Tinkers Lane Surgery, Swindon: patient reviews and CQC rating
Tinkers Lane Surgery is a GP practice in Swindon with 8,505 registered patients (September 2026). In the 2026 GP Patient Survey, 69% of its patients described their overall experience as good, against 77% across England (Bath and North East Somerset, Swindon and Wiltshire: 81%). The Care Quality Commission rates it Good overall, in a report published in March 2020. It has 3.9 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs, or 2,200 patients per GP.
Latest data: September 2026. Patient survey 2026; registered patients September 2026; appointments to August 2026.
What patients say about Tinkers Lane Surgery
Its best result against England is the share who found it easy to get through to the practice by phone: 71%, above the England figure of 57%. Its weakest is the share who said the wait for their last appointment was about right: 51%, below the England figure of 69%. Of the 11 results in the table, 1 is above England and 1 below by more than the survey's margin of error, and 9 within it.
On overall experience it is 18th of the 22 practices in Swindon with 50 or more responses. 71% found it easy to get through by phone (England: 57%). The overall experience result is 4 points lower than in 2025 (73%). 111 patients answered the survey (response rate 35%).
| Survey question | Tinkers Lane Surgery | Bath and North East Somerset, Swindon and Wiltshire | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overall experience good | 69% | 81% | 77% |
| Easy to contact by phone | 71% | 62% | 57% |
| Easy to contact via the website | 42% | 59% | 58% |
| Easy to contact via the NHS App | 48% | 56% | 54% |
| Reception team helpful | 84% | 88% | 85% |
| Last contact good | 69% | 76% | 73% |
| Wait for appointment about right | 51% | 71% | 69% |
| Listened to well | 83% | 90% | 87% |
| Treated with care and concern | 83% | 89% | 86% |
| Confidence and trust in the clinician | 92% | 94% | 93% |
| Needs met | 93% | 92% | 90% |
CQC's overall rating for Tinkers Lane Surgery is Good, published in March 2020. All 5 key questions are rated Good. It held the same rating in the report before (January 2019).
| Key question | Rating |
|---|---|
| Safe | Good |
| Well-led | Good |
| Caring | Good |
| Responsive | Good |
| Effective | Good |
8,505 patients were registered at Tinkers Lane Surgery in September 2026, down 4.0% on a year earlier (England: down 1.1%).
28% of its patients are aged 65 or over, against 19% across England. With 3.9 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs, there are 2,200 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 3.9 nurses and 3.4 other clinical staff such as pharmacists and physiotherapists (full-time equivalent).
| Year | Qualified GPs (FTE) | All GPs incl. trainees (FTE) |
|---|---|---|
| August 2023 | 2.6 | 5.4 |
| August 2024 | 2.6 | 5.2 |
| August 2025 | 4.5 | 8.2 |
| August 2026 | 3.9 | 5.6 |
From June 2026 to August 2026 the practice recorded 3,270 appointments a month, or 384 per 1,000 registered patients (England: 510). 88% were face to face (England: 63%). 23% took place on the day they were booked and 24% more than 28 days after booking (England: 45% and 5%).
38% were with a GP rather than another member of the practice team. 4% of booked patients did not attend.
| Measure | Tinkers Lane Surgery | Bath and North East Somerset, Swindon and Wiltshire | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Appointments per 1,000 patients a month | 384 | 556 | 510 |
| Face to face | 88% | 64% | 63% |
| Same day as booked | 23% | 40% | 45% |
| More than 28 days after booking | 24% | 7% | 5% |
| Did not attend | 4% | 3% | 4% |
Compared with England, the practice has a higher share of patients on its registers for heart failure (3.0% against 1.1%), osteoporosis (2.3% against 1.2%) and atrial fibrillation (4.1% against 2.2%). It has a lower share for serious mental illness (0.7% against 1.0%) and depression (10.8% against 14.3%). The practice's patients live in areas with an average deprivation score of 10.9 (England: 21.8; higher is more deprived).
Life expectancy for its patients' neighbourhoods is 83.7 years for women and 79.9 for men (England: 83.0 and 79.1).
| Condition register | Age group | Practice (2024/25) | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| High blood pressure | All ages | 19.9% | 15.2% |
| Depression | 18+ yrs | 10.8% | 14.3% |
| Asthma | 6+ yrs | 10.4% | 6.6% |
| Diabetes | 17+ yrs | 9.5% | 7.9% |
| Chronic kidney disease | 18+ yrs | 5.5% | 4.6% |
| Cancer | All ages | 4.6% | 3.8% |
| Atrial fibrillation | All ages | 4.1% | 2.2% |
| Coronary heart disease | All ages | 3.5% | 3.0% |
| Heart failure | All ages | 3.0% | 1.1% |
| Stroke and TIA | All ages | 2.4% | 1.9% |
| Osteoporosis | 50+ yrs | 2.3% | 1.2% |
| COPD | All ages | 1.9% | 1.9% |
| Dementia | All ages | 1.2% | 0.8% |
| Epilepsy | 18+ yrs | 0.9% | 0.8% |
| Rheumatoid arthritis | 16+ yrs | 0.8% | 0.8% |
| Serious mental illness | All ages | 0.7% | 1.0% |
| Peripheral arterial disease | All ages | 0.6% | 0.6% |
| Learning disability | All ages | 0.6% | 0.6% |
| Palliative care | All ages | 0.4% | 0.6% |
| Screening coverage | Period | Practice | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bowel cancer screening (aged 60 to 74) | 2024/25 | 74.4% | 72.9% |
| Breast cancer screening (women aged 53 to 70) | 2024/25 | 71.3% | 72.2% |
| Cervical screening (women aged 25 to 49) | 2023/24 | 76.2% | 67.5% |
| Cervical screening (women aged 50 to 64) | 2023/24 | 78.3% | 74.9% |
Tinkers Lane Surgery, The Tinkers Lane Partnership, Tinker's Lane, Wootton Bassett, Swindon, SN4 7AT. Phone: 01793 852131. Website: www.TinkersLaneSurgery.nhs.uk.
| Nearby practice | Distance | Overall experience good |
|---|---|---|
| New Court Surgery | 0.3 km | 81% |
| Purton Medical Practice | 4.9 km | 90% |
| Ridge Green Medical Practice | 5.2 km | 74% |
| Ashington House Surgery | 5.3 km | 69% |
| Phoenix Surgery | 5.6 km | 65% |
- Cricklade Surgery (89% overall experience good)
- Malmesbury Medical Partnership (91% overall experience good)
- New Court Surgery (81% overall experience good)
- Purton Medical Practice (90% overall experience good)
- Tolsey Surgery (89% overall experience good)
How do patients rate Tinkers Lane Surgery?
In the 2026 GP Patient Survey, 69% of patients described their overall experience of Tinkers Lane Surgery as good, against 77% across England. 71% found it easy to get through by phone.
How many patients are registered at Tinkers Lane Surgery?
8,505 patients were registered in September 2026, down 4.0% on a year earlier.
What is Tinkers Lane Surgery's CQC rating?
Good overall, published in March 2020.
How many GPs does Tinkers Lane Surgery have?
3.9 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs (5 qualified GPs by headcount), which is 2,200 patients per GP against 2,171 across England.
Are appointments at Tinkers Lane Surgery face to face?
88% of appointments from June 2026 to August 2026 were face to face, against 63% across England.
What is Tinkers Lane Surgery's phone number?
01793 852131.