The Practice Northumberland Avenue, Southend On Sea: patient reviews and CQC rating
The Practice Northumberland Avenue is a GP practice in Southend On Sea with 6,783 registered patients (September 2026). In the 2026 GP Patient Survey, 56% of its patients described their overall experience as good, below the England figure of 77% (Essex: 74%). The Care Quality Commission rates it Good overall, in a report published in February 2024. It has 2.3 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs, or 2,924 patients per GP.
Latest data: September 2026. Patient survey 2026; registered patients September 2026; appointments to August 2026.
What patients say about The Practice Northumberland Avenue
Its result closest to England is the share who said they were treated with care and concern: 83%, against 86% across England. Its weakest is the share who found it easy to contact the practice through its website: 20%, below the England figure of 58%. Of the 11 results in the table, 0 are above England and 8 below by more than the survey's margin of error, and 3 within it.
On overall experience it is 11th of the 12 practices in Southend On Sea with 50 or more responses. 33% found it easy to get through by phone (England: 57%). The overall experience result is 11 points lower than in 2025 (67%). 92 patients answered the survey (response rate 14%).
| Survey question | The Practice Northumberland Avenue | Essex | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overall experience good | 56% | 74% | 77% |
| Easy to contact by phone | 33% | 50% | 57% |
| Easy to contact via the website | 20% | 56% | 58% |
| Easy to contact via the NHS App | 39% | 51% | 54% |
| Reception team helpful | 71% | 83% | 85% |
| Last contact good | 50% | 70% | 73% |
| Wait for appointment about right | 65% | 70% | 69% |
| Listened to well | 80% | 84% | 87% |
| Treated with care and concern | 83% | 83% | 86% |
| Confidence and trust in the clinician | 85% | 91% | 93% |
| Needs met | 77% | 89% | 90% |
In the Friends and Family Test for July 2026, 83% of 144 responses rated the practice good or very good (England: 92%).
CQC's overall rating for The Practice Northumberland Avenue is Good, published in February 2024. All 5 key questions are rated Good. It held the same rating in the report before (April 2019).
| Key question | Rating |
|---|---|
| Safe | Good |
| Well-led | Good |
| Caring | Good |
| Responsive | Good |
| Effective | Good |
6,783 patients were registered at The Practice Northumberland Avenue in September 2026, down 1.4% on a year earlier (England: down 1.1%).
11% of its patients are aged 65 or over, against 19% across England. With 2.3 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs, there are 2,924 patients per GP, more than the England figure of 2,171 and Essex's 2,514. The practice also has 1.6 nurses and 1.0 other clinical staff such as pharmacists and physiotherapists (full-time equivalent).
| Year | Qualified GPs (FTE) | All GPs incl. trainees (FTE) |
|---|---|---|
| August 2023 | 0.9 | 0.9 |
| August 2024 | 1.9 | 1.9 |
| August 2025 | 1.7 | 1.7 |
| August 2026 | 2.3 | 2.3 |
From June 2026 to August 2026 the practice recorded 3,671 appointments a month, or 541 per 1,000 registered patients (England: 510). 47% were face to face (England: 63%). 59% took place on the day they were booked and 2% more than 28 days after booking (England: 45% and 5%).
36% were with a GP rather than another member of the practice team. 3% of booked patients did not attend.
| Measure | The Practice Northumberland Avenue | Essex | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Appointments per 1,000 patients a month | 541 | 480 | 510 |
| Face to face | 47% | 69% | 63% |
| Same day as booked | 59% | 45% | 45% |
| More than 28 days after booking | 2% | 5% | 5% |
| Did not attend | 3% | 3% | 4% |
Compared with England, the practice has a higher share of patients on its registers for osteoporosis (2.0% against 1.2%), serious mental illness (1.7% against 1.0%) and COPD (2.5% against 1.9%). It has a lower share for cancer (1.8% against 3.8%), atrial fibrillation (1.2% against 2.2%) and coronary heart disease (2.1% against 3.0%). The practice's patients live in areas with an average deprivation score of 41.4 (England: 21.8; higher is more deprived).
Life expectancy for its patients' neighbourhoods is 80.9 years for women and 75.9 for men (England: 83.0 and 79.1).
| Condition register | Age group | Practice (2024/25) | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Depression | 18+ yrs | 15.0% | 14.3% |
| High blood pressure | All ages | 11.9% | 15.2% |
| Diabetes | 17+ yrs | 6.7% | 7.9% |
| Asthma | 6+ yrs | 6.3% | 6.6% |
| Chronic kidney disease | 18+ yrs | 3.5% | 4.6% |
| COPD | All ages | 2.5% | 1.9% |
| Coronary heart disease | All ages | 2.1% | 3.0% |
| Osteoporosis | 50+ yrs | 2.0% | 1.2% |
| Cancer | All ages | 1.8% | 3.8% |
| Serious mental illness | All ages | 1.7% | 1.0% |
| Stroke and TIA | All ages | 1.4% | 1.9% |
| Atrial fibrillation | All ages | 1.2% | 2.2% |
| Dementia | All ages | 0.9% | 0.8% |
| Epilepsy | 18+ yrs | 0.9% | 0.8% |
| Palliative care | All ages | 0.8% | 0.6% |
| Learning disability | All ages | 0.8% | 0.6% |
| Heart failure | All ages | 0.8% | 1.1% |
| Rheumatoid arthritis | 16+ yrs | 0.8% | 0.8% |
| Peripheral arterial disease | All ages | 0.4% | 0.6% |
| Screening coverage | Period | Practice | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bowel cancer screening (aged 60 to 74) | 2024/25 | 63.1% | 72.9% |
| Breast cancer screening (women aged 53 to 70) | 2024/25 | 52.3% | 72.2% |
| Cervical screening (women aged 25 to 49) | 2023/24 | 69.0% | 67.5% |
| Cervical screening (women aged 50 to 64) | 2023/24 | 67.4% | 74.9% |
The Practice Northumberland Avenue, 32 Northumberland Avenue, Southend On Sea, SS1 2TH. Phone: 01702 440720. Website: www.thepracticeplc.com.
| Nearby practice | Distance | Overall experience good |
|---|---|---|
| Dr Irlam and Partners | 1.2 km | 59% |
| Dr Sohan Lal Vashisht | 1.2 km | 92% |
| Queensway Surgery | 1.5 km | 67% |
| North Avenue Surgery | 1.5 km | 85% |
| Southend Medical Centre | 1.7 km | 80% |
- Carnarvon Medical Centre (80% overall experience good)
- Central Surgery (85% overall experience good)
- Dr Shabir Ahmad Malik (84% overall experience good)
- Dr Sohan Lal Vashisht (92% overall experience good)
- North Avenue Surgery (85% overall experience good)
- Queensway Surgery (67% overall experience good)
- St Luke’s Health Centre (81% overall experience good)
- West Road Surgery (59% overall experience good)
How do patients rate The Practice Northumberland Avenue?
In the 2026 GP Patient Survey, 56% of patients described their overall experience of The Practice Northumberland Avenue as good, below the England figure of 77%. 33% found it easy to get through by phone.
How many patients are registered at The Practice Northumberland Avenue?
6,783 patients were registered in September 2026, down 1.4% on a year earlier.
What is The Practice Northumberland Avenue's CQC rating?
Good overall, published in February 2024.
How many GPs does The Practice Northumberland Avenue have?
2.3 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs (3 qualified GPs by headcount), which is 2,924 patients per GP against 2,171 across England.
Are appointments at The Practice Northumberland Avenue face to face?
47% of appointments from June 2026 to August 2026 were face to face, against 63% across England.
What is The Practice Northumberland Avenue's phone number?
01702 440720.