Swanage Medical Practice, Swanage: patient reviews and CQC rating
Swanage Medical Practice is a GP practice in Swanage with 10,598 registered patients (September 2026). In the 2026 GP Patient Survey, 79% of its patients described their overall experience as good, against 77% across England (Dorset: 80%). The Care Quality Commission rates it Good overall, in a report published in November 2015. It has 4.1 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs, or 2,585 patients per GP.
Latest data: September 2026. Patient survey 2026; registered patients September 2026; appointments to August 2026.
What patients say about Swanage Medical Practice
Its best result against England is the share who said they were treated with care and concern: 96%, above the England figure of 86%. Its weakest is the share who found it easy to contact the practice through its website: 36%, below the England figure of 58%. Of the 11 results in the table, 1 is above England and 3 below by more than the survey's margin of error, and 7 within it.
53% found it easy to get through by phone (England: 57%). The overall experience result is 13 points lower than in 2025 (92%). 109 patients answered the survey (response rate 40%).
| Survey question | Swanage Medical Practice | Dorset | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overall experience good | 79% | 80% | 77% |
| Easy to contact by phone | 53% | 63% | 57% |
| Easy to contact via the website | 36% | 65% | 58% |
| Easy to contact via the NHS App | 60% | 55% | 54% |
| Reception team helpful | 84% | 88% | 85% |
| Last contact good | 74% | 77% | 73% |
| Wait for appointment about right | 57% | 67% | 69% |
| Listened to well | 79% | 89% | 87% |
| Treated with care and concern | 96% | 88% | 86% |
| Confidence and trust in the clinician | 91% | 94% | 93% |
| Needs met | 88% | 92% | 90% |
In the Friends and Family Test for July 2026, 94% of 235 responses rated the practice good or very good (England: 92%).
CQC's overall rating for Swanage Medical Practice is Good, published in November 2015. All 5 key questions are rated Good.
| Key question | Rating |
|---|---|
| Safe | Good |
| Well-led | Good |
| Caring | Good |
| Responsive | Good |
| Effective | Good |
10,598 patients were registered at Swanage Medical Practice in September 2026, down 1.2% on a year earlier (England: down 1.1%).
38% of its patients are aged 65 or over, against 19% across England. With 4.1 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs, there are 2,585 patients per GP, more than the England figure of 2,171 and Dorset's 1,904. The practice also has 4.1 nurses and 4.3 other clinical staff such as pharmacists and physiotherapists (full-time equivalent).
| Year | Qualified GPs (FTE) | All GPs incl. trainees (FTE) |
|---|---|---|
| August 2023 | 4.6 | 6.8 |
| August 2024 | 4.6 | 6.4 |
| August 2025 | 5.0 | 7.1 |
| August 2026 | 4.1 | 6.0 |
From June 2026 to August 2026 the practice recorded 5,105 appointments a month, or 482 per 1,000 registered patients (England: 510). 82% were face to face (England: 63%). 37% took place on the day they were booked and 22% more than 28 days after booking (England: 45% and 5%).
42% were with a GP rather than another member of the practice team. 4% of booked patients did not attend.
| Measure | Swanage Medical Practice | Dorset | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Appointments per 1,000 patients a month | 482 | 612 | 510 |
| Face to face | 82% | 63% | 63% |
| Same day as booked | 37% | 43% | 45% |
| More than 28 days after booking | 22% | 10% | 5% |
| Did not attend | 4% | 3% | 4% |
Compared with England, the practice has a higher share of patients on its registers for palliative or supportive care needs (1.4% against 0.6%), atrial fibrillation (5.1% against 2.2%) and chronic kidney disease (10.4% against 4.6%). The practice's patients live in areas with an average deprivation score of 17.4 (England: 21.8; higher is more deprived). Life expectancy for its patients' neighbourhoods is 83.8 years for women and 81.1 for men (England: 83.0 and 79.1).
| Condition register | Age group | Practice (2024/25) | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| High blood pressure | All ages | 20.7% | 15.2% |
| Depression | 18+ yrs | 14.7% | 14.3% |
| Chronic kidney disease | 18+ yrs | 10.4% | 4.6% |
| Asthma | 6+ yrs | 9.0% | 6.6% |
| Diabetes | 17+ yrs | 7.9% | 7.9% |
| Cancer | All ages | 6.7% | 3.8% |
| Coronary heart disease | All ages | 5.8% | 3.0% |
| Atrial fibrillation | All ages | 5.1% | 2.2% |
| Stroke and TIA | All ages | 3.8% | 1.9% |
| COPD | All ages | 3.3% | 1.9% |
| Heart failure | All ages | 2.0% | 1.1% |
| Dementia | All ages | 1.5% | 0.8% |
| Palliative care | All ages | 1.4% | 0.6% |
| Serious mental illness | All ages | 1.3% | 1.0% |
| Osteoporosis | 50+ yrs | 1.1% | 1.2% |
| Rheumatoid arthritis | 16+ yrs | 1.0% | 0.8% |
| Epilepsy | 18+ yrs | 0.9% | 0.8% |
| Peripheral arterial disease | All ages | 0.8% | 0.6% |
| Learning disability | All ages | 0.6% | 0.6% |
| Screening coverage | Period | Practice | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bowel cancer screening (aged 60 to 74) | 2024/25 | 78.4% | 72.9% |
| Breast cancer screening (women aged 53 to 70) | 2024/25 | 76.6% | 72.2% |
| Cervical screening (women aged 25 to 49) | 2023/24 | 70.4% | 67.5% |
| Cervical screening (women aged 50 to 64) | 2023/24 | 74.3% | 74.9% |
Swanage Medical Practice, Station Approach, Swanage, BH19 1HB. Phone: 01929 422231.
| Nearby practice | Distance | Overall experience good |
|---|---|---|
| Corfe Castle Surgery | 7.6 km | 97% |
| Dr Newmans Surgery - The Newman Practice | 12.3 km | 91% |
| Poole Town Surgery | 12.3 km | 83% |
| Evergreen Oak Surgery | 12.7 km | 84% |
| The Adam Practice | 12.8 km | 71% |
- Bere Regis Surgery (91% overall experience good)
- Corfe Castle Surgery (97% overall experience good)
- Sandford Surgery (80% overall experience good)
- The Wellbridge Practice (81% overall experience good)
- Wareham Surgery (80% overall experience good)
How do patients rate Swanage Medical Practice?
In the 2026 GP Patient Survey, 79% of patients described their overall experience of Swanage Medical Practice as good, against 77% across England. 53% found it easy to get through by phone.
How many patients are registered at Swanage Medical Practice?
10,598 patients were registered in September 2026, down 1.2% on a year earlier.
What is Swanage Medical Practice's CQC rating?
Good overall, published in November 2015.
How many GPs does Swanage Medical Practice have?
4.1 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs (6 qualified GPs by headcount), which is 2,585 patients per GP against 2,171 across England.
Are appointments at Swanage Medical Practice face to face?
82% of appointments from June 2026 to August 2026 were face to face, against 63% across England.
What is Swanage Medical Practice's phone number?
01929 422231.