The Dow Surgery, Redditch: patient reviews and CQC rating
The Dow Surgery is a GP practice in Redditch with 11,637 registered patients (September 2026). In the 2026 GP Patient Survey, 74% of its patients described their overall experience as good, against 77% across England (Herefordshire and Worcestershire: 80%). The Care Quality Commission rates it Good overall, in a report published in March 2019. It has 5.4 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs, or 2,139 patients per GP.
Latest data: September 2026. Patient survey 2026; registered patients September 2026; appointments to August 2026.
What patients say about The Dow Surgery
Its best result against England is the share who described their last contact with the practice as good: 75%, against 73% across England. Its weakest is the share who said the wait for their last appointment was about right: 64%, against 69% across England. With 131 responses, none of its 11 results differs from England by more than the survey's margin of error.
On overall experience it is 6th of the 9 practices in Redditch with 50 or more responses. 58% found it easy to get through by phone (England: 57%). The overall experience result is 8 points lower than in 2025 (82%). 131 patients answered the survey (response rate 28%).
| Survey question | The Dow Surgery | Herefordshire and Worcestershire | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overall experience good | 74% | 80% | 77% |
| Easy to contact by phone | 58% | 66% | 57% |
| Easy to contact via the website | 54% | 65% | 58% |
| Easy to contact via the NHS App | 56% | 64% | 54% |
| Reception team helpful | 86% | 89% | 85% |
| Last contact good | 75% | 78% | 73% |
| Wait for appointment about right | 64% | 75% | 69% |
| Listened to well | 85% | 89% | 87% |
| Treated with care and concern | 87% | 88% | 86% |
| Confidence and trust in the clinician | 91% | 94% | 93% |
| Needs met | 92% | 92% | 90% |
In the Friends and Family Test for July 2026, 92% of 101 responses rated the practice good or very good (England: 92%).
CQC's overall rating for The Dow Surgery is Good, published in March 2019. All 5 key questions are rated Good. It held the same rating in the report before (July 2016).
| Key question | Rating |
|---|---|
| Safe | Good |
| Well-led | Good |
| Caring | Good |
| Responsive | Good |
| Effective | Good |
11,637 patients were registered at The Dow Surgery in September 2026, down 4.1% on a year earlier (England: down 1.1%).
17% of its patients are aged 65 or over, against 19% across England. With 5.4 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs, there are 2,139 patients per GP, close to the England figure of 2,171 and Herefordshire and Worcestershire's 1,893. The practice also has 1.5 nurses and 2.3 other clinical staff such as pharmacists and physiotherapists (full-time equivalent).
| Year | Qualified GPs (FTE) | All GPs incl. trainees (FTE) |
|---|---|---|
| August 2023 | 6.2 | 8.3 |
| August 2024 | 6.4 | 10.3 |
| August 2025 | 5.9 | 8.7 |
| August 2026 | 5.4 | 8.2 |
From June 2026 to August 2026 the practice recorded 5,736 appointments a month, or 493 per 1,000 registered patients (England: 510). 68% were face to face (England: 63%). 37% took place on the day they were booked and 6% more than 28 days after booking (England: 45% and 5%).
52% were with a GP rather than another member of the practice team. 7% of booked patients did not attend.
| Measure | The Dow Surgery | Herefordshire and Worcestershire | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Appointments per 1,000 patients a month | 493 | 561 | 510 |
| Face to face | 68% | 62% | 63% |
| Same day as booked | 37% | 45% | 45% |
| More than 28 days after booking | 6% | 6% | 5% |
| Did not attend | 7% | 4% | 4% |
Compared with England, the practice has a lower share of patients for osteoporosis (0.2% against 1.2%) and heart failure (0.7% against 1.1%). The practice's patients live in areas with an average deprivation score of 24.2 (England: 21.8; higher is more deprived). Life expectancy for its patients' neighbourhoods is 81.4 years for women and 78.2 for men (England: 83.0 and 79.1).
| Condition register | Age group | Practice (2024/25) | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| High blood pressure | All ages | 16.0% | 15.2% |
| Depression | 18+ yrs | 14.3% | 14.3% |
| Diabetes | 17+ yrs | 9.0% | 7.9% |
| Asthma | 6+ yrs | 7.4% | 6.6% |
| Chronic kidney disease | 18+ yrs | 5.4% | 4.6% |
| Cancer | All ages | 3.1% | 3.8% |
| Coronary heart disease | All ages | 3.0% | 3.0% |
| Atrial fibrillation | All ages | 2.0% | 2.2% |
| COPD | All ages | 1.9% | 1.9% |
| Stroke and TIA | All ages | 1.7% | 1.9% |
| Serious mental illness | All ages | 1.0% | 1.0% |
| Epilepsy | 18+ yrs | 1.0% | 0.8% |
| Rheumatoid arthritis | 16+ yrs | 0.8% | 0.8% |
| Heart failure | All ages | 0.7% | 1.1% |
| Dementia | All ages | 0.6% | 0.8% |
| Learning disability | All ages | 0.6% | 0.6% |
| Peripheral arterial disease | All ages | 0.5% | 0.6% |
| Palliative care | All ages | 0.4% | 0.6% |
| Osteoporosis | 50+ yrs | 0.2% | 1.2% |
| Screening coverage | Period | Practice | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bowel cancer screening (aged 60 to 74) | 2024/25 | 70.8% | 72.9% |
| Breast cancer screening (women aged 53 to 70) | 2024/25 | 74.0% | 72.2% |
| Cervical screening (women aged 25 to 49) | 2023/24 | 62.8% | 67.5% |
| Cervical screening (women aged 50 to 64) | 2023/24 | 71.4% | 74.9% |
The Dow Surgery, William Street, Redditch, B97 4AJ. Phone: 0152762285. Website: www.dowsurgery.co.uk.
| Nearby practice | Distance | Overall experience good |
|---|---|---|
| Elgar House | 0.1 km | 89% |
| St Stephens Surgery | 0.1 km | 68% |
| Hillview Medical Centre | 0.6 km | 93% |
| The Bridge Surgery | 1.6 km | 64% |
| The Medical Centre Crabbs Cross | 2.9 km | 75% |
- Elgar House (89% overall experience good)
- Hillview Medical Centre (93% overall experience good)
- St Stephens Surgery (68% overall experience good)
- The Bridge Surgery (64% overall experience good)
How do patients rate The Dow Surgery?
In the 2026 GP Patient Survey, 74% of patients described their overall experience of The Dow Surgery as good, against 77% across England. 58% found it easy to get through by phone.
How many patients are registered at The Dow Surgery?
11,637 patients were registered in September 2026, down 4.1% on a year earlier.
What is The Dow Surgery's CQC rating?
Good overall, published in March 2019.
How many GPs does The Dow Surgery have?
5.4 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs (9 qualified GPs by headcount), which is 2,139 patients per GP against 2,171 across England.
Are appointments at The Dow Surgery face to face?
68% of appointments from June 2026 to August 2026 were face to face, against 63% across England.
What is The Dow Surgery's phone number?
0152762285.