West Malling Group Practice, West Malling: patient reviews and CQC rating
West Malling Group Practice is a GP practice in West Malling with 21,220 registered patients (September 2026). In the 2026 GP Patient Survey, 64% of its patients described their overall experience as good, below the England figure of 77% (Kent and Medway: 73%). The Care Quality Commission rates it Good overall, in a report published in October 2017. It has 6.0 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs, or 3,513 patients per GP.
Latest data: September 2026. Patient survey 2026; registered patients September 2026; appointments to August 2026.
What patients say about West Malling Group Practice
Its result closest to England is the share who said the healthcare professional was good at listening to them: 81%, below the England figure of 87%. Its weakest is the share who found it easy to get through to the practice by phone: 32%, below the England figure of 57%. Of the 11 results in the table, 0 are above England and 9 below by more than the survey's margin of error, and 2 within it.
32% found it easy to get through by phone (England: 57%). The overall experience result is 1 point lower than in 2025 (65%). 142 patients answered the survey (response rate 35%).
| Survey question | West Malling Group Practice | Kent and Medway | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overall experience good | 64% | 73% | 77% |
| Easy to contact by phone | 32% | 48% | 57% |
| Easy to contact via the website | 45% | 52% | 58% |
| Easy to contact via the NHS App | 47% | 50% | 54% |
| Reception team helpful | 68% | 82% | 85% |
| Last contact good | 53% | 67% | 73% |
| Wait for appointment about right | 62% | 65% | 69% |
| Listened to well | 81% | 85% | 87% |
| Treated with care and concern | 73% | 84% | 86% |
| Confidence and trust in the clinician | 87% | 91% | 93% |
| Needs met | 82% | 89% | 90% |
In the Friends and Family Test for July 2026, 93% of 96 responses rated the practice good or very good (England: 92%).
CQC's overall rating for West Malling Group Practice is Good, published in October 2017. All 5 key questions are rated Good. It held the same rating in the report before (March 2017).
| Key question | Rating |
|---|---|
| Safe | Good |
| Well-led | Good |
| Caring | Good |
| Responsive | Good |
| Effective | Good |
21,220 patients were registered at West Malling Group Practice in September 2026, almost the same as a year earlier.
17% of its patients are aged 65 or over, against 19% across England. With 6.0 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs, there are 3,513 patients per GP, more than the England figure of 2,171 and Kent and Medway's 2,419. The practice also has 3.0 nurses and 3.0 other clinical staff such as pharmacists and physiotherapists (full-time equivalent).
| Year | Qualified GPs (FTE) | All GPs incl. trainees (FTE) |
|---|---|---|
| August 2023 | 6.0 | 7.1 |
| August 2024 | 5.5 | 6.6 |
| August 2025 | 5.5 | 6.6 |
| August 2026 | 6.0 | 8.0 |
From June 2026 to August 2026 the practice recorded 8,584 appointments a month, or 405 per 1,000 registered patients (England: 510). 58% were face to face (England: 63%). 49% took place on the day they were booked and 5% more than 28 days after booking (England: 45% and 5%).
63% were with a GP rather than another member of the practice team. 4% of booked patients did not attend.
| Measure | West Malling Group Practice | Kent and Medway | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Appointments per 1,000 patients a month | 405 | 457 | 510 |
| Face to face | 58% | 62% | 63% |
| Same day as booked | 49% | 41% | 45% |
| More than 28 days after booking | 5% | 7% | 5% |
| Did not attend | 4% | 5% | 4% |
Compared with England, the practice has a lower share of patients for palliative or supportive care needs (0.2% against 0.6%), osteoporosis (0.4% against 1.2%) and dementia (0.4% against 0.8%). The practice's patients live in areas with an average deprivation score of 9.8 (England: 21.8; higher is more deprived). Life expectancy for its patients' neighbourhoods is 86.5 years for women and 82.3 for men (England: 83.0 and 79.1).
| Condition register | Age group | Practice (2024/25) | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Depression | 18+ yrs | 13.1% | 14.3% |
| High blood pressure | All ages | 11.6% | 15.2% |
| Diabetes | 17+ yrs | 5.8% | 7.9% |
| Asthma | 6+ yrs | 5.5% | 6.6% |
| Cancer | All ages | 4.3% | 3.8% |
| Chronic kidney disease | 18+ yrs | 3.2% | 4.6% |
| Coronary heart disease | All ages | 2.2% | 3.0% |
| Atrial fibrillation | All ages | 2.0% | 2.2% |
| Stroke and TIA | All ages | 1.4% | 1.9% |
| COPD | All ages | 1.2% | 1.9% |
| Rheumatoid arthritis | 16+ yrs | 0.9% | 0.8% |
| Heart failure | All ages | 0.7% | 1.1% |
| Epilepsy | 18+ yrs | 0.7% | 0.8% |
| Serious mental illness | All ages | 0.6% | 1.0% |
| Osteoporosis | 50+ yrs | 0.4% | 1.2% |
| Dementia | All ages | 0.4% | 0.8% |
| Peripheral arterial disease | All ages | 0.4% | 0.6% |
| Learning disability | All ages | 0.4% | 0.6% |
| Palliative care | All ages | 0.2% | 0.6% |
| Screening coverage | Period | Practice | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bowel cancer screening (aged 60 to 74) | 2024/25 | 77.6% | 72.9% |
| Breast cancer screening (women aged 53 to 70) | 2024/25 | 78.4% | 72.2% |
| Cervical screening (women aged 25 to 49) | 2023/24 | 75.2% | 67.5% |
| Cervical screening (women aged 50 to 64) | 2023/24 | 77.8% | 74.9% |
West Malling Group Practice, 37 Queen Street, Kings Hill, West Malling, ME19 4JF. Phone: 01732 870212.
| Nearby practice | Distance | Overall experience good |
|---|---|---|
| Wateringbury Surgery | 2.4 km | 83% |
| Thornhills Medical Practice | 4.1 km | 70% |
| Aylesford Medical Centre | 5.7 km | 50% |
| Blackthorn Medical Centre | 5.9 km | 83% |
| Yalding Surgery | 5.9 km | 75% |
- Phoenix Medical Practice (58% overall experience good)
- Snodland Medical Practice (65% overall experience good)
- Thornhills Medical Practice (70% overall experience good)
- Wateringbury Surgery (83% overall experience good)
How do patients rate West Malling Group Practice?
In the 2026 GP Patient Survey, 64% of patients described their overall experience of West Malling Group Practice as good, below the England figure of 77%. 32% found it easy to get through by phone.
How many patients are registered at West Malling Group Practice?
21,220 patients were registered in September 2026, up 0.4% on a year earlier.
What is West Malling Group Practice's CQC rating?
Good overall, published in October 2017.
How many GPs does West Malling Group Practice have?
6.0 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs (9 qualified GPs by headcount), which is 3,513 patients per GP against 2,171 across England.
Are appointments at West Malling Group Practice face to face?
58% of appointments from June 2026 to August 2026 were face to face, against 63% across England.
What is West Malling Group Practice's phone number?
01732 870212.