The Lime Tree Surgery, Worthing: patient reviews and CQC rating
The Lime Tree Surgery is a GP practice in Worthing with 27,719 registered patients (September 2026). In the 2026 GP Patient Survey, 73% of its patients described their overall experience as good, against 77% across England (Surrey and Sussex: 78%). The Care Quality Commission rates it Good overall, in a report published in November 2017. It has 12.3 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs, or 2,255 patients per GP.
Latest data: September 2026. Patient survey 2026; registered patients September 2026; appointments to August 2026.
What patients say about The Lime Tree Surgery
Its best result against England is the share who said their needs were met at their last appointment: 91%, against 90% across England. Its weakest is the share who found it easy to contact the practice using the NHS App: 36%, below the England figure of 54%. 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 8th of the 9 practices in Worthing with 50 or more responses. 54% found it easy to get through by phone (England: 57%). The overall experience result is 6 points higher than in 2025 (67%). 104 patients answered the survey (response rate 35%).
| Survey question | The Lime Tree Surgery | Surrey and Sussex | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overall experience good | 73% | 78% | 77% |
| Easy to contact by phone | 54% | 55% | 57% |
| Easy to contact via the website | 52% | 59% | 58% |
| Easy to contact via the NHS App | 36% | 54% | 54% |
| Reception team helpful | 82% | 86% | 85% |
| Last contact good | 62% | 73% | 73% |
| Wait for appointment about right | 67% | 70% | 69% |
| Listened to well | 84% | 88% | 87% |
| Treated with care and concern | 82% | 88% | 86% |
| Confidence and trust in the clinician | 92% | 94% | 93% |
| Needs met | 91% | 91% | 90% |
CQC's overall rating for The Lime Tree Surgery is Good, published in November 2017. All 5 key questions are rated Good. It held the same rating in the report before (June 2017).
| Key question | Rating |
|---|---|
| Safe | Good |
| Well-led | Good |
| Caring | Good |
| Responsive | Good |
| Effective | Good |
27,719 patients were registered at The Lime Tree Surgery in September 2026, down 1.1% on a year earlier (England: down 1.1%).
29% of its patients are aged 65 or over, against 19% across England. With 12.3 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs, there are 2,255 patients per GP, close to the England figure of 2,171 and Surrey and Sussex's 2,031. The practice also has 11.2 nurses and 9.8 other clinical staff such as pharmacists and physiotherapists (full-time equivalent).
| Year | Qualified GPs (FTE) | All GPs incl. trainees (FTE) |
|---|---|---|
| August 2023 | 12.0 | 13.7 |
| August 2024 | 11.1 | 13.6 |
| August 2025 | 12.3 | 13.6 |
| August 2026 | 12.3 | 14.9 |
From June 2026 to August 2026 the practice recorded 18,759 appointments a month, or 677 per 1,000 registered patients (England: 510). 51% were face to face (England: 63%). 51% took place on the day they were booked and 9% more than 28 days after booking (England: 45% and 5%).
24% were with a GP rather than another member of the practice team. 2% of booked patients did not attend.
| Measure | The Lime Tree Surgery | Surrey and Sussex | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Appointments per 1,000 patients a month | 677 | 521 | 510 |
| Face to face | 51% | 58% | 63% |
| Same day as booked | 51% | 45% | 45% |
| More than 28 days after booking | 9% | 6% | 5% |
| Did not attend | 2% | 4% | 4% |
Compared with England, the practice has a higher share of patients on its registers for atrial fibrillation (3.8% against 2.2%), dementia (1.2% against 0.8%) and coronary heart disease (4.4% against 3.0%). It has a lower share for osteoporosis (0.3% against 1.2%). The practice's patients live in areas with an average deprivation score of 12.8 (England: 21.8; higher is more deprived).
Life expectancy for its patients' neighbourhoods is 84.1 years for women and 80.6 for men (England: 83.0 and 79.1).
| Condition register | Age group | Practice (2024/25) | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| High blood pressure | All ages | 18.3% | 15.2% |
| Depression | 18+ yrs | 12.3% | 14.3% |
| Diabetes | 17+ yrs | 8.1% | 7.9% |
| Asthma | 6+ yrs | 7.6% | 6.6% |
| Chronic kidney disease | 18+ yrs | 6.1% | 4.6% |
| Coronary heart disease | All ages | 4.4% | 3.0% |
| Cancer | All ages | 3.9% | 3.8% |
| Atrial fibrillation | All ages | 3.8% | 2.2% |
| Stroke and TIA | All ages | 2.6% | 1.9% |
| COPD | All ages | 2.1% | 1.9% |
| Dementia | All ages | 1.2% | 0.8% |
| Heart failure | All ages | 1.1% | 1.1% |
| Rheumatoid arthritis | 16+ yrs | 1.0% | 0.8% |
| Serious mental illness | All ages | 1.0% | 1.0% |
| Learning disability | All ages | 0.8% | 0.6% |
| Epilepsy | 18+ yrs | 0.7% | 0.8% |
| Peripheral arterial disease | All ages | 0.7% | 0.6% |
| Palliative care | All ages | 0.7% | 0.6% |
| Osteoporosis | 50+ yrs | 0.3% | 1.2% |
| Screening coverage | Period | Practice | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bowel cancer screening (aged 60 to 74) | 2024/25 | 79.5% | 72.9% |
| Breast cancer screening (women aged 53 to 70) | 2024/25 | 82.4% | 72.2% |
| Cervical screening (women aged 25 to 49) | 2023/24 | 72.8% | 67.5% |
| Cervical screening (women aged 50 to 64) | 2023/24 | 73.2% | 74.9% |
The Lime Tree Surgery, Lime Tree Avenue, Findon Valley, Worthing, BN14 0DL. Phone: 01903 264101. Website: www.limetreesurgery.nhs.com.
| Nearby practice | Distance | Overall experience good |
|---|---|---|
| Broadwater Medical Centre | 2.8 km | 68% |
| St Lawrence Surgery | 2.8 km | 91% |
| Strand Medical | 3.5 km | 78% |
| Cornerways Surgery | 3.7 km | 97% |
| Victoria Road Surgery | 3.8 km | 87% |
- Barn Surgery (75% overall experience good)
How do patients rate The Lime Tree Surgery?
In the 2026 GP Patient Survey, 73% of patients described their overall experience of The Lime Tree Surgery as good, against 77% across England. 54% found it easy to get through by phone.
How many patients are registered at The Lime Tree Surgery?
27,719 patients were registered in September 2026, down 1.1% on a year earlier.
What is The Lime Tree Surgery's CQC rating?
Good overall, published in November 2017.
How many GPs does The Lime Tree Surgery have?
12.3 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs (18 qualified GPs by headcount), which is 2,255 patients per GP against 2,171 across England.
Are appointments at The Lime Tree Surgery face to face?
51% of appointments from June 2026 to August 2026 were face to face, against 63% across England.
What is The Lime Tree Surgery's phone number?
01903 264101.