The Elms Surgery, Watford: patient reviews and CQC rating
The Elms Surgery is a GP practice in Watford with 8,673 registered patients (September 2026). In the 2026 GP Patient Survey, 83% of its patients described their overall experience as good, against 77% across England (Central East: 75%). The Care Quality Commission rates it Requires Improvement overall, in a report published in May 2023. It has 1.8 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs, or 4,879 patients per GP.
Latest data: September 2026. Patient survey 2026; registered patients September 2026; appointments to August 2026.
What patients say about The Elms Surgery
Its best result against England is the share who found it easy to get through to the practice by phone: 86%, above the England figure of 57%. Its result closest to England is the share who had confidence and trust in the healthcare professional they saw: 96%, against 93% across England. Of the 11 results in the table, 6 are above England and 0 below by more than the survey's margin of error, and 5 within it.
On overall experience it is 2nd of the 8 practices in Watford with 50 or more responses. 86% found it easy to get through by phone (England: 57%). The overall experience result is unchanged from 2025 (83%). 115 patients answered the survey (response rate 19%).
| Survey question | The Elms Surgery | Central East | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overall experience good | 83% | 75% | 77% |
| Easy to contact by phone | 86% | 52% | 57% |
| Easy to contact via the website | 65% | 60% | 58% |
| Easy to contact via the NHS App | 61% | 52% | 54% |
| Reception team helpful | 95% | 83% | 85% |
| Last contact good | 87% | 71% | 73% |
| Wait for appointment about right | 82% | 69% | 69% |
| Listened to well | 96% | 86% | 87% |
| Treated with care and concern | 94% | 85% | 86% |
| Confidence and trust in the clinician | 96% | 92% | 93% |
| Needs met | 94% | 89% | 90% |
CQC's overall rating for The Elms Surgery is Requires Improvement, published in May 2023. 2 key questions are rated differently: Caring Good and Responsive Good.
| Key question | Rating |
|---|---|
| Safe | Requires Improvement |
| Well-led | Requires Improvement |
| Caring | Good |
| Responsive | Good |
| Effective | Requires Improvement |
8,673 patients were registered at The Elms Surgery in September 2026, down 3.7% on a year earlier (England: down 1.1%).
9% of its patients are aged 65 or over, against 19% across England. With 1.8 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs, there are 4,879 patients per GP, more than the England figure of 2,171 and Central East's 2,348. The practice also has 0.8 nurses and 4.7 other clinical staff such as pharmacists and physiotherapists (full-time equivalent).
| Year | Qualified GPs (FTE) | All GPs incl. trainees (FTE) |
|---|---|---|
| August 2023 | 1.5 | 1.5 |
| August 2024 | 1.5 | 1.5 |
| August 2025 | 1.4 | 1.4 |
| August 2026 | 1.8 | 1.8 |
From June 2026 to August 2026 the practice recorded 3,059 appointments a month, or 353 per 1,000 registered patients (England: 510). 69% were face to face (England: 63%). 41% took place on the day they were booked and 1% more than 28 days after booking (England: 45% and 5%).
27% were with a GP rather than another member of the practice team. 4% of booked patients did not attend.
| Measure | The Elms Surgery | Central East | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Appointments per 1,000 patients a month | 353 | 521 | 510 |
| Face to face | 69% | 62% | 63% |
| Same day as booked | 41% | 48% | 45% |
| More than 28 days after booking | 1% | 6% | 5% |
| Did not attend | 4% | 4% | 4% |
Compared with England, the practice has a higher share of patients on its registers for palliative or supportive care needs (0.8% against 0.6%). It has a lower share for COPD (0.6% against 1.9%), chronic kidney disease (1.7% against 4.6%) and atrial fibrillation (0.9% against 2.2%). The practice's patients live in areas with an average deprivation score of 13.4 (England: 21.8; higher is more deprived).
Life expectancy for its patients' neighbourhoods is 83.3 years for women and 80.0 for men (England: 83.0 and 79.1).
| Condition register | Age group | Practice (2024/25) | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| High blood pressure | All ages | 10.9% | 15.2% |
| Depression | 18+ yrs | 10.3% | 14.3% |
| Diabetes | 17+ yrs | 7.0% | 7.9% |
| Asthma | 6+ yrs | 4.3% | 6.6% |
| Cancer | All ages | 2.3% | 3.8% |
| Chronic kidney disease | 18+ yrs | 1.7% | 4.6% |
| Coronary heart disease | All ages | 1.7% | 3.0% |
| Atrial fibrillation | All ages | 0.9% | 2.2% |
| Stroke and TIA | All ages | 0.9% | 1.9% |
| Rheumatoid arthritis | 16+ yrs | 0.9% | 0.8% |
| Palliative care | All ages | 0.8% | 0.6% |
| Serious mental illness | All ages | 0.8% | 1.0% |
| Heart failure | All ages | 0.7% | 1.1% |
| COPD | All ages | 0.6% | 1.9% |
| Osteoporosis | 50+ yrs | 0.5% | 1.2% |
| Dementia | All ages | 0.5% | 0.8% |
| Epilepsy | 18+ yrs | 0.4% | 0.8% |
| Learning disability | All ages | 0.4% | 0.6% |
| Peripheral arterial disease | All ages | 0.3% | 0.6% |
| Screening coverage | Period | Practice | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bowel cancer screening (aged 60 to 74) | 2024/25 | 60.3% | 72.9% |
| Breast cancer screening (women aged 53 to 70) | 2024/25 | 65.4% | 72.2% |
| Cervical screening (women aged 25 to 49) | 2023/24 | 61.9% | 67.5% |
| Cervical screening (women aged 50 to 64) | 2023/24 | 63.3% | 74.9% |
The Elms Surgery, 38 The Avenue, Watford, WD17 4NT. Phone: 01923 224203. Website: www.theelmssurgery.co.uk.
| Nearby practice | Distance | Overall experience good |
|---|---|---|
| Suthergrey House Medical Centre | 0.3 km | 68% |
| Upton Road Surgery | 0.6 km | 71% |
| Bridgewater Surgeries | 1.7 km | 91% |
| Garston Medical Centre | 2.5 km | 78% |
| Manor View Practice | 2.7 km | 79% |
- Suthergrey House Medical Centre (68% overall experience good)
- Upton Road Surgery (71% overall experience good)
How do patients rate The Elms Surgery?
In the 2026 GP Patient Survey, 83% of patients described their overall experience of The Elms Surgery as good, against 77% across England. 86% found it easy to get through by phone.
How many patients are registered at The Elms Surgery?
8,673 patients were registered in September 2026, down 3.7% on a year earlier.
What is The Elms Surgery's CQC rating?
Requires Improvement overall, published in May 2023.
How many GPs does The Elms Surgery have?
1.8 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs (3 qualified GPs by headcount), which is 4,879 patients per GP against 2,171 across England.
Are appointments at The Elms Surgery face to face?
69% of appointments from June 2026 to August 2026 were face to face, against 63% across England.
What is The Elms Surgery's phone number?
01923 224203.