Sandwich Medical Practice, Sandwich: patient reviews and CQC rating
Sandwich Medical Practice is a GP practice in Sandwich with 12,881 registered patients (September 2026). In the 2026 GP Patient Survey, 77% of its patients described their overall experience as good, against 77% across England (Kent and Medway: 73%). The Care Quality Commission rates it Good overall, in a report published in December 2022. It has 7.9 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs, or 1,622 patients per GP.
Latest data: September 2026. Patient survey 2026; registered patients September 2026; appointments to August 2026.
What patients say about Sandwich Medical Practice
Its best result against England is the share who said their needs were met at their last appointment: 95%, against 90% across England. Its weakest is the share who found it easy to get through to the practice by phone: 42%, below the England figure of 57%. 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.
42% found it easy to get through by phone (England: 57%). The overall experience result is 2 points lower than in 2025 (79%). 93 patients answered the survey (response rate 33%).
| Survey question | Sandwich Medical Practice | Kent and Medway | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overall experience good | 77% | 73% | 77% |
| Easy to contact by phone | 42% | 48% | 57% |
| Easy to contact via the website | 59% | 52% | 58% |
| Easy to contact via the NHS App | 45% | 50% | 54% |
| Reception team helpful | 80% | 82% | 85% |
| Last contact good | 65% | 67% | 73% |
| Wait for appointment about right | 65% | 65% | 69% |
| Listened to well | 89% | 85% | 87% |
| Treated with care and concern | 89% | 84% | 86% |
| Confidence and trust in the clinician | 97% | 91% | 93% |
| Needs met | 95% | 89% | 90% |
In the Friends and Family Test for July 2026, 93% of 99 responses rated the practice good or very good (England: 92%).
CQC's overall rating for Sandwich Medical Practice is Good, published in December 2022. One key question is rated differently: Effective Requires Improvement. It held the same rating in the report before (October 2016).
| Key question | Rating |
|---|---|
| Safe | Good |
| Well-led | Good |
| Caring | Good |
| Responsive | Good |
| Effective | Requires Improvement |
12,881 patients were registered at Sandwich Medical Practice in September 2026, down 0.9% on a year earlier (England: down 1.1%).
31% of its patients are aged 65 or over, against 19% across England. With 7.9 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs, there are 1,622 patients per GP, fewer than the England figure of 2,171 and Kent and Medway's 2,419. The practice also has 4.0 nurses and 4.5 other clinical staff such as pharmacists and physiotherapists (full-time equivalent).
| Year | Qualified GPs (FTE) | All GPs incl. trainees (FTE) |
|---|---|---|
| August 2023 | 7.0 | 7.0 |
| August 2024 | 7.2 | 8.3 |
| August 2025 | 5.7 | 5.7 |
| August 2026 | 7.9 | 7.9 |
From June 2026 to August 2026 the practice recorded 8,431 appointments a month, or 655 per 1,000 registered patients (England: 510). 52% were face to face (England: 63%). 50% took place on the day they were booked and 10% more than 28 days after booking (England: 45% and 5%).
57% were with a GP rather than another member of the practice team. 5% of booked patients did not attend.
| Measure | Sandwich Medical Practice | Kent and Medway | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Appointments per 1,000 patients a month | 655 | 457 | 510 |
| Face to face | 52% | 62% | 63% |
| Same day as booked | 50% | 41% | 45% |
| More than 28 days after booking | 10% | 7% | 5% |
| Did not attend | 5% | 5% | 4% |
Compared with England, the practice has a higher share of patients on its registers for cancer (7.1% against 3.8%), atrial fibrillation (4.0% against 2.2%) and COPD (3.1% against 1.9%). It has a lower share for osteoporosis (0.6% against 1.2%) and palliative or supportive care needs (0.3% against 0.6%). The practice's patients live in areas with an average deprivation score of 19.0 (England: 21.8; higher is more deprived).
Life expectancy for its patients' neighbourhoods is 83.1 years for women and 80.1 for men (England: 83.0 and 79.1).
| Condition register | Age group | Practice (2024/25) | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| High blood pressure | All ages | 21.5% | 15.2% |
| Depression | 18+ yrs | 17.3% | 14.3% |
| Diabetes | 17+ yrs | 8.4% | 7.9% |
| Chronic kidney disease | 18+ yrs | 7.3% | 4.6% |
| Asthma | 6+ yrs | 7.1% | 6.6% |
| Cancer | All ages | 7.1% | 3.8% |
| Coronary heart disease | All ages | 4.0% | 3.0% |
| Atrial fibrillation | All ages | 4.0% | 2.2% |
| COPD | All ages | 3.1% | 1.9% |
| Stroke and TIA | All ages | 2.7% | 1.9% |
| Rheumatoid arthritis | 16+ yrs | 1.0% | 0.8% |
| Heart failure | All ages | 1.0% | 1.1% |
| Dementia | All ages | 0.9% | 0.8% |
| Peripheral arterial disease | All ages | 0.9% | 0.6% |
| Serious mental illness | All ages | 0.8% | 1.0% |
| Epilepsy | 18+ yrs | 0.7% | 0.8% |
| Osteoporosis | 50+ yrs | 0.6% | 1.2% |
| Learning disability | All ages | 0.5% | 0.6% |
| Palliative care | All ages | 0.3% | 0.6% |
| Screening coverage | Period | Practice | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bowel cancer screening (aged 60 to 74) | 2024/25 | 79.1% | 72.9% |
| Breast cancer screening (women aged 53 to 70) | 2024/25 | 76.9% | 72.2% |
| Cervical screening (women aged 25 to 49) | 2023/24 | 74.8% | 67.5% |
| Cervical screening (women aged 50 to 64) | 2023/24 | 77.3% | 74.9% |
Sandwich Medical Practice, Cattle Market, Sandwich, CT13 9ET. Phone: 01304 619790. Website: www.sandwichmedicalpractice.co.uk.
| Nearby practice | Distance | Overall experience good |
|---|---|---|
| Ash Surgery | 4.1 km | 73% |
| The New Golf Road Surgery | 6.5 km | 90% |
| Minster Surgery | 6.9 km | 77% |
| Dr S Schulz & Partners | 7.4 km | 74% |
| The Cedars Surgery | 7.8 km | 81% |
- Balmoral Surgery (75% overall experience good)
- Dr S Schulz & Partners (74% overall experience good)
- The Cedars Surgery (81% overall experience good)
- The New Golf Road Surgery (90% overall experience good)
How do patients rate Sandwich Medical Practice?
In the 2026 GP Patient Survey, 77% of patients described their overall experience of Sandwich Medical Practice as good, against 77% across England. 42% found it easy to get through by phone.
How many patients are registered at Sandwich Medical Practice?
12,881 patients were registered in September 2026, down 0.9% on a year earlier.
What is Sandwich Medical Practice's CQC rating?
Good overall, published in December 2022.
How many GPs does Sandwich Medical Practice have?
7.9 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs (10 qualified GPs by headcount), which is 1,622 patients per GP against 2,171 across England.
Are appointments at Sandwich Medical Practice face to face?
52% of appointments from June 2026 to August 2026 were face to face, against 63% across England.
What is Sandwich Medical Practice's phone number?
01304 619790.