Upton Road Surgery, Watford: patient reviews and CQC rating
Upton Road Surgery is a GP practice in Watford with 17,979 registered patients (September 2026). In the 2026 GP Patient Survey, 71% of its patients described their overall experience as good, against 77% across England (Central East: 75%). The Care Quality Commission rates it Good overall, in a report published in December 2021. It has 7.3 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs, or 2,447 patients per GP.
Latest data: September 2026. Patient survey 2026; registered patients September 2026; appointments to August 2026.
What patients say about Upton Road Surgery
Its best result against England is the share who found it easy to contact the practice through its website: 70%, above the England figure of 58%. Its weakest is the share who found it easy to get through to the practice by phone: 44%, below the England figure of 57%. Of the 11 results in the table, 1 is above England and 6 below by more than the survey's margin of error, and 4 within it.
On overall experience it is 7th of the 8 practices in Watford with 50 or more responses. 44% found it easy to get through by phone (England: 57%). The overall experience result is 6 points lower than in 2025 (77%). 115 patients answered the survey (response rate 15%).
| Survey question | Upton Road Surgery | Central East | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overall experience good | 71% | 75% | 77% |
| Easy to contact by phone | 44% | 52% | 57% |
| Easy to contact via the website | 70% | 60% | 58% |
| Easy to contact via the NHS App | 45% | 52% | 54% |
| Reception team helpful | 72% | 83% | 85% |
| Last contact good | 62% | 71% | 73% |
| Wait for appointment about right | 77% | 69% | 69% |
| Listened to well | 76% | 86% | 87% |
| Treated with care and concern | 81% | 85% | 86% |
| Confidence and trust in the clinician | 85% | 92% | 93% |
| Needs met | 78% | 89% | 90% |
In the Friends and Family Test for July 2026, 82% of 77 responses rated the practice good or very good (England: 92%).
CQC's overall rating for Upton Road Surgery is Good, published in December 2021. One key question is rated differently: Effective Requires Improvement. Its previous overall rating was Requires Improvement (October 2019).
| Key question | Rating |
|---|---|
| Safe | Good |
| Well-led | Good |
| Caring | Good |
| Responsive | Good |
| Effective | Requires Improvement |
17,979 patients were registered at Upton Road Surgery in September 2026, down 6.3% on a year earlier (England: down 1.1%).
9% of its patients are aged 65 or over, against 19% across England. With 7.3 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs, there are 2,447 patients per GP, more than the England figure of 2,171 and Central East's 2,348. The practice also has 1.1 nurses and 1.8 other clinical staff such as pharmacists and physiotherapists (full-time equivalent).
| Year | Qualified GPs (FTE) | All GPs incl. trainees (FTE) |
|---|---|---|
| August 2023 | 7.3 | 7.3 |
| August 2024 | 7.3 | 7.3 |
| August 2025 | 7.3 | 7.3 |
| August 2026 | 7.3 | 8.0 |
From June 2026 to August 2026 the practice recorded 8,648 appointments a month, or 481 per 1,000 registered patients (England: 510). 67% were face to face (England: 63%). 64% took place on the day they were booked and 1% more than 28 days after booking (England: 45% and 5%).
71% were with a GP rather than another member of the practice team. 4% of booked patients did not attend.
| Measure | Upton Road Surgery | Central East | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Appointments per 1,000 patients a month | 481 | 521 | 510 |
| Face to face | 67% | 62% | 63% |
| Same day as booked | 64% | 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 serious mental illness (1.4% against 1.0%). It has a lower share for peripheral arterial disease (0.2% against 0.6%), chronic kidney disease (2.1% against 4.6%) and atrial fibrillation (1.1% against 2.2%). The practice's patients live in areas with an average deprivation score of 20.0 (England: 21.8; higher is more deprived).
Life expectancy for its patients' neighbourhoods is 82.4 years for women and 78.0 for men (England: 83.0 and 79.1).
| Condition register | Age group | Practice (2024/25) | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| High blood pressure | All ages | 12.1% | 15.2% |
| Depression | 18+ yrs | 10.0% | 14.3% |
| Diabetes | 17+ yrs | 8.3% | 7.9% |
| Asthma | 6+ yrs | 4.6% | 6.6% |
| Coronary heart disease | All ages | 2.3% | 3.0% |
| Cancer | All ages | 2.2% | 3.8% |
| Chronic kidney disease | 18+ yrs | 2.1% | 4.6% |
| COPD | All ages | 1.5% | 1.9% |
| Serious mental illness | All ages | 1.4% | 1.0% |
| Atrial fibrillation | All ages | 1.1% | 2.2% |
| Stroke and TIA | All ages | 1.1% | 1.9% |
| Osteoporosis | 50+ yrs | 0.7% | 1.2% |
| Heart failure | All ages | 0.7% | 1.1% |
| Learning disability | All ages | 0.7% | 0.6% |
| Dementia | All ages | 0.7% | 0.8% |
| Rheumatoid arthritis | 16+ yrs | 0.6% | 0.8% |
| Epilepsy | 18+ yrs | 0.6% | 0.8% |
| Palliative care | All ages | 0.4% | 0.6% |
| Peripheral arterial disease | All ages | 0.2% | 0.6% |
| Screening coverage | Period | Practice | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bowel cancer screening (aged 60 to 74) | 2024/25 | 57.4% | 72.9% |
| Breast cancer screening (women aged 53 to 70) | 2024/25 | 63.7% | 72.2% |
| Cervical screening (women aged 25 to 49) | 2023/24 | 60.9% | 67.5% |
| Cervical screening (women aged 50 to 64) | 2023/24 | 74.2% | 74.9% |
Upton Road Surgery, Ground Floor Colne House, 21 Upton Road, Watford, WD18 0JP. Phone: 01923 226266.
| Nearby practice | Distance | Overall experience good |
|---|---|---|
| Suthergrey House Medical Centre | 0.5 km | 68% |
| The Elms Surgery | 0.6 km | 83% |
| Bridgewater Surgeries | 1.6 km | 91% |
| Manor View Practice | 2.2 km | 79% |
| Attenborough Surgery | 2.2 km | 82% |
- Suthergrey House Medical Centre (68% overall experience good)
- The Elms Surgery (83% overall experience good)
How do patients rate Upton Road Surgery?
In the 2026 GP Patient Survey, 71% of patients described their overall experience of Upton Road Surgery as good, against 77% across England. 44% found it easy to get through by phone.
How many patients are registered at Upton Road Surgery?
17,979 patients were registered in September 2026, down 6.3% on a year earlier.
What is Upton Road Surgery's CQC rating?
Good overall, published in December 2021.
How many GPs does Upton Road Surgery have?
7.3 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs (10 qualified GPs by headcount), which is 2,447 patients per GP against 2,171 across England.
Are appointments at Upton Road Surgery face to face?
67% of appointments from June 2026 to August 2026 were face to face, against 63% across England.
What is Upton Road Surgery's phone number?
01923 226266.