Forestside Medical Practice, Southampton: patient reviews and CQC rating
Forestside Medical Practice is a GP practice in Southampton with 11,374 registered patients (September 2026). In the 2026 GP Patient Survey, 54% of its patients described their overall experience as good, below the England figure of 77% (Hampshire and Isle of Wight: 74%). The Care Quality Commission rates it Good overall, in a report published in October 2016. It has 5.6 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs, or 2,023 patients per GP.
Latest data: September 2026. Patient survey 2026; registered patients September 2026; appointments to August 2026.
What patients say about Forestside Medical Practice
Its result closest to England is the share who said they were treated with care and concern: 79%, below the England figure of 86%. Its weakest is the share who found it easy to contact the practice through its website: 12%, below the England figure of 58%. Of the 11 results in the table, 0 are above England and 11 below by more than the survey's margin of error.
On overall experience it is 31st of the 31 practices in Southampton with 50 or more responses. 31% found it easy to get through by phone (England: 57%). The overall experience result is 11 points lower than in 2025 (65%). 107 patients answered the survey (response rate 35%).
| Survey question | Forestside Medical Practice | Hampshire and Isle of Wight | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overall experience good | 54% | 74% | 77% |
| Easy to contact by phone | 31% | 52% | 57% |
| Easy to contact via the website | 12% | 55% | 58% |
| Easy to contact via the NHS App | 22% | 51% | 54% |
| Reception team helpful | 76% | 83% | 85% |
| Last contact good | 50% | 70% | 73% |
| Wait for appointment about right | 51% | 65% | 69% |
| Listened to well | 79% | 87% | 87% |
| Treated with care and concern | 79% | 86% | 86% |
| Confidence and trust in the clinician | 79% | 92% | 93% |
| Needs met | 82% | 89% | 90% |
In the Friends and Family Test for July 2026, 92% of 170 responses rated the practice good or very good (England: 92%).
CQC's overall rating for Forestside Medical Practice is Good, published in October 2016. All 5 key questions are rated Good.
| Key question | Rating |
|---|---|
| Safe | Good |
| Well-led | Good |
| Caring | Good |
| Responsive | Good |
| Effective | Good |
11,374 patients were registered at Forestside Medical Practice in September 2026, down 1.7% on a year earlier (England: down 1.1%).
24% of its patients are aged 65 or over, against 19% across England. With 5.6 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs, there are 2,023 patients per GP, close to the England figure of 2,171 and Hampshire and Isle of Wight's 2,039. The practice also has 2.6 nurses and 0.7 other clinical staff such as pharmacists and physiotherapists (full-time equivalent).
| Year | Qualified GPs (FTE) | All GPs incl. trainees (FTE) |
|---|---|---|
| August 2023 | 5.2 | 7.1 |
| August 2024 | 6.0 | 8.1 |
| August 2025 | 6.0 | 9.0 |
| August 2026 | 5.6 | 7.3 |
From June 2026 to August 2026 the practice recorded 2,539 appointments a month, or 223 per 1,000 registered patients (England: 510). 92% were face to face (England: 63%). 16% 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 | Forestside Medical Practice | Hampshire and Isle of Wight | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Appointments per 1,000 patients a month | 223 | 526 | 510 |
| Face to face | 92% | 58% | 63% |
| Same day as booked | 16% | 43% | 45% |
| More than 28 days after booking | 5% | 6% | 5% |
| Did not attend | 5% | 5% | 4% |
Compared with England, the practice has a higher share of patients on its registers for heart failure (1.7% against 1.1%), cancer (5.5% against 3.8%) and depression (20.3% against 14.3%). It has a lower share for a learning disability (0.4% against 0.6%). The practice's patients live in areas with an average deprivation score of 13.1 (England: 21.8; higher is more deprived).
Life expectancy for its patients' neighbourhoods is 85.5 years for women and 81.6 for men (England: 83.0 and 79.1).
| Condition register | Age group | Practice (2024/25) | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Depression | 18+ yrs | 20.3% | 14.3% |
| High blood pressure | All ages | 19.1% | 15.2% |
| Diabetes | 17+ yrs | 8.0% | 7.9% |
| Asthma | 6+ yrs | 6.6% | 6.6% |
| Cancer | All ages | 5.5% | 3.8% |
| Chronic kidney disease | 18+ yrs | 5.1% | 4.6% |
| Coronary heart disease | All ages | 3.3% | 3.0% |
| Atrial fibrillation | All ages | 3.1% | 2.2% |
| Stroke and TIA | All ages | 2.4% | 1.9% |
| COPD | All ages | 2.0% | 1.9% |
| Heart failure | All ages | 1.7% | 1.1% |
| Osteoporosis | 50+ yrs | 1.7% | 1.2% |
| Rheumatoid arthritis | 16+ yrs | 0.9% | 0.8% |
| Serious mental illness | All ages | 0.9% | 1.0% |
| Dementia | All ages | 0.9% | 0.8% |
| Epilepsy | 18+ yrs | 0.7% | 0.8% |
| Palliative care | All ages | 0.6% | 0.6% |
| Peripheral arterial disease | All ages | 0.6% | 0.6% |
| Learning disability | All ages | 0.4% | 0.6% |
| Screening coverage | Period | Practice | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bowel cancer screening (aged 60 to 74) | 2024/25 | 81.0% | 72.9% |
| Breast cancer screening (women aged 53 to 70) | 2024/25 | 81.3% | 72.2% |
| Cervical screening (women aged 25 to 49) | 2023/24 | 77.3% | 67.5% |
| Cervical screening (women aged 50 to 64) | 2023/24 | 78.0% | 74.9% |
Forestside Medical Practice, Beaulieu Road, Dibden Purlieu, Southampton, SO45 4JA. Phone: 023 8087 7900.
| Nearby practice | Distance | Overall experience good |
|---|---|---|
| Dr Christopher Cole and Partners | 1.1 km | 63% |
| Waterfront and Solent Surgery | 2.2 km | 89% |
| Weston Lane Surgery | 5.2 km | 61% |
| Woolston Lodge Surgery | 5.9 km | 73% |
| Old Fire Station Surgery | 5.9 km | 82% |
- Dr Christopher Cole and Partners (63% overall experience good)
- Waterfront and Solent Surgery (89% overall experience good)
How do patients rate Forestside Medical Practice?
In the 2026 GP Patient Survey, 54% of patients described their overall experience of Forestside Medical Practice as good, below the England figure of 77%. 31% found it easy to get through by phone.
How many patients are registered at Forestside Medical Practice?
11,374 patients were registered in September 2026, down 1.7% on a year earlier.
What is Forestside Medical Practice's CQC rating?
Good overall, published in October 2016.
How many GPs does Forestside Medical Practice have?
5.6 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs (8 qualified GPs by headcount), which is 2,023 patients per GP against 2,171 across England.
Are appointments at Forestside Medical Practice face to face?
92% of appointments from June 2026 to August 2026 were face to face, against 63% across England.
What is Forestside Medical Practice's phone number?
023 8087 7900.