Watton Medical Practice, Thetford: patient reviews and CQC rating
Watton Medical Practice is a GP practice in Thetford with 13,854 registered patients (September 2026). In the 2026 GP Patient Survey, 63% of its patients described their overall experience as good, below the England figure of 77% (Norfolk and Suffolk: 80%). The Care Quality Commission rates it Good overall, in a report published in April 2018. It has 3.9 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs, or 3,595 patients per GP.
Latest data: September 2026. Patient survey 2026; registered patients September 2026; appointments to August 2026.
What patients say about Watton Medical Practice
Its best result against England is the share who said the healthcare professional was good at listening to them: 88%, against 87% across England. Its weakest is the share who found it easy to contact the practice using the NHS App: 35%, below the England figure of 54%. Of the 11 results in the table, 0 are above England and 5 below by more than the survey's margin of error, and 6 within it.
On overall experience it is 6th of the 6 practices in Thetford with 50 or more responses. 40% found it easy to get through by phone (England: 57%). The overall experience result is 1 point lower than in 2025 (64%). 106 patients answered the survey (response rate 32%).
| Survey question | Watton Medical Practice | Norfolk and Suffolk | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overall experience good | 63% | 80% | 77% |
| Easy to contact by phone | 40% | 61% | 57% |
| Easy to contact via the website | 54% | 62% | 58% |
| Easy to contact via the NHS App | 35% | 55% | 54% |
| Reception team helpful | 76% | 88% | 85% |
| Last contact good | 55% | 76% | 73% |
| Wait for appointment about right | 61% | 74% | 69% |
| Listened to well | 88% | 89% | 87% |
| Treated with care and concern | 84% | 88% | 86% |
| Confidence and trust in the clinician | 92% | 94% | 93% |
| Needs met | 90% | 92% | 90% |
In the Friends and Family Test for July 2026, 91% of 230 responses rated the practice good or very good (England: 92%).
CQC's overall rating for Watton Medical Practice is Good, published in April 2018. All 5 key questions are rated Good. Its previous overall rating was Requires Improvement (October 2017).
| Key question | Rating |
|---|---|
| Safe | Good |
| Well-led | Good |
| Caring | Good |
| Responsive | Good |
| Effective | Good |
13,854 patients were registered at Watton Medical Practice in September 2026, down 2.6% on a year earlier (England: down 1.1%).
26% of its patients are aged 65 or over, against 19% across England. With 3.9 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs, there are 3,595 patients per GP, more than the England figure of 2,171 and Norfolk and Suffolk's 2,133. The practice also has 2.9 nurses and 4.9 other clinical staff such as pharmacists and physiotherapists (full-time equivalent).
| Year | Qualified GPs (FTE) | All GPs incl. trainees (FTE) |
|---|---|---|
| August 2023 | 2.5 | 2.5 |
| August 2024 | 3.5 | 3.5 |
| August 2025 | 2.5 | 2.5 |
| August 2026 | 3.9 | 3.9 |
From June 2026 to August 2026 the practice recorded 6,537 appointments a month, or 472 per 1,000 registered patients (England: 510). 59% were face to face (England: 63%). 47% took place on the day they were booked and 10% more than 28 days after booking (England: 45% and 5%).
31% were with a GP rather than another member of the practice team. 3% of booked patients did not attend.
| Measure | Watton Medical Practice | Norfolk and Suffolk | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Appointments per 1,000 patients a month | 472 | 578 | 510 |
| Face to face | 59% | 70% | 63% |
| Same day as booked | 47% | 42% | 45% |
| More than 28 days after booking | 10% | 8% | 5% |
| Did not attend | 3% | 3% | 4% |
Compared with England, the practice has a higher share of patients on its registers for dementia (1.5% against 0.8%), a learning disability (0.9% against 0.6%) and heart failure (1.6% against 1.1%). It has a lower share for osteoporosis (0.1% against 1.2%) and palliative or supportive care needs (0.3% against 0.6%). The practice's patients live in areas with an average deprivation score of 21.5 (England: 21.8; higher is more deprived).
Life expectancy for its patients' neighbourhoods is 84.2 years for women and 78.6 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 | 14.4% | 14.3% |
| Diabetes | 17+ yrs | 10.4% | 7.9% |
| Asthma | 6+ yrs | 6.9% | 6.6% |
| Chronic kidney disease | 18+ yrs | 6.1% | 4.6% |
| Cancer | All ages | 4.0% | 3.8% |
| Coronary heart disease | All ages | 3.8% | 3.0% |
| Atrial fibrillation | All ages | 3.2% | 2.2% |
| Stroke and TIA | All ages | 2.5% | 1.9% |
| COPD | All ages | 2.4% | 1.9% |
| Heart failure | All ages | 1.6% | 1.1% |
| Dementia | All ages | 1.5% | 0.8% |
| Rheumatoid arthritis | 16+ yrs | 1.3% | 0.8% |
| Learning disability | All ages | 0.9% | 0.6% |
| Epilepsy | 18+ yrs | 0.9% | 0.8% |
| Serious mental illness | All ages | 0.8% | 1.0% |
| Peripheral arterial disease | All ages | 0.6% | 0.6% |
| Palliative care | All ages | 0.3% | 0.6% |
| Osteoporosis | 50+ yrs | 0.1% | 1.2% |
| Screening coverage | Period | Practice | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bowel cancer screening (aged 60 to 74) | 2024/25 | 72.2% | 72.9% |
| Breast cancer screening (women aged 53 to 70) | 2024/25 | 70.3% | 72.2% |
| Cervical screening (women aged 25 to 49) | 2023/24 | 58.6% | 67.5% |
| Cervical screening (women aged 50 to 64) | 2023/24 | 68.4% | 74.9% |
Watton Medical Practice, 24 Gregor Shanks Way, Watton, Thetford, IP25 6FA. Phone: 01953 881247. Website: www.wattonmedicalpractice.co.uk.
| Nearby practice | Distance | Overall experience good |
|---|---|---|
| Shipdham Surgery | 7.9 km | 93% |
| Dr Shaun Conway | 10.9 km | 99% |
| Campingland Surgery | 12.4 km | 79% |
| Manor Farm Medical Centre | 12.7 km | 75% |
| Plowright Medical Centre | 13.3 km | 88% |
- Grove Surgery (66% overall experience good)
- School Lane Surgery (72% overall experience good)
How do patients rate Watton Medical Practice?
In the 2026 GP Patient Survey, 63% of patients described their overall experience of Watton Medical Practice as good, below the England figure of 77%. 40% found it easy to get through by phone.
How many patients are registered at Watton Medical Practice?
13,854 patients were registered in September 2026, down 2.6% on a year earlier.
What is Watton Medical Practice's CQC rating?
Good overall, published in April 2018.
How many GPs does Watton Medical Practice have?
3.9 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs (5 qualified GPs by headcount), which is 3,595 patients per GP against 2,171 across England.
Are appointments at Watton Medical Practice face to face?
59% of appointments from June 2026 to August 2026 were face to face, against 63% across England.
What is Watton Medical Practice's phone number?
01953 881247.