Merchiston Surgery, Swindon: patient reviews and CQC rating
Merchiston Surgery is a GP practice in Swindon with 13,267 registered patients (September 2026). In the 2026 GP Patient Survey, 64% of its patients described their overall experience as good, below the England figure of 77% (Bath and North East Somerset, Swindon and Wiltshire: 81%). The Care Quality Commission rates it Requires Improvement overall, in a report published in July 2022. It has 5.6 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs, or 2,365 patients per GP.
Latest data: September 2026. Patient survey 2026; registered patients September 2026; appointments to August 2026.
What patients say about Merchiston Surgery
Its best result against England is the share who said the healthcare professional was good at listening to them: 89%, against 87% across England. Its weakest is the share who found it easy to contact the practice through its website: 19%, below the England figure of 58%. Of the 11 results in the table, 0 are above England and 7 below by more than the survey's margin of error, and 4 within it.
On overall experience it is 21st of the 22 practices in Swindon with 50 or more responses. 21% found it easy to get through by phone (England: 57%). The overall experience result is 3 points higher than in 2025 (61%). 113 patients answered the survey (response rate 39%).
| Survey question | Merchiston Surgery | Bath and North East Somerset, Swindon and Wiltshire | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overall experience good | 64% | 81% | 77% |
| Easy to contact by phone | 21% | 62% | 57% |
| Easy to contact via the website | 19% | 59% | 58% |
| Easy to contact via the NHS App | 21% | 56% | 54% |
| Reception team helpful | 77% | 88% | 85% |
| Last contact good | 46% | 76% | 73% |
| Wait for appointment about right | 53% | 71% | 69% |
| Listened to well | 89% | 90% | 87% |
| Treated with care and concern | 84% | 89% | 86% |
| Confidence and trust in the clinician | 93% | 94% | 93% |
| Needs met | 88% | 92% | 90% |
CQC's overall rating for Merchiston Surgery is Requires Improvement, published in July 2022. One key question is rated differently: Caring Good. Its previous overall rating was Good (June 2018).
| Key question | Rating |
|---|---|
| Safe | Requires Improvement |
| Well-led | Requires Improvement |
| Caring | Good |
| Responsive | Requires Improvement |
| Effective | Requires Improvement |
13,267 patients were registered at Merchiston Surgery in September 2026, down 1.8% on a year earlier (England: down 1.1%).
26% of its patients are aged 65 or over, against 19% across England. With 5.6 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs, there are 2,365 patients per GP, close to the England figure of 2,171 and Bath and North East Somerset, Swindon and Wiltshire's 2,110. The practice also has 3.6 nurses and 4.5 other clinical staff such as pharmacists and physiotherapists (full-time equivalent).
| Year | Qualified GPs (FTE) | All GPs incl. trainees (FTE) |
|---|---|---|
| August 2023 | 7.5 | 11.7 |
| August 2024 | 6.6 | 8.5 |
| August 2025 | 4.6 | 7.3 |
| August 2026 | 5.6 | 9.7 |
From June 2026 to August 2026 the practice recorded 6,573 appointments a month, or 495 per 1,000 registered patients (England: 510). 82% were face to face (England: 63%). 32% took place on the day they were booked and 15% more than 28 days after booking (England: 45% and 5%).
41% were with a GP rather than another member of the practice team. 3% of booked patients did not attend.
| Measure | Merchiston Surgery | Bath and North East Somerset, Swindon and Wiltshire | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Appointments per 1,000 patients a month | 495 | 556 | 510 |
| Face to face | 82% | 64% | 63% |
| Same day as booked | 32% | 40% | 45% |
| More than 28 days after booking | 15% | 7% | 5% |
| Did not attend | 3% | 3% | 4% |
Compared with England, the practice has a higher share of patients on its registers for osteoporosis (3.0% against 1.2%), heart failure (2.7% against 1.1%) and COPD (3.4% against 1.9%). The practice's patients live in areas with an average deprivation score of 13.4 (England: 21.8; higher is more deprived). Life expectancy for its patients' neighbourhoods is 84.1 years for women and 79.4 for men (England: 83.0 and 79.1).
| Condition register | Age group | Practice (2024/25) | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| High blood pressure | All ages | 20.9% | 15.2% |
| Depression | 18+ yrs | 12.7% | 14.3% |
| Diabetes | 17+ yrs | 10.1% | 7.9% |
| Asthma | 6+ yrs | 7.4% | 6.6% |
| Chronic kidney disease | 18+ yrs | 5.4% | 4.6% |
| Cancer | All ages | 5.2% | 3.8% |
| Coronary heart disease | All ages | 3.9% | 3.0% |
| COPD | All ages | 3.4% | 1.9% |
| Atrial fibrillation | All ages | 3.4% | 2.2% |
| Osteoporosis | 50+ yrs | 3.0% | 1.2% |
| Heart failure | All ages | 2.7% | 1.1% |
| Stroke and TIA | All ages | 2.4% | 1.9% |
| Dementia | All ages | 1.3% | 0.8% |
| Rheumatoid arthritis | 16+ yrs | 1.1% | 0.8% |
| Serious mental illness | All ages | 1.0% | 1.0% |
| Epilepsy | 18+ yrs | 1.0% | 0.8% |
| Peripheral arterial disease | All ages | 0.7% | 0.6% |
| Learning disability | All ages | 0.6% | 0.6% |
| Palliative care | All ages | 0.6% | 0.6% |
| Screening coverage | Period | Practice | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bowel cancer screening (aged 60 to 74) | 2024/25 | 75.2% | 72.9% |
| Breast cancer screening (women aged 53 to 70) | 2024/25 | 81.8% | 72.2% |
| Cervical screening (women aged 25 to 49) | 2023/24 | 69.0% | 67.5% |
| Cervical screening (women aged 50 to 64) | 2023/24 | 75.8% | 74.9% |
Merchiston Surgery, Highworth Road, Swindon, SN3 4BF. Phone: 01793 823307.
| Nearby practice | Distance | Overall experience good |
|---|---|---|
| Hawthorn Medical Centre | 2.4 km | 56% |
| Abbey Meads Medical Group | 3.3 km | 75% |
| Kingswood Surgery | 3.5 km | 70% |
| Eldene Surgery | 3.6 km | 73% |
| The Whalebridge Practice | 3.6 km | 72% |
- Hawthorn Medical Centre (56% overall experience good)
How do patients rate Merchiston Surgery?
In the 2026 GP Patient Survey, 64% of patients described their overall experience of Merchiston Surgery as good, below the England figure of 77%. 21% found it easy to get through by phone.
How many patients are registered at Merchiston Surgery?
13,267 patients were registered in September 2026, down 1.8% on a year earlier.
What is Merchiston Surgery's CQC rating?
Requires Improvement overall, published in July 2022.
How many GPs does Merchiston Surgery have?
5.6 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs (10 qualified GPs by headcount), which is 2,365 patients per GP against 2,171 across England.
Are appointments at Merchiston Surgery face to face?
82% of appointments from June 2026 to August 2026 were face to face, against 63% across England.
What is Merchiston Surgery's phone number?
01793 823307.