The Thorndike Surgery, Rochester: patient reviews and CQC rating
The Thorndike Surgery is a GP practice in Rochester with 11,906 registered patients (September 2026). In the 2026 GP Patient Survey, 43% 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 Requires Improvement overall, in a report published in September 2022. It has 5.5 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs, or 2,164 patients per GP.
Latest data: September 2026. Patient survey 2026; registered patients September 2026; appointments to August 2026.
What patients say about The Thorndike Surgery
Its result closest to England is the share who said their needs were met at their last appointment: 85%, against 90% across England. Its weakest is the share who described their last contact with the practice as good: 34%, below the England figure of 73%. Of the 11 results in the table, 0 are above England and 8 below by more than the survey's margin of error, and 3 within it.
On overall experience it is 11th of the 11 practices in Rochester with 50 or more responses. 35% found it easy to get through by phone (England: 57%). The overall experience result is 4 points higher than in 2025 (39%). 99 patients answered the survey (response rate 29%).
| Survey question | The Thorndike Surgery | Kent and Medway | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overall experience good | 43% | 73% | 77% |
| Easy to contact by phone | 35% | 48% | 57% |
| Easy to contact via the website | 36% | 52% | 58% |
| Easy to contact via the NHS App | 48% | 50% | 54% |
| Reception team helpful | 56% | 82% | 85% |
| Last contact good | 34% | 67% | 73% |
| Wait for appointment about right | 50% | 65% | 69% |
| Listened to well | 80% | 85% | 87% |
| Treated with care and concern | 78% | 84% | 86% |
| Confidence and trust in the clinician | 87% | 91% | 93% |
| Needs met | 85% | 89% | 90% |
CQC's overall rating for The Thorndike Surgery is Requires Improvement, published in September 2022. All 5 key questions are rated Requires Improvement. Its previous overall rating was Good (March 2022).
| Key question | Rating |
|---|---|
| Safe | Requires Improvement |
| Well-led | Requires Improvement |
| Caring | Requires Improvement |
| Responsive | Requires Improvement |
| Effective | Requires Improvement |
11,906 patients were registered at The Thorndike Surgery in September 2026, down 3.7% on a year earlier (England: down 1.1%).
19% of its patients are aged 65 or over, against 19% across England. With 5.5 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs, there are 2,164 patients per GP, close to the England figure of 2,171 and Kent and Medway's 2,419. The practice also has 1.5 nurses and 5.2 other clinical staff such as pharmacists and physiotherapists (full-time equivalent).
| Year | Qualified GPs (FTE) | All GPs incl. trainees (FTE) |
|---|---|---|
| August 2023 | 4.6 | 7.4 |
| August 2024 | 4.2 | 7.2 |
| August 2025 | 3.8 | 4.9 |
| August 2026 | 5.5 | 10.8 |
From June 2026 to August 2026 the practice recorded 5,409 appointments a month, or 454 per 1,000 registered patients (England: 510). 47% were face to face (England: 63%). 30% took place on the day they were booked and 5% more than 28 days after booking (England: 45% and 5%).
42% were with a GP rather than another member of the practice team. 5% of booked patients did not attend.
| Measure | The Thorndike Surgery | Kent and Medway | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Appointments per 1,000 patients a month | 454 | 457 | 510 |
| Face to face | 47% | 62% | 63% |
| Same day as booked | 30% | 41% | 45% |
| More than 28 days after booking | 5% | 7% | 5% |
| Did not attend | 5% | 5% | 4% |
Compared with England, the practice has a higher share of patients on its registers for dementia (1.5% against 0.8%), osteoporosis (1.9% against 1.2%) and chronic kidney disease (6.8% against 4.6%). The practice's patients live in areas with an average deprivation score of 22.7 (England: 21.8; higher is more deprived). Life expectancy for its patients' neighbourhoods is 82.5 years for women and 78.3 for men (England: 83.0 and 79.1).
| Condition register | Age group | Practice (2024/25) | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Depression | 18+ yrs | 20.2% | 14.3% |
| High blood pressure | All ages | 17.4% | 15.2% |
| Diabetes | 17+ yrs | 9.0% | 7.9% |
| Chronic kidney disease | 18+ yrs | 6.8% | 4.6% |
| Asthma | 6+ yrs | 6.2% | 6.6% |
| Cancer | All ages | 4.6% | 3.8% |
| Coronary heart disease | All ages | 3.1% | 3.0% |
| Atrial fibrillation | All ages | 2.2% | 2.2% |
| COPD | All ages | 1.9% | 1.9% |
| Osteoporosis | 50+ yrs | 1.9% | 1.2% |
| Stroke and TIA | All ages | 1.8% | 1.9% |
| Heart failure | All ages | 1.5% | 1.1% |
| Dementia | All ages | 1.5% | 0.8% |
| Serious mental illness | All ages | 1.3% | 1.0% |
| Rheumatoid arthritis | 16+ yrs | 0.9% | 0.8% |
| Epilepsy | 18+ yrs | 0.9% | 0.8% |
| Learning disability | All ages | 0.7% | 0.6% |
| Peripheral arterial disease | All ages | 0.5% | 0.6% |
| Palliative care | All ages | 0.4% | 0.6% |
| Screening coverage | Period | Practice | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bowel cancer screening (aged 60 to 74) | 2024/25 | 72.9% | 72.9% |
| Breast cancer screening (women aged 53 to 70) | 2024/25 | 72.3% | 72.2% |
| Cervical screening (women aged 25 to 49) | 2023/24 | 72.8% | 67.5% |
| Cervical screening (women aged 50 to 64) | 2023/24 | 74.5% | 74.9% |
The Thorndike Surgery, Thorndike Medical Centre, Longley Road, Rochester, ME1 2TH. Phone: 01634 817217. Website: www.thorndike.nhs.uk.
| Nearby practice | Distance | Overall experience good |
|---|---|---|
| City Way Surgery | 1.1 km | 54% |
| Bryant Street Medical Practice | 1.6 km | 74% |
| Dr Chidambaram Balachander | 1.7 km | 82% |
| Apex Medical Practice | 2.0 km | 64% |
| Court View Surgery | 2.0 km | 67% |
- Cliffe Woods Surgery (54% overall experience good)
- The Elms Medical Centre (69% overall experience good)
How do patients rate The Thorndike Surgery?
In the 2026 GP Patient Survey, 43% of patients described their overall experience of The Thorndike Surgery as good, below the England figure of 77%. 35% found it easy to get through by phone.
How many patients are registered at The Thorndike Surgery?
11,906 patients were registered in September 2026, down 3.7% on a year earlier.
What is The Thorndike Surgery's CQC rating?
Requires Improvement overall, published in September 2022.
How many GPs does The Thorndike Surgery have?
5.5 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs (8 qualified GPs by headcount), which is 2,164 patients per GP against 2,171 across England.
Are appointments at The Thorndike Surgery face to face?
47% of appointments from June 2026 to August 2026 were face to face, against 63% across England.
What is The Thorndike Surgery's phone number?
01634 817217.