Central Surgery, Sawbridgeworth: patient reviews and CQC rating
Central Surgery is a GP practice in Sawbridgeworth with 13,788 registered patients (September 2026). In the 2026 GP Patient Survey, 74% of its patients described their overall experience as good, against 77% across England (Central East: 75%). The Care Quality Commission rates it Good overall, in a report published in June 2017. It has 5.3 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs, or 2,579 patients per GP.
Latest data: September 2026. Patient survey 2026; registered patients September 2026; appointments to August 2026.
What patients say about Central Surgery
Its best result against England is the share who found it easy to contact the practice through its website: 74%, above the England figure of 58%. Its weakest is the share who found the reception and administrative team helpful: 74%, below the England figure of 85%. Of the 11 results in the table, 1 is above England and 1 below by more than the survey's margin of error, and 9 within it.
66% found it easy to get through by phone (England: 57%). The overall experience result is 6 points higher than in 2025 (68%). 92 patients answered the survey (response rate 24%).
| Survey question | Central Surgery | Central East | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overall experience good | 74% | 75% | 77% |
| Easy to contact by phone | 66% | 52% | 57% |
| Easy to contact via the website | 74% | 60% | 58% |
| Easy to contact via the NHS App | 60% | 52% | 54% |
| Reception team helpful | 74% | 83% | 85% |
| Last contact good | 73% | 71% | 73% |
| Wait for appointment about right | 67% | 69% | 69% |
| Listened to well | 81% | 86% | 87% |
| Treated with care and concern | 81% | 85% | 86% |
| Confidence and trust in the clinician | 93% | 92% | 93% |
| Needs met | 88% | 89% | 90% |
In the Friends and Family Test for July 2026, 95% of 58 responses rated the practice good or very good (England: 92%).
CQC's overall rating for Central Surgery is Good, published in June 2017. 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 |
13,788 patients were registered at Central Surgery in September 2026, almost the same as a year earlier.
21% of its patients are aged 65 or over, against 19% across England. With 5.3 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs, there are 2,579 patients per GP, more than the England figure of 2,171 and Central East's 2,348. The practice also has 3.1 nurses and 2.0 other clinical staff such as pharmacists and physiotherapists (full-time equivalent).
| Year | Qualified GPs (FTE) | All GPs incl. trainees (FTE) |
|---|---|---|
| August 2023 | 5.5 | 10.0 |
| August 2024 | 5.5 | 10.0 |
| August 2025 | 5.6 | 9.8 |
| August 2026 | 5.3 | 11.3 |
From June 2026 to August 2026 the practice recorded 6,988 appointments a month, or 507 per 1,000 registered patients (England: 510). 44% were face to face (England: 63%). 39% took place on the day they were booked and 2% more than 28 days after booking (England: 45% and 5%).
71% were with a GP rather than another member of the practice team. 3% of booked patients did not attend.
| Measure | Central Surgery | Central East | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Appointments per 1,000 patients a month | 507 | 521 | 510 |
| Face to face | 44% | 62% | 63% |
| Same day as booked | 39% | 48% | 45% |
| More than 28 days after booking | 2% | 6% | 5% |
| Did not attend | 3% | 4% | 4% |
Compared with England, the practice has a higher share of patients on its registers for palliative or supportive care needs (0.8% against 0.6%). It has a lower share for osteoporosis (0.5% against 1.2%), serious mental illness (0.6% against 1.0%) and COPD (1.3% against 1.9%). The practice's patients live in areas with an average deprivation score of 8.5 (England: 21.8; higher is more deprived).
Life expectancy for its patients' neighbourhoods is 85.9 years for women and 79.6 for men (England: 83.0 and 79.1).
| Condition register | Age group | Practice (2024/25) | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| High blood pressure | All ages | 15.1% | 15.2% |
| Depression | 18+ yrs | 9.8% | 14.3% |
| Asthma | 6+ yrs | 6.9% | 6.6% |
| Diabetes | 17+ yrs | 6.2% | 7.9% |
| Cancer | All ages | 4.5% | 3.8% |
| Chronic kidney disease | 18+ yrs | 3.4% | 4.6% |
| Coronary heart disease | All ages | 2.8% | 3.0% |
| Atrial fibrillation | All ages | 2.4% | 2.2% |
| Stroke and TIA | All ages | 1.9% | 1.9% |
| COPD | All ages | 1.3% | 1.9% |
| Heart failure | All ages | 1.0% | 1.1% |
| Rheumatoid arthritis | 16+ yrs | 0.9% | 0.8% |
| Palliative care | All ages | 0.8% | 0.6% |
| Dementia | All ages | 0.6% | 0.8% |
| Serious mental illness | All ages | 0.6% | 1.0% |
| Epilepsy | 18+ yrs | 0.6% | 0.8% |
| Osteoporosis | 50+ yrs | 0.5% | 1.2% |
| Learning disability | All ages | 0.4% | 0.6% |
| Peripheral arterial disease | All ages | 0.4% | 0.6% |
| Screening coverage | Period | Practice | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bowel cancer screening (aged 60 to 74) | 2024/25 | 79.2% | 72.9% |
| Breast cancer screening (women aged 53 to 70) | 2024/25 | 73.9% | 72.2% |
| Cervical screening (women aged 25 to 49) | 2023/24 | 79.6% | 67.5% |
| Cervical screening (women aged 50 to 64) | 2023/24 | 82.6% | 74.9% |
Central Surgery, The Central Surgery, Bell Street, Sawbridgeworth, CM21 9AQ. Phone: 01279 603180. Website: www.centralsurgerysawbo.nhs.uk.
| Nearby practice | Distance | Overall experience good |
|---|---|---|
| Gardens and Jacobs Medical Partnership | 1.3 km | -9700% |
| Old Harlow Health Centre | 3.3 km | 90% |
| The Eden Surgeries | 4.0 km | 72% |
| Nuffield House Doctors Surgery | 4.9 km | 48% |
| Church Langley Medical Centre | 5.1 km | 56% |
- Church Street Partnership (62% overall experience good)
- Helix Medical Centre (79% overall experience good)
- Much Hadham Health Centre (92% overall experience good)
- South Street Surgery (82% overall experience good)
How do patients rate Central Surgery?
In the 2026 GP Patient Survey, 74% of patients described their overall experience of Central Surgery as good, against 77% across England. 66% found it easy to get through by phone.
How many patients are registered at Central Surgery?
13,788 patients were registered in September 2026, up 0.2% on a year earlier.
What is Central Surgery's CQC rating?
Good overall, published in June 2017.
How many GPs does Central Surgery have?
5.3 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs (7 qualified GPs by headcount), which is 2,579 patients per GP against 2,171 across England.
Are appointments at Central Surgery face to face?
44% of appointments from June 2026 to August 2026 were face to face, against 63% across England.
What is Central Surgery's phone number?
01279 603180.