School Lane Surgery, Thetford: patient reviews and CQC rating
School Lane Surgery is a GP practice in Thetford with 9,591 registered patients (September 2026). In the 2026 GP Patient Survey, 72% of its patients described their overall experience as good, against 77% across England (Norfolk and Suffolk: 80%). The Care Quality Commission rates it Good overall, in a report published in April 2019. It has 5.2 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs, or 1,829 patients per GP.
Latest data: September 2026. Patient survey 2026; registered patients September 2026; appointments to August 2026.
What patients say about School Lane Surgery
Its best result against England is the share who said the wait for their last appointment was about right: 73%, against 69% across England. Its weakest is the share who found it easy to contact the practice using the NHS App: 33%, below the England figure of 54%. Of the 11 results in the table, 0 are above England and 4 below by more than the survey's margin of error, and 7 within it.
On overall experience it is 4th of the 6 practices in Thetford with 50 or more responses. 47% found it easy to get through by phone (England: 57%). The overall experience result is 9 points lower than in 2025 (81%). 111 patients answered the survey (response rate 24%).
| Survey question | School Lane Surgery | Norfolk and Suffolk | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overall experience good | 72% | 80% | 77% |
| Easy to contact by phone | 47% | 61% | 57% |
| Easy to contact via the website | 53% | 62% | 58% |
| Easy to contact via the NHS App | 33% | 55% | 54% |
| Reception team helpful | 84% | 88% | 85% |
| Last contact good | 60% | 76% | 73% |
| Wait for appointment about right | 73% | 74% | 69% |
| Listened to well | 87% | 89% | 87% |
| Treated with care and concern | 84% | 88% | 86% |
| Confidence and trust in the clinician | 88% | 94% | 93% |
| Needs met | 87% | 92% | 90% |
In the Friends and Family Test for July 2026, 93% of 315 responses rated the practice good or very good (England: 92%).
CQC's overall rating for School Lane Surgery is Good, published in April 2019. All 5 key questions are rated Good. It held the same rating in the report before (February 2015).
| Key question | Rating |
|---|---|
| Safe | Good |
| Well-led | Good |
| Caring | Good |
| Responsive | Good |
| Effective | Good |
9,591 patients were registered at School Lane Surgery in September 2026, down 7.1% on a year earlier (England: down 1.1%).
21% of its patients are aged 65 or over, against 19% across England. With 5.2 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs, there are 1,829 patients per GP, fewer than the England figure of 2,171 and Norfolk and Suffolk's 2,133. The practice also has 3.0 nurses and 2.2 other clinical staff such as pharmacists and physiotherapists (full-time equivalent).
| Year | Qualified GPs (FTE) | All GPs incl. trainees (FTE) |
|---|---|---|
| August 2023 | 3.8 | 6.6 |
| August 2024 | 3.7 | 6.7 |
| August 2025 | 4.5 | 7.7 |
| August 2026 | 5.2 | 7.4 |
From June 2026 to August 2026 the practice recorded 7,157 appointments a month, or 746 per 1,000 registered patients (England: 510). 73% were face to face (England: 63%). 37% took place on the day they were booked and 8% more than 28 days after booking (England: 45% and 5%).
35% were with a GP rather than another member of the practice team. 3% of booked patients did not attend.
| Measure | School Lane Surgery | Norfolk and Suffolk | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Appointments per 1,000 patients a month | 746 | 578 | 510 |
| Face to face | 73% | 70% | 63% |
| Same day as booked | 37% | 42% | 45% |
| More than 28 days after booking | 8% | 8% | 5% |
| Did not attend | 3% | 3% | 4% |
Compared with England, the practice has a higher share of patients on its registers for peripheral arterial disease (1.0% against 0.6%), COPD (3.2% against 1.9%) and heart failure (1.4% against 1.1%). It has a lower share for serious mental illness (0.6% against 1.0%) and palliative or supportive care needs (0.3% against 0.6%). The practice's patients live in areas with an average deprivation score of 26.0 (England: 21.8; higher is more deprived).
Life expectancy for its patients' neighbourhoods is 82.5 years for women and 78.8 for men (England: 83.0 and 79.1).
| Condition register | Age group | Practice (2024/25) | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| High blood pressure | All ages | 16.5% | 15.2% |
| Depression | 18+ yrs | 14.3% | 14.3% |
| Diabetes | 17+ yrs | 9.2% | 7.9% |
| Asthma | 6+ yrs | 7.0% | 6.6% |
| Chronic kidney disease | 18+ yrs | 5.9% | 4.6% |
| Cancer | All ages | 4.1% | 3.8% |
| Coronary heart disease | All ages | 3.2% | 3.0% |
| COPD | All ages | 3.2% | 1.9% |
| Atrial fibrillation | All ages | 2.7% | 2.2% |
| Stroke and TIA | All ages | 1.9% | 1.9% |
| Heart failure | All ages | 1.4% | 1.1% |
| Peripheral arterial disease | All ages | 1.0% | 0.6% |
| Osteoporosis | 50+ yrs | 0.9% | 1.2% |
| Epilepsy | 18+ yrs | 0.8% | 0.8% |
| Rheumatoid arthritis | 16+ yrs | 0.8% | 0.8% |
| Learning disability | All ages | 0.7% | 0.6% |
| Dementia | All ages | 0.6% | 0.8% |
| Serious mental illness | All ages | 0.6% | 1.0% |
| Palliative care | All ages | 0.3% | 0.6% |
| Screening coverage | Period | Practice | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bowel cancer screening (aged 60 to 74) | 2024/25 | 71.2% | 72.9% |
| Breast cancer screening (women aged 53 to 70) | 2024/25 | 76.2% | 72.2% |
| Cervical screening (women aged 25 to 49) | 2023/24 | 70.6% | 67.5% |
| Cervical screening (women aged 50 to 64) | 2023/24 | 78.0% | 74.9% |
School Lane Surgery, The Surgery, Thetford, IP24 2AG. Phone: 01842 753115. Website: www.schoollanesurgery.co.uk.
| Nearby practice | Distance | Overall experience good |
|---|---|---|
| School Lane PMS Practice | 0.0 km | 80% |
| Grove Surgery | 0.4 km | 66% |
| Forest Group Practice | 9.3 km | 86% |
| Brandon Medical Practice | 9.4 km | 85% |
| East Harling & Kenninghall Medical Practice | 12.8 km | 54% |
- Grove Surgery (66% overall experience good)
- Watton Medical Practice (63% overall experience good)
How do patients rate School Lane Surgery?
In the 2026 GP Patient Survey, 72% of patients described their overall experience of School Lane Surgery as good, against 77% across England. 47% found it easy to get through by phone.
How many patients are registered at School Lane Surgery?
9,591 patients were registered in September 2026, down 7.1% on a year earlier.
What is School Lane Surgery's CQC rating?
Good overall, published in April 2019.
How many GPs does School Lane Surgery have?
5.2 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs (11 qualified GPs by headcount), which is 1,829 patients per GP against 2,171 across England.
Are appointments at School Lane Surgery face to face?
73% of appointments from June 2026 to August 2026 were face to face, against 63% across England.
What is School Lane Surgery's phone number?
01842 753115.