Grovehurst Surgery, Sittingbourne: patient reviews and CQC rating
Grovehurst Surgery is a GP practice in Sittingbourne with 8,174 registered patients (September 2026). In the 2026 GP Patient Survey, 78% 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 August 2022. It has 3.6 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs, or 2,281 patients per GP.
Latest data: September 2026. Patient survey 2026; registered patients September 2026; appointments to August 2026.
What patients say about Grovehurst Surgery
Its best result against England is the share who said they were treated with care and concern: 94%, above the England figure of 86%. Its weakest is the share who found it easy to get through to the practice by phone: 43%, below the England figure of 57%. Of the 11 results in the table, 1 is above England and 4 below by more than the survey's margin of error, and 6 within it.
On overall experience it is 1st of the 7 practices in Sittingbourne with 50 or more responses. 43% found it easy to get through by phone (England: 57%). The overall experience result is 9 points higher than in 2025 (69%). 107 patients answered the survey (response rate 29%).
| Survey question | Grovehurst Surgery | Kent and Medway | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overall experience good | 78% | 73% | 77% |
| Easy to contact by phone | 43% | 48% | 57% |
| Easy to contact via the website | 45% | 52% | 58% |
| Easy to contact via the NHS App | 41% | 50% | 54% |
| Reception team helpful | 74% | 82% | 85% |
| Last contact good | 68% | 67% | 73% |
| Wait for appointment about right | 76% | 65% | 69% |
| Listened to well | 88% | 85% | 87% |
| Treated with care and concern | 94% | 84% | 86% |
| Confidence and trust in the clinician | 95% | 91% | 93% |
| Needs met | 86% | 89% | 90% |
In the Friends and Family Test for July 2026, 98% of 434 responses rated the practice good or very good (England: 92%).
CQC's overall rating for Grovehurst Surgery is Good, published in August 2022. One key question is rated differently: Safe Requires Improvement. It held the same rating in the report before (January 2016).
| Key question | Rating |
|---|---|
| Safe | Requires Improvement |
| Well-led | Good |
| Caring | Good |
| Responsive | Good |
| Effective | Good |
8,174 patients were registered at Grovehurst Surgery in September 2026, up 0.6% on a year earlier (England: down 1.1%).
19% of its patients are aged 65 or over, against 19% across England. With 3.6 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs, there are 2,281 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 2.2 other clinical staff such as pharmacists and physiotherapists (full-time equivalent).
| Year | Qualified GPs (FTE) | All GPs incl. trainees (FTE) |
|---|---|---|
| August 2023 | 2.5 | 2.5 |
| August 2024 | 2.7 | 2.7 |
| August 2025 | 2.7 | 2.7 |
| August 2026 | 3.6 | 3.6 |
From June 2026 to August 2026 the practice recorded 3,080 appointments a month, or 377 per 1,000 registered patients (England: 510). 74% were face to face (England: 63%). 34% took place on the day they were booked and 20% more than 28 days after booking (England: 45% and 5%).
47% were with a GP rather than another member of the practice team. 7% of booked patients did not attend.
| Measure | Grovehurst Surgery | Kent and Medway | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Appointments per 1,000 patients a month | 377 | 457 | 510 |
| Face to face | 74% | 62% | 63% |
| Same day as booked | 34% | 41% | 45% |
| More than 28 days after booking | 20% | 7% | 5% |
| Did not attend | 7% | 5% | 4% |
Compared with England, the practice has a higher share of patients on its registers for depression (18.8% against 14.3%), chronic kidney disease (6.1% against 4.6%) and diabetes (9.7% against 7.9%). It has a lower share for palliative or supportive care needs (0.2% against 0.6%) and serious mental illness (0.6% against 1.0%). The practice's patients live in areas with an average deprivation score of 21.4 (England: 21.8; higher is more deprived).
Life expectancy for its patients' neighbourhoods is 81.4 years for women and 78.8 for men (England: 83.0 and 79.1).
| Condition register | Age group | Practice (2024/25) | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Depression | 18+ yrs | 18.8% | 14.3% |
| High blood pressure | All ages | 18.2% | 15.2% |
| Diabetes | 17+ yrs | 9.7% | 7.9% |
| Asthma | 6+ yrs | 6.6% | 6.6% |
| Chronic kidney disease | 18+ yrs | 6.1% | 4.6% |
| Cancer | All ages | 4.6% | 3.8% |
| Coronary heart disease | All ages | 2.5% | 3.0% |
| COPD | All ages | 2.3% | 1.9% |
| Atrial fibrillation | All ages | 2.1% | 2.2% |
| Stroke and TIA | All ages | 1.8% | 1.9% |
| Osteoporosis | 50+ yrs | 1.0% | 1.2% |
| Heart failure | All ages | 0.9% | 1.1% |
| Epilepsy | 18+ yrs | 0.9% | 0.8% |
| Rheumatoid arthritis | 16+ yrs | 0.8% | 0.8% |
| Dementia | All ages | 0.7% | 0.8% |
| Serious mental illness | All ages | 0.6% | 1.0% |
| Learning disability | All ages | 0.6% | 0.6% |
| Peripheral arterial disease | All ages | 0.5% | 0.6% |
| Palliative care | All ages | 0.2% | 0.6% |
| Screening coverage | Period | Practice | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bowel cancer screening (aged 60 to 74) | 2024/25 | 76.2% | 72.9% |
| Breast cancer screening (women aged 53 to 70) | 2024/25 | 76.1% | 72.2% |
| Cervical screening (women aged 25 to 49) | 2023/24 | 73.3% | 67.5% |
| Cervical screening (women aged 50 to 64) | 2023/24 | 78.7% | 74.9% |
Grovehurst Surgery, Grovehurst Road, Kemsley, Sittingbourne, ME10 2ST. Phone: 01795 430444. Website: www.thegrovehurstsurgery.nhs.uk.
| Nearby practice | Distance | Overall experience good |
|---|---|---|
| Green Porch Medical Centre | 1.0 km | 54% |
| The Meads Medical Practice Limited | 1.9 km | 68% |
| The London Road Medical Centre | 2.5 km | 68% |
| The Chestnuts Surgery | 2.9 km | 64% |
| The Medic Care Surgery | 3.2 km | 59% |
- Green Porch Medical Centre (54% overall experience good)
- Memorial Medical Centre (76% overall experience good)
- The Chestnuts Surgery (64% overall experience good)
- The Meads Medical Practice Limited (68% overall experience good)
- The Medic Care Surgery (59% overall experience good)
How do patients rate Grovehurst Surgery?
In the 2026 GP Patient Survey, 78% of patients described their overall experience of Grovehurst Surgery as good, against 77% across England. 43% found it easy to get through by phone.
How many patients are registered at Grovehurst Surgery?
8,174 patients were registered in September 2026, up 0.6% on a year earlier.
What is Grovehurst Surgery's CQC rating?
Good overall, published in August 2022.
How many GPs does Grovehurst Surgery have?
3.6 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs (4 qualified GPs by headcount), which is 2,281 patients per GP against 2,171 across England.
Are appointments at Grovehurst Surgery face to face?
74% of appointments from June 2026 to August 2026 were face to face, against 63% across England.
What is Grovehurst Surgery's phone number?
01795 430444.