The Garden City Practice, Welwyn Garden City: patient reviews and CQC rating
The Garden City Practice is a GP practice in Welwyn Garden City with 12,691 registered patients (September 2026). In the 2026 GP Patient Survey, 75% 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 November 2022. It has 4.3 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs, or 2,974 patients per GP.
Latest data: September 2026. Patient survey 2026; registered patients September 2026; appointments to August 2026.
What patients say about The Garden City Practice
Its best result against England is the share who said the wait for their last appointment was about right: 77%, against 69% across England. Its weakest is the share who found it easy to contact the practice through its website: 20%, below the England figure of 58%. Of the 11 results in the table, 1 is above England and 2 below by more than the survey's margin of error, and 8 within it.
On overall experience it is 2nd of the 5 practices in Welwyn Garden City with 50 or more responses. 45% found it easy to get through by phone (England: 57%). The overall experience result is 2 points higher than in 2025 (73%). 103 patients answered the survey (response rate 29%).
| Survey question | The Garden City Practice | Central East | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overall experience good | 75% | 75% | 77% |
| Easy to contact by phone | 45% | 52% | 57% |
| Easy to contact via the website | 20% | 60% | 58% |
| Easy to contact via the NHS App | 43% | 52% | 54% |
| Reception team helpful | 85% | 83% | 85% |
| Last contact good | 66% | 71% | 73% |
| Wait for appointment about right | 77% | 69% | 69% |
| Listened to well | 91% | 86% | 87% |
| Treated with care and concern | 86% | 85% | 86% |
| Confidence and trust in the clinician | 92% | 92% | 93% |
| Needs met | 97% | 89% | 90% |
CQC's overall rating for The Garden City Practice is Requires Improvement, published in November 2022. 2 key questions are rated differently: Caring Good and Responsive Good. Its previous overall rating was Good (August 2016).
| Key question | Rating |
|---|---|
| Safe | Requires Improvement |
| Well-led | Requires Improvement |
| Caring | Good |
| Responsive | Good |
| Effective | Requires Improvement |
12,691 patients were registered at The Garden City Practice in September 2026, almost the same as a year earlier.
14% of its patients are aged 65 or over, against 19% across England. With 4.3 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs, there are 2,974 patients per GP, more than the England figure of 2,171 and Central East's 2,348. The practice also has 2.4 nurses and 1.0 other clinical staff such as pharmacists and physiotherapists (full-time equivalent).
| Year | Qualified GPs (FTE) | All GPs incl. trainees (FTE) |
|---|---|---|
| August 2023 | 4.4 | 6.3 |
| August 2024 | 4.4 | 5.5 |
| August 2025 | 4.4 | 5.5 |
| August 2026 | 4.3 | 6.0 |
From June 2026 to August 2026 the practice recorded 5,589 appointments a month, or 440 per 1,000 registered patients (England: 510). 74% were face to face (England: 63%). 40% took place on the day they were booked and 1% more than 28 days after booking (England: 45% and 5%).
44% were with a GP rather than another member of the practice team. 2% of booked patients did not attend.
| Measure | The Garden City Practice | Central East | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Appointments per 1,000 patients a month | 440 | 521 | 510 |
| Face to face | 74% | 62% | 63% |
| Same day as booked | 40% | 48% | 45% |
| More than 28 days after booking | 1% | 6% | 5% |
| Did not attend | 2% | 4% | 4% |
Compared with England, the practice has a lower share of patients for osteoporosis (0.1% against 1.2%), coronary heart disease (1.7% against 3.0%) and dementia (0.5% against 0.8%). The practice's patients live in areas with an average deprivation score of 13.0 (England: 21.8; higher is more deprived). Life expectancy for its patients' neighbourhoods is 85.2 years for women and 81.4 for men (England: 83.0 and 79.1).
| Condition register | Age group | Practice (2024/25) | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Depression | 18+ yrs | 14.7% | 14.3% |
| High blood pressure | All ages | 13.0% | 15.2% |
| Asthma | 6+ yrs | 6.2% | 6.6% |
| Diabetes | 17+ yrs | 6.0% | 7.9% |
| Chronic kidney disease | 18+ yrs | 3.4% | 4.6% |
| Cancer | All ages | 2.9% | 3.8% |
| Atrial fibrillation | All ages | 1.7% | 2.2% |
| Coronary heart disease | All ages | 1.7% | 3.0% |
| Stroke and TIA | All ages | 1.3% | 1.9% |
| COPD | All ages | 1.1% | 1.9% |
| Serious mental illness | All ages | 1.0% | 1.0% |
| Epilepsy | 18+ yrs | 0.8% | 0.8% |
| Palliative care | All ages | 0.8% | 0.6% |
| Heart failure | All ages | 0.7% | 1.1% |
| Rheumatoid arthritis | 16+ yrs | 0.6% | 0.8% |
| Learning disability | All ages | 0.5% | 0.6% |
| Dementia | All ages | 0.5% | 0.8% |
| Peripheral arterial disease | All ages | 0.4% | 0.6% |
| Osteoporosis | 50+ yrs | 0.1% | 1.2% |
| 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 | 72.4% | 72.2% |
| Cervical screening (women aged 25 to 49) | 2023/24 | 74.6% | 67.5% |
| Cervical screening (women aged 50 to 64) | 2023/24 | 75.4% | 74.9% |
The Garden City Practice, Birdcroft Road, Welwyn Garden City, AL8 6EH. Phone: 01707 321500. Website: www.gardencitypractice.nhs.uk.
| Nearby practice | Distance | Overall experience good |
|---|---|---|
| Peartree Surgery | 0.8 km | 61% |
| Ephedra Healthcare | 2.1 km | 61% |
| Hall Grove Practice | 2.1 km | 82% |
| Wrafton House Surgery | 3.6 km | 78% |
| Bridge Cottage Surgery | 3.7 km | 69% |
- Ephedra Healthcare (61% overall experience good)
- Peartree Surgery (61% overall experience good)
How do patients rate The Garden City Practice?
In the 2026 GP Patient Survey, 75% of patients described their overall experience of The Garden City Practice as good, against 77% across England. 45% found it easy to get through by phone.
How many patients are registered at The Garden City Practice?
12,691 patients were registered in September 2026, up 0.0% on a year earlier.
What is The Garden City Practice's CQC rating?
Requires Improvement overall, published in November 2022.
How many GPs does The Garden City Practice have?
4.3 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs (6 qualified GPs by headcount), which is 2,974 patients per GP against 2,171 across England.
Are appointments at The Garden City Practice face to face?
74% of appointments from June 2026 to August 2026 were face to face, against 63% across England.
What is The Garden City Practice's phone number?
01707 321500.