The Meads Medical Centre, Uckfield: patient reviews and CQC rating
The Meads Medical Centre is a GP practice in Uckfield with 9,834 registered patients (September 2026). In the 2026 GP Patient Survey, 82% of its patients described their overall experience as good, against 77% across England (Surrey and Sussex: 78%). The Care Quality Commission rates it Requires Improvement overall, in a report published in February 2024. It has 3.7 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs, or 2,625 patients per GP.
Latest data: September 2026. Patient survey 2026; registered patients September 2026; appointments to August 2026.
What patients say about The Meads Medical Centre
Its best result against England is the share who described their overall experience of the practice as good: 82%, against 77% across England. Its weakest is the share who found it easy to contact the practice through its website: 38%, below the England figure of 58%. Of the 11 results in the table, 0 are above England and 2 below by more than the survey's margin of error, and 9 within it.
On overall experience it is 1st of the 3 practices in Uckfield with 50 or more responses. 50% found it easy to get through by phone (England: 57%). The overall experience result is 16 points higher than in 2025 (66%). 102 patients answered the survey (response rate 37%).
| Survey question | The Meads Medical Centre | Surrey and Sussex | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overall experience good | 82% | 78% | 77% |
| Easy to contact by phone | 50% | 55% | 57% |
| Easy to contact via the website | 38% | 59% | 58% |
| Easy to contact via the NHS App | 39% | 54% | 54% |
| Reception team helpful | 90% | 86% | 85% |
| Last contact good | 72% | 73% | 73% |
| Wait for appointment about right | 55% | 70% | 69% |
| Listened to well | 85% | 88% | 87% |
| Treated with care and concern | 83% | 88% | 86% |
| Confidence and trust in the clinician | 88% | 94% | 93% |
| Needs met | 89% | 91% | 90% |
In the Friends and Family Test for July 2026, 96% of 455 responses rated the practice good or very good (England: 92%).
CQC's overall rating for The Meads Medical Centre is Requires Improvement, published in February 2024. 3 key questions are rated differently: Well-led Good, Caring Good and Effective Good. Its previous overall rating was Good (November 2016).
| Key question | Rating |
|---|---|
| Safe | Requires Improvement |
| Well-led | Good |
| Caring | Good |
| Responsive | Requires Improvement |
| Effective | Good |
9,834 patients were registered at The Meads Medical Centre in September 2026, almost the same as a year earlier.
25% of its patients are aged 65 or over, against 19% across England. With 3.7 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs, there are 2,625 patients per GP, more than the England figure of 2,171 and Surrey and Sussex's 2,031. The practice also has 2.9 nurses and 4.8 other clinical staff such as pharmacists and physiotherapists (full-time equivalent).
| Year | Qualified GPs (FTE) | All GPs incl. trainees (FTE) |
|---|---|---|
| August 2023 | 2.9 | 2.9 |
| August 2024 | 3.8 | 4.9 |
| August 2025 | 4.0 | 4.5 |
| August 2026 | 3.7 | 3.7 |
From June 2026 to August 2026 the practice recorded 4,012 appointments a month, or 408 per 1,000 registered patients (England: 510). 76% were face to face (England: 63%). 23% took place on the day they were booked and 10% more than 28 days after booking (England: 45% and 5%).
23% were with a GP rather than another member of the practice team. 5% of booked patients did not attend.
| Measure | The Meads Medical Centre | Surrey and Sussex | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Appointments per 1,000 patients a month | 408 | 521 | 510 |
| Face to face | 76% | 58% | 63% |
| Same day as booked | 23% | 45% | 45% |
| More than 28 days after booking | 10% | 6% | 5% |
| Did not attend | 5% | 4% | 4% |
Compared with England, the practice has a higher share of patients on its registers for chronic kidney disease (6.8% against 4.6%), atrial fibrillation (2.9% against 2.2%) and asthma (7.9% against 6.6%). It has a lower share for a learning disability (0.3% against 0.6%), palliative or supportive care needs (0.3% against 0.6%) and COPD (1.3% against 1.9%). The practice's patients live in areas with an average deprivation score of 11.0 (England: 21.8; higher is more deprived).
Life expectancy for its patients' neighbourhoods is 84.4 years for women and 81.5 for men (England: 83.0 and 79.1).
| Condition register | Age group | Practice (2024/25) | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| High blood pressure | All ages | 17.5% | 15.2% |
| Depression | 18+ yrs | 15.5% | 14.3% |
| Asthma | 6+ yrs | 7.9% | 6.6% |
| Diabetes | 17+ yrs | 7.1% | 7.9% |
| Chronic kidney disease | 18+ yrs | 6.8% | 4.6% |
| Cancer | All ages | 4.6% | 3.8% |
| Coronary heart disease | All ages | 3.2% | 3.0% |
| Atrial fibrillation | All ages | 2.9% | 2.2% |
| Stroke and TIA | All ages | 2.2% | 1.9% |
| COPD | All ages | 1.3% | 1.9% |
| Osteoporosis | 50+ yrs | 1.2% | 1.2% |
| Heart failure | All ages | 0.9% | 1.1% |
| Rheumatoid arthritis | 16+ yrs | 0.8% | 0.8% |
| Epilepsy | 18+ yrs | 0.8% | 0.8% |
| Dementia | All ages | 0.8% | 0.8% |
| Serious mental illness | All ages | 0.8% | 1.0% |
| Peripheral arterial disease | All ages | 0.4% | 0.6% |
| Palliative care | All ages | 0.3% | 0.6% |
| Learning disability | All ages | 0.3% | 0.6% |
| Screening coverage | Period | Practice | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bowel cancer screening (aged 60 to 74) | 2024/25 | 77.0% | 72.9% |
| Breast cancer screening (women aged 53 to 70) | 2024/25 | 79.5% | 72.2% |
| Cervical screening (women aged 25 to 49) | 2023/24 | 75.8% | 67.5% |
| Cervical screening (women aged 50 to 64) | 2023/24 | 79.3% | 74.9% |
The Meads Medical Centre, Bell Farm Road, Uckfield, TN22 1BA. Phone: 01825 766055. Website: www.themeadssurgery.co.uk.
| Nearby practice | Distance | Overall experience good |
|---|---|---|
| Bird-In-Eye Surgery | 1.1 km | 81% |
| Buxted Medical Centre | 3.6 km | 63% |
| Heathfield Surgery | 5.2 km | 77% |
| The Saxonbury House Surgery | 11.0 km | 70% |
| The Brook Health Centre | 11.0 km | 66% |
- Bird-In-Eye Surgery (81% overall experience good)
- Buxted Medical Centre (63% overall experience good)
- Heathfield Surgery (77% overall experience good)
- Herstmonceux Integrative Health Centre (71% overall experience good)
How do patients rate The Meads Medical Centre?
In the 2026 GP Patient Survey, 82% of patients described their overall experience of The Meads Medical Centre as good, against 77% across England. 50% found it easy to get through by phone.
How many patients are registered at The Meads Medical Centre?
9,834 patients were registered in September 2026, up 0.3% on a year earlier.
What is The Meads Medical Centre's CQC rating?
Requires Improvement overall, published in February 2024.
How many GPs does The Meads Medical Centre have?
3.7 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs (6 qualified GPs by headcount), which is 2,625 patients per GP against 2,171 across England.
Are appointments at The Meads Medical Centre face to face?
76% of appointments from June 2026 to August 2026 were face to face, against 63% across England.
What is The Meads Medical Centre's phone number?
01825 766055.