Apex Medical Practice, Rochester: patient reviews and CQC rating
Apex Medical Practice is a GP practice in Rochester with 6,721 registered patients (September 2026). In the 2026 GP Patient Survey, 64% of its patients described their overall experience as good, below the England figure of 77% (Kent and Medway: 73%). The Care Quality Commission rates it Good overall, in a report published in November 2019. It has 1.7 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs, or 4,033 patients per GP.
Latest data: September 2026. Patient survey 2026; registered patients September 2026; appointments to August 2026.
What patients say about Apex Medical Practice
Its best result against England is the share who said they were treated with care and concern: 89%, against 86% across England. Its weakest is the share who found it easy to get through to the practice by phone: 36%, below the England figure of 57%. Of the 11 results in the table, 0 are above England and 7 below by more than the survey's margin of error, and 4 within it.
On overall experience it is 6th of the 11 practices in Rochester with 50 or more responses. 36% found it easy to get through by phone (England: 57%). The overall experience result is 5 points lower than in 2025 (69%). 97 patients answered the survey (response rate 21%).
| Survey question | Apex Medical Practice | Kent and Medway | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overall experience good | 64% | 73% | 77% |
| Easy to contact by phone | 36% | 48% | 57% |
| Easy to contact via the website | 37% | 52% | 58% |
| Easy to contact via the NHS App | 39% | 50% | 54% |
| Reception team helpful | 74% | 82% | 85% |
| Last contact good | 56% | 67% | 73% |
| Wait for appointment about right | 51% | 65% | 69% |
| Listened to well | 88% | 85% | 87% |
| Treated with care and concern | 89% | 84% | 86% |
| Confidence and trust in the clinician | 95% | 91% | 93% |
| Needs met | 85% | 89% | 90% |
CQC's overall rating for Apex Medical Practice is Good, published in November 2019. All 5 key questions are rated Good. Its previous overall rating was Requires Improvement (November 2018).
| Key question | Rating |
|---|---|
| Safe | Good |
| Well-led | Good |
| Caring | Good |
| Responsive | Good |
| Effective | Good |
6,721 patients were registered at Apex Medical Practice in September 2026, down 4.6% on a year earlier (England: down 1.1%).
16% of its patients are aged 65 or over, against 19% across England. With 1.7 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs, there are 4,033 patients per GP, more than the England figure of 2,171 and Kent and Medway's 2,419. The practice also has 0.4 nurses (full-time equivalent).
| Year | Qualified GPs (FTE) | All GPs incl. trainees (FTE) |
|---|---|---|
| August 2023 | 3.0 | 3.0 |
| August 2024 | 3.0 | 3.0 |
| August 2025 | 2.0 | 2.0 |
| August 2026 | 1.7 | 1.7 |
From June 2026 to August 2026 the practice recorded 2,455 appointments a month, or 365 per 1,000 registered patients (England: 510). 71% were face to face (England: 63%). 22% took place on the day they were booked and 1% more than 28 days after booking (England: 45% and 5%).
39% were with a GP rather than another member of the practice team. 8% of booked patients did not attend.
| Measure | Apex Medical Practice | Kent and Medway | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Appointments per 1,000 patients a month | 365 | 457 | 510 |
| Face to face | 71% | 62% | 63% |
| Same day as booked | 22% | 41% | 45% |
| More than 28 days after booking | 1% | 7% | 5% |
| Did not attend | 8% | 5% | 4% |
Compared with England, the practice has a higher share of patients on its registers for a learning disability (1.5% against 0.6%). It has a lower share for palliative or supportive care needs (0.1% against 0.6%), dementia (0.3% against 0.8%) and stroke or TIA (1.3% against 1.9%). The practice's patients live in areas with an average deprivation score of 23.0 (England: 21.8; higher is more deprived).
Life expectancy for its patients' neighbourhoods is 81.6 years for women and 78.6 for men (England: 83.0 and 79.1).
| Condition register | Age group | Practice (2024/25) | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Depression | 18+ yrs | 17.0% | 14.3% |
| High blood pressure | All ages | 15.3% | 15.2% |
| Diabetes | 17+ yrs | 9.2% | 7.9% |
| Asthma | 6+ yrs | 5.4% | 6.6% |
| Chronic kidney disease | 18+ yrs | 4.9% | 4.6% |
| Cancer | All ages | 3.4% | 3.8% |
| Coronary heart disease | All ages | 2.5% | 3.0% |
| COPD | All ages | 1.6% | 1.9% |
| Atrial fibrillation | All ages | 1.6% | 2.2% |
| Learning disability | All ages | 1.5% | 0.6% |
| Stroke and TIA | All ages | 1.3% | 1.9% |
| Heart failure | All ages | 1.0% | 1.1% |
| Epilepsy | 18+ yrs | 0.9% | 0.8% |
| Osteoporosis | 50+ yrs | 0.9% | 1.2% |
| Rheumatoid arthritis | 16+ yrs | 0.8% | 0.8% |
| Serious mental illness | All ages | 0.8% | 1.0% |
| Peripheral arterial disease | All ages | 0.4% | 0.6% |
| Dementia | All ages | 0.3% | 0.8% |
| Palliative care | All ages | 0.1% | 0.6% |
| Screening coverage | Period | Practice | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bowel cancer screening (aged 60 to 74) | 2024/25 | 71.9% | 72.9% |
| Breast cancer screening (women aged 53 to 70) | 2024/25 | 69.7% | 72.2% |
| Cervical screening (women aged 25 to 49) | 2023/24 | 65.4% | 67.5% |
| Cervical screening (women aged 50 to 64) | 2023/24 | 74.5% | 74.9% |
Apex Medical Practice, 1st Floor, The Medical Centre, Gun Lane Surgery, Strood, Rochester, ME2 4UW. Phone: 01634 720220.
| Nearby practice | Distance | Overall experience good |
|---|---|---|
| Court View Surgery | 0.9 km | 67% |
| The Thorndike Surgery | 2.0 km | 43% |
| Marlowe Park Medical Centre | 2.1 km | 67% |
| Bryant Street Medical Practice | 2.7 km | 74% |
| Dr Chidambaram Balachander | 2.9 km | 82% |
- City Way Surgery (54% overall experience good)
- Court View Surgery (67% overall experience good)
- Dr Chidambaram Balachander (82% overall experience good)
- Riverside Medical Practice (88% overall experience good)
How do patients rate Apex Medical Practice?
In the 2026 GP Patient Survey, 64% of patients described their overall experience of Apex Medical Practice as good, below the England figure of 77%. 36% found it easy to get through by phone.
How many patients are registered at Apex Medical Practice?
6,721 patients were registered in September 2026, down 4.6% on a year earlier.
What is Apex Medical Practice's CQC rating?
Good overall, published in November 2019.
How many GPs does Apex Medical Practice have?
1.7 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs (2 qualified GPs by headcount), which is 4,033 patients per GP against 2,171 across England.
Are appointments at Apex Medical Practice face to face?
71% of appointments from June 2026 to August 2026 were face to face, against 63% across England.
What is Apex Medical Practice's phone number?
01634 720220.