorded 7,328 appointments a month, or 673 per 1,000 registered patients (England: 510). 42% were face to face (England: 63%). 51% took place on the day they were booked and 11% more than 28 days after booking (England: 45% and 5%).
51% were with a GP rather than another member of the practice team. 3% of booked patients did not attend.
| Measure | Theale Medical Centre | Thames Valley | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Appointments per 1,000 patients a month | 673 | 451 | 510 |
| Face to face | 42% | 60% | 63% |
| Same day as booked | 51% | 45% | 45% |
| More than 28 days after booking | 11% | 4% | 5% |
| Did not attend | 3% | 5% | 4% |
Compared with England, the practice has a higher share of patients on its registers for osteoporosis (1.8% against 1.2%), chronic kidney disease (6.3% against 4.6%) and depression (19.1% against 14.3%). The practice's patients live in areas with an average deprivation score of 12.2 (England: 21.8; higher is more deprived). Life expectancy for its patients' neighbourhoods is 85.7 years for women and 81.4 for men (England: 83.0 and 79.1).
| Condition register | Age group | Practice (2024/25) | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Depression | 18+ yrs | 19.1% | 14.3% |
| High blood pressure | All ages | 16.9% | 15.2% |
| Diabetes | 17+ yrs | 8.0% | 7.9% |
| Asthma | 6+ yrs | 7.6% | 6.6% |
| Chronic kidney disease | 18+ yrs | 6.3% | 4.6% |
| Cancer | All ages | 4.7% | 3.8% |
| Coronary heart disease | All ages | 2.8% | 3.0% |
| Atrial fibrillation | All ages | 2.3% | 2.2% |
| COPD | All ages | 2.1% | 1.9% |
| Osteoporosis | 50+ yrs | 1.8% | 1.2% |
| Stroke and TIA | All ages | 1.6% | 1.9% |
| Heart failure | All ages | 1.3% | 1.1% |
| Rheumatoid arthritis | 16+ yrs | 1.0% | 0.8% |
| Serious mental illness | All ages | 0.8% | 1.0% |
| Learning disability | All ages | 0.7% | 0.6% |
| Epilepsy | 18+ yrs | 0.6% | 0.8% |
| Dementia | All ages | 0.6% | 0.8% |
| Palliative care | All ages | 0.5% | 0.6% |
| Peripheral arterial disease | All ages | 0.4% | 0.6% |
| Screening coverage | Period | Practice | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bowel cancer screening (aged 60 to 74) | 2024/25 | 78.2% | 72.9% |
| Breast cancer screening (women aged 53 to 70) | 2024/25 | 79.1% | 72.2% |
| Cervical screening (women aged 25 to 49) | 2023/24 | 76.5% | 67.5% |
| Cervical screening (women aged 50 to 64) | 2023/24 | 78.7% | 74.9% |
Theale Medical Centre, Englefield Road, Theale, Reading, RG7 5AS. Phone: 0118 930 2513. Website: www.thealemedicalcentre.com.
| Nearby practice | Distance | Overall experience good |
|---|---|---|
| Westwood Road Health Centre | 3.6 km | 65% |
| Drs T A Underwood & M A Thompson | 3.7 km | 74% |
| The Potteries | 4.5 km | 71% |
| The Boat House Surgery | 5.3 km | 92% |
| Grovelands Medical Centre | 5.5 km | 73% |
- Mortimer Surgery (84% overall experience good)
- The Boat House Surgery (92% overall experience good)
- The Bucklebury Practice (90% overall experience good)
How do patients rate Theale Medical Centre?
In the 2026 GP Patient Survey, 82% of patients described their overall experience of Theale Medical Centre as good, against 77% across England. 53% found it easy to get through by phone.
How many patients are registered at Theale Medical Centre?
10,895 patients were registered in September 2026, up 0.2% on a year earlier.
What is Theale Medical Centre's CQC rating?
Good overall, published in December 2021.
How many GPs does Theale Medical Centre have?
4.5 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs (8 qualified GPs by headcount), which is 2,410 patients per GP against 2,171 across England.
Are appointments at Theale Medical Centre face to face?
42% of appointments from June 2026 to August 2026 were face to face, against 63% across England.
What is Theale Medical Centre's phone number?
0118 930 2513.