Dr Irlam and Partners, Southend On Sea: patient reviews and CQC rating
Dr Irlam and Partners is a GP practice in Southend On Sea with 7,599 registered patients (September 2026). In the 2026 GP Patient Survey, 59% of its patients described their overall experience as good, below the England figure of 77% (Essex: 74%). The Care Quality Commission rates it Requires Improvement overall, in a report published in March 2024. It has 3.0 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs, or 2,570 patients per GP.
Latest data: September 2026. Patient survey 2026; registered patients September 2026; appointments to August 2026.
What patients say about Dr Irlam and Partners
Its result closest to England is the share who said the wait for their last appointment was about right: 67%, against 69% across England. Its weakest is the share who described their overall experience of the practice as good: 59%, below the England figure of 77%. Of the 11 results in the table, 0 are above England and 6 below by more than the survey's margin of error, and 5 within it.
On overall experience it is 10th of the 12 practices in Southend On Sea with 50 or more responses. 49% found it easy to get through by phone (England: 57%). The overall experience result is 2 points higher than in 2025 (57%). 100 patients answered the survey (response rate 25%).
| Survey question | Dr Irlam and Partners | Essex | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overall experience good | 59% | 74% | 77% |
| Easy to contact by phone | 49% | 50% | 57% |
| Easy to contact via the website | 46% | 56% | 58% |
| Easy to contact via the NHS App | 40% | 51% | 54% |
| Reception team helpful | 68% | 83% | 85% |
| Last contact good | 64% | 70% | 73% |
| Wait for appointment about right | 67% | 70% | 69% |
| Listened to well | 83% | 84% | 87% |
| Treated with care and concern | 82% | 83% | 86% |
| Confidence and trust in the clinician | 85% | 91% | 93% |
| Needs met | 81% | 89% | 90% |
CQC's overall rating for Dr Irlam and Partners is Requires Improvement, published in March 2024. 3 key questions are rated differently: Well-led Good, Caring Good and Effective Good. Its previous overall rating was Good (February 2016).
| Key question | Rating |
|---|---|
| Safe | Requires Improvement |
| Well-led | Good |
| Caring | Good |
| Responsive | Requires Improvement |
| Effective | Good |
7,599 patients were registered at Dr Irlam and Partners in September 2026, down 2.1% on a year earlier (England: down 1.1%).
19% of its patients are aged 65 or over, against 19% across England. With 3.0 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs, there are 2,570 patients per GP, more than the England figure of 2,171 and Essex's 2,514. The practice also has 0.8 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 | 3.1 | 5.7 |
| August 2024 | 3.0 | 4.7 |
| August 2025 | 3.0 | 5.7 |
| August 2026 | 3.0 | 4.7 |
From June 2026 to August 2026 the practice recorded 1,879 appointments a month, or 247 per 1,000 registered patients (England: 510). 80% were face to face (England: 63%). 31% took place on the day they were booked and 3% more than 28 days after booking (England: 45% and 5%).
72% were with a GP rather than another member of the practice team. 6% of booked patients did not attend.
| Measure | Dr Irlam and Partners | Essex | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Appointments per 1,000 patients a month | 247 | 480 | 510 |
| Face to face | 80% | 69% | 63% |
| Same day as booked | 31% | 45% | 45% |
| More than 28 days after booking | 3% | 5% | 5% |
| Did not attend | 6% | 3% | 4% |
Compared with England, the practice has a lower share of patients for osteoporosis (0.3% against 1.2%) and cancer (2.9% against 3.8%). The practice's patients live in areas with an average deprivation score of 28.7 (England: 21.8; higher is more deprived). Life expectancy for its patients' neighbourhoods is 82.1 years for women and 77.5 for men (England: 83.0 and 79.1).
| Condition register | Age group | Practice (2024/25) | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| High blood pressure | All ages | 14.8% | 15.2% |
| Depression | 18+ yrs | 14.4% | 14.3% |
| Diabetes | 17+ yrs | 6.9% | 7.9% |
| Asthma | 6+ yrs | 6.7% | 6.6% |
| Chronic kidney disease | 18+ yrs | 4.9% | 4.6% |
| Coronary heart disease | All ages | 3.1% | 3.0% |
| Cancer | All ages | 2.9% | 3.8% |
| Atrial fibrillation | All ages | 2.2% | 2.2% |
| COPD | All ages | 1.9% | 1.9% |
| Stroke and TIA | All ages | 1.7% | 1.9% |
| Heart failure | All ages | 1.2% | 1.1% |
| Serious mental illness | All ages | 1.1% | 1.0% |
| Rheumatoid arthritis | 16+ yrs | 0.8% | 0.8% |
| Learning disability | All ages | 0.7% | 0.6% |
| Dementia | All ages | 0.6% | 0.8% |
| Epilepsy | 18+ yrs | 0.6% | 0.8% |
| Peripheral arterial disease | All ages | 0.4% | 0.6% |
| Palliative care | All ages | 0.4% | 0.6% |
| Osteoporosis | 50+ yrs | 0.3% | 1.2% |
| Screening coverage | Period | Practice | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bowel cancer screening (aged 60 to 74) | 2024/25 | 68.3% | 72.9% |
| Breast cancer screening (women aged 53 to 70) | 2024/25 | 55.5% | 72.2% |
| Cervical screening (women aged 25 to 49) | 2023/24 | 70.9% | 67.5% |
| Cervical screening (women aged 50 to 64) | 2023/24 | 73.0% | 74.9% |
Dr Irlam and Partners, 27 Southchurch Boulevard, Southend On Sea, SS2 4UB. Phone: 01702 468443. Website: www.central-surgery.co.uk.
| Nearby practice | Distance | Overall experience good |
|---|---|---|
| North Avenue Surgery | 0.6 km | 85% |
| The Practice Northumberland Avenue | 1.2 km | 56% |
| St Luke’s Health Centre | 1.2 km | 81% |
| Southend Coastal Surgeries Thorpe Bay | 1.5 km | 56% |
| Dr Sohan Lal Vashisht | 1.6 km | 92% |
- Dr Kumar (88% overall experience good)
- Shoebury Health Centre (83% overall experience good)
- Southend Coastal Surgeries Thorpe Bay (56% overall experience good)
How do patients rate Dr Irlam and Partners?
In the 2026 GP Patient Survey, 59% of patients described their overall experience of Dr Irlam and Partners as good, below the England figure of 77%. 49% found it easy to get through by phone.
How many patients are registered at Dr Irlam and Partners?
7,599 patients were registered in September 2026, down 2.1% on a year earlier.
What is Dr Irlam and Partners's CQC rating?
Requires Improvement overall, published in March 2024.
How many GPs does Dr Irlam and Partners have?
3.0 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs (5 qualified GPs by headcount), which is 2,570 patients per GP against 2,171 across England.
Are appointments at Dr Irlam and Partners face to face?
80% of appointments from June 2026 to August 2026 were face to face, against 63% across England.
What is Dr Irlam and Partners's phone number?
01702 468443.