Riverside Medical Practice, Rochester: patient reviews and CQC rating
Riverside Medical Practice is a GP practice in Rochester with 7,310 registered patients (September 2026). In the 2026 GP Patient Survey, 88% of its patients described their overall experience as good, above the England figure of 77% (Kent and Medway: 73%). The Care Quality Commission rates it Good overall, in a report published in December 2022. It has 3.5 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs, or 2,117 patients per GP.
Latest data: September 2026. Patient survey 2026; registered patients September 2026; appointments to August 2026.
What patients say about Riverside Medical Practice
Its best result against England is the share who found it easy to get through to the practice by phone: 86%, above the England figure of 57%. Its weakest is the share who found it easy to contact the practice through its website: 45%, against 58% across England. Of the 11 results in the table, 6 are above England and 0 below by more than the survey's margin of error, and 5 within it.
On overall experience it is 1st of the 11 practices in Rochester with 50 or more responses. 86% found it easy to get through by phone (England: 57%). The overall experience result is 1 point higher than in 2025 (87%). 84 patients answered the survey (response rate 24%).
| Survey question | Riverside Medical Practice | Kent and Medway | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overall experience good | 88% | 73% | 77% |
| Easy to contact by phone | 86% | 48% | 57% |
| Easy to contact via the website | 45% | 52% | 58% |
| Easy to contact via the NHS App | 62% | 50% | 54% |
| Reception team helpful | 95% | 82% | 85% |
| Last contact good | 85% | 67% | 73% |
| Wait for appointment about right | 86% | 65% | 69% |
| Listened to well | 92% | 85% | 87% |
| Treated with care and concern | 94% | 84% | 86% |
| Confidence and trust in the clinician | 95% | 91% | 93% |
| Needs met | 92% | 89% | 90% |
In the Friends and Family Test for July 2026, 97% of 99 responses rated the practice good or very good (England: 92%).
CQC's overall rating for Riverside Medical Practice is Good, published in December 2022. All 5 key questions are rated Good. It held the same rating in the report before (December 2016).
| Key question | Rating |
|---|---|
| Safe | Good |
| Well-led | Good |
| Caring | Good |
| Responsive | Good |
| Effective | Good |
7,310 patients were registered at Riverside Medical Practice in September 2026, almost the same as a year earlier.
18% of its patients are aged 65 or over, against 19% across England. With 3.5 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs, there are 2,117 patients per GP, close to the England figure of 2,171 and Kent and Medway's 2,419. The practice also has 0.9 nurses and 4.4 other clinical staff such as pharmacists and physiotherapists (full-time equivalent).
| Year | Qualified GPs (FTE) | All GPs incl. trainees (FTE) |
|---|---|---|
| August 2023 | 2.0 | 5.2 |
| August 2024 | 2.8 | 3.6 |
| August 2025 | 2.8 | 3.6 |
| August 2026 | 3.5 | 6.2 |
From June 2026 to August 2026 the practice recorded 2,541 appointments a month, or 348 per 1,000 registered patients (England: 510). 84% were face to face (England: 63%). 43% took place on the day they were booked and 1% more than 28 days after booking (England: 45% and 5%).
61% were with a GP rather than another member of the practice team. 3% of booked patients did not attend.
| Measure | Riverside Medical Practice | Kent and Medway | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Appointments per 1,000 patients a month | 348 | 457 | 510 |
| Face to face | 84% | 62% | 63% |
| Same day as booked | 43% | 41% | 45% |
| More than 28 days after booking | 1% | 7% | 5% |
| Did not attend | 3% | 5% | 4% |
Compared with England, the practice has a lower share of patients for palliative or supportive care needs (0.2% against 0.6%), serious mental illness (0.4% against 1.0%) and dementia (0.4% against 0.8%). The practice's patients live in areas with an average deprivation score of 14.3 (England: 21.8; higher is more deprived). Life expectancy for its patients' neighbourhoods is 83.5 years for women and 81.2 for men (England: 83.0 and 79.1).
| Condition register | Age group | Practice (2024/25) | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| High blood pressure | All ages | 16.7% | 15.2% |
| Depression | 18+ yrs | 16.6% | 14.3% |
| Diabetes | 17+ yrs | 7.3% | 7.9% |
| Asthma | 6+ yrs | 6.0% | 6.6% |
| Chronic kidney disease | 18+ yrs | 4.7% | 4.6% |
| Cancer | All ages | 3.7% | 3.8% |
| Coronary heart disease | All ages | 2.1% | 3.0% |
| Atrial fibrillation | All ages | 2.0% | 2.2% |
| Osteoporosis | 50+ yrs | 1.6% | 1.2% |
| Stroke and TIA | All ages | 1.4% | 1.9% |
| COPD | All ages | 1.2% | 1.9% |
| Heart failure | All ages | 0.9% | 1.1% |
| Epilepsy | 18+ yrs | 0.7% | 0.8% |
| Rheumatoid arthritis | 16+ yrs | 0.7% | 0.8% |
| Learning disability | All ages | 0.5% | 0.6% |
| Dementia | All ages | 0.4% | 0.8% |
| Serious mental illness | All ages | 0.4% | 1.0% |
| Peripheral arterial disease | All ages | 0.4% | 0.6% |
| Palliative care | All ages | 0.2% | 0.6% |
| Screening coverage | Period | Practice | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bowel cancer screening (aged 60 to 74) | 2024/25 | 77.4% | 72.9% |
| Breast cancer screening (women aged 53 to 70) | 2024/25 | 74.5% | 72.2% |
| Cervical screening (women aged 25 to 49) | 2023/24 | 80.2% | 67.5% |
| Cervical screening (women aged 50 to 64) | 2023/24 | 78.8% | 74.9% |
Riverside Medical Practice, Ferry Road, Halling, Rochester, ME2 1NP. Phone: 01634 240238. Website: www.riversidemedicalpractice.com.
| Nearby practice | Distance | Overall experience good |
|---|---|---|
| Snodland Medical Practice | 2.5 km | 65% |
| Phoenix Medical Practice | 3.2 km | 58% |
| Dr Chidambaram Balachander | 3.5 km | 82% |
| Marlowe Park Medical Centre | 4.5 km | 67% |
| King George Road Surgery | 4.9 km | 76% |
- Apex Medical Practice (64% overall experience good)
- City Way Surgery (54% overall experience good)
- Court View Surgery (67% overall experience good)
- Dr Chidambaram Balachander (82% overall experience good)
How do patients rate Riverside Medical Practice?
In the 2026 GP Patient Survey, 88% of patients described their overall experience of Riverside Medical Practice as good, above the England figure of 77%. 86% found it easy to get through by phone.
How many patients are registered at Riverside Medical Practice?
7,310 patients were registered in September 2026, up 0.3% on a year earlier.
What is Riverside Medical Practice's CQC rating?
Good overall, published in December 2022.
How many GPs does Riverside Medical Practice have?
3.5 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs (5 qualified GPs by headcount), which is 2,117 patients per GP against 2,171 across England.
Are appointments at Riverside Medical Practice face to face?
84% of appointments from June 2026 to August 2026 were face to face, against 63% across England.
What is Riverside Medical Practice's phone number?
01634 240238.