Towcester Medical Centre, Towcester: patient reviews and CQC rating
Towcester Medical Centre is a GP practice in Towcester with 11,862 registered patients (September 2026). In the 2026 GP Patient Survey, 80% of its patients described their overall experience as good, against 77% across England (Northamptonshire: 74%). The Care Quality Commission rates it Good overall, in a report published in February 2016. It has 7.3 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs, or 1,629 patients per GP.
Latest data: September 2026. Patient survey 2026; registered patients September 2026; appointments to August 2026.
What patients say about Towcester Medical Centre
Its best result against England is the share who found it easy to contact the practice through its website: 74%, above the England figure of 58%. Its weakest is the share who said the wait for their last appointment was about right: 54%, 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 3rd of the 3 practices in Towcester with 50 or more responses. 52% found it easy to get through by phone (England: 57%). The overall experience result is 6 points lower than in 2025 (86%). 118 patients answered the survey (response rate 36%).
| Survey question | Towcester Medical Centre | Northamptonshire | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overall experience good | 80% | 74% | 77% |
| Easy to contact by phone | 52% | 51% | 57% |
| Easy to contact via the website | 74% | 56% | 58% |
| Easy to contact via the NHS App | 44% | 52% | 54% |
| Reception team helpful | 88% | 83% | 85% |
| Last contact good | 77% | 70% | 73% |
| Wait for appointment about right | 54% | 71% | 69% |
| Listened to well | 88% | 85% | 87% |
| Treated with care and concern | 82% | 85% | 86% |
| Confidence and trust in the clinician | 96% | 91% | 93% |
| Needs met | 89% | 90% | 90% |
In the Friends and Family Test for July 2026, 96% of 513 responses rated the practice good or very good (England: 92%).
CQC's overall rating for Towcester Medical Centre is Good, published in February 2016. All 5 key questions are rated Good.
| Key question | Rating |
|---|---|
| Safe | Good |
| Well-led | Good |
| Caring | Good |
| Responsive | Good |
| Effective | Good |
11,862 patients were registered at Towcester Medical Centre in September 2026, up 2.3% on a year earlier (England: down 1.1%).
18% of its patients are aged 65 or over, against 19% across England. With 7.3 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs, there are 1,629 patients per GP, fewer than the England figure of 2,171 and Northamptonshire's 2,413. The practice also has 3.7 nurses and 2.3 other clinical staff such as pharmacists and physiotherapists (full-time equivalent).
| Year | Qualified GPs (FTE) | All GPs incl. trainees (FTE) |
|---|---|---|
| August 2023 | 6.7 | 8.9 |
| August 2024 | 5.9 | 8.1 |
| August 2025 | 5.9 | 8.1 |
| August 2026 | 7.3 | 8.3 |
From June 2026 to August 2026 the practice recorded 6,920 appointments a month, or 583 per 1,000 registered patients (England: 510). 51% were face to face (England: 63%). 49% took place on the day they were booked and 7% more than 28 days after booking (England: 45% and 5%).
57% were with a GP rather than another member of the practice team. 3% of booked patients did not attend.
| Measure | Towcester Medical Centre | Northamptonshire | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Appointments per 1,000 patients a month | 583 | 531 | 510 |
| Face to face | 51% | 59% | 63% |
| Same day as booked | 49% | 46% | 45% |
| More than 28 days after booking | 7% | 5% | 5% |
| Did not attend | 3% | 4% | 4% |
Compared with England, the practice has a higher share of patients on its registers for depression (18.8% against 14.3%). It has a lower share for palliative or supportive care needs (0.1% against 0.6%), heart failure (0.5% against 1.1%) and serious mental illness (0.5% against 1.0%). The practice's patients live in areas with an average deprivation score of 9.0 (England: 21.8; higher is more deprived).
Life expectancy for its patients' neighbourhoods is 84.7 years for women and 81.6 for men (England: 83.0 and 79.1).
| Condition register | Age group | Practice (2024/25) | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Depression | 18+ yrs | 18.8% | 14.3% |
| High blood pressure | All ages | 15.3% | 15.2% |
| Asthma | 6+ yrs | 7.2% | 6.6% |
| Diabetes | 17+ yrs | 6.6% | 7.9% |
| Chronic kidney disease | 18+ yrs | 4.8% | 4.6% |
| Cancer | All ages | 3.7% | 3.8% |
| Atrial fibrillation | All ages | 2.3% | 2.2% |
| Coronary heart disease | All ages | 2.2% | 3.0% |
| Stroke and TIA | All ages | 1.5% | 1.9% |
| COPD | All ages | 1.3% | 1.9% |
| Osteoporosis | 50+ yrs | 0.9% | 1.2% |
| Rheumatoid arthritis | 16+ yrs | 0.7% | 0.8% |
| Epilepsy | 18+ yrs | 0.7% | 0.8% |
| Heart failure | All ages | 0.5% | 1.1% |
| Serious mental illness | All ages | 0.5% | 1.0% |
| Dementia | All ages | 0.5% | 0.8% |
| Peripheral arterial disease | All ages | 0.4% | 0.6% |
| Learning disability | All ages | 0.3% | 0.6% |
| Palliative care | All ages | 0.1% | 0.6% |
| Screening coverage | Period | Practice | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bowel cancer screening (aged 60 to 74) | 2024/25 | 76.3% | 72.9% |
| Breast cancer screening (women aged 53 to 70) | 2024/25 | 76.8% | 72.2% |
| Cervical screening (women aged 25 to 49) | 2023/24 | 81.3% | 67.5% |
| Cervical screening (women aged 50 to 64) | 2023/24 | 80.0% | 74.9% |
98% of the practice's patients live in the NN12 postcode district. 99% live in West Northamptonshire, the council area the practice is in.
| Postcode district | Registered patients | Share |
|---|---|---|
| NN12 | 11,539 | 98% |
Towcester Medical Centre, Link Way, Towcester, NN12 6HH. Phone: 01327 359953. Website: www.towcestermedicalcentre.co.uk.
| Nearby practice | Distance | Overall experience good |
|---|---|---|
| Brook Health Centre | 0.0 km | 83% |
| The Parks Medical Practice | 7.4 km | 66% |
| Bugbrooke Surgery | 9.4 km | 85% |
| Danes Camp Surgery | 10.5 km | 84% |
| Wootton Medical Centre | 11.0 km | 71% |
- Brackley Medical Centre (82% overall experience good)
- Brook Health Centre (83% overall experience good)
- Springfield Surgery (88% overall experience good)
How do patients rate Towcester Medical Centre?
In the 2026 GP Patient Survey, 80% of patients described their overall experience of Towcester Medical Centre as good, against 77% across England. 52% found it easy to get through by phone.
How many patients are registered at Towcester Medical Centre?
11,862 patients were registered in September 2026, up 2.3% on a year earlier.
What is Towcester Medical Centre's CQC rating?
Good overall, published in February 2016.
How many GPs does Towcester Medical Centre have?
7.3 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs (10 qualified GPs by headcount), which is 1,629 patients per GP against 2,171 across England.
Are appointments at Towcester Medical Centre face to face?
51% of appointments from June 2026 to August 2026 were face to face, against 63% across England.
What is Towcester Medical Centre's phone number?
01327 359953.