REVEALED: The best and worst GP surgeries in Dorset

The annual GP Patient Survey asks residents about their opinion of practices, measuring their experiences on topics including the ease of making appointments, waiting times, the quality of care given, practice opening times and out-of-hours services. In total 11,152 Dorset residents completed the survey and Dorset scored an average satisfaction rating of 90 per cent, five per cent over the national average.

Two surgeries Charmouth Medical Practice and Cross Road Surgery received the highest patient satisfaction rating overall, with 100 per cent rating the practice to be good or better.

Meanwhile the six surgeries scoring 99 per cent were Yetminster Medical Centre, Milton Abbas Surgery, Bute House, Gillingham Medical Practice, Malthouse Meadows Surgery and Fordington Surgery.

The lowest ranked was The Wellbridge Practice, with 75 per cent.

A further 15 surgeries had satisfaction ratings below the national average of 85 per cent.

These were The Marine and Oakridge Partnership, Longfleet House Surgery, Holdenhurst Road Surgery, Blackmore Vale Partnership, Northbourne Surgery, Lilliput Surgery, The Orchard Surgery, Madeira Medical Centre, West Moors Group Practice, Heatherview Medical Centre, Herbert Avenue, Burton and Bransgore Medical Centre, Providence Surgery, Royal Manor Health Care and The Banks and Bearwood Medical Centre.

A total of 82 per cent of residents said their overall experience of making an appointment was good with Royal Manor Health Care scoring the lowest in this category with 60 per cent.

Meanwhile 90 per cent of people said they successful in getting an appointment the last time they wanted one.

The Banks and Bearwood Medical Centre scored lowest in this category with 77 per cent of patients managing to get an appointment.

In other feedback 29 per cent of people said they have waited too long to be seen at their GP.

Patients at Heatherview Medical Centre and Farmhouse Surgery had the longest waiting times according to patients, with 60 per cent saying their appointment was delayed for too long compared to Cross Road Surgery, where just eight per cent of those surveyed felt they had to wait too long.

The survey also measured how easy it was to get through on the phone at practices.

The lowest performing with 52 per cent of patients saying it was ‘easy’ to get through to someone on the phone was Royal Manor Health Care followed by The Orchard Surgery with 54 per cent and The Marine and Oakridge Partnership with 57 per cent of patients finding it easy. The best performing with 99 per cent of patients finding it easy to get through to someone on the phone was Malthouse Meadows Surgery.

Patients also rated receptionists on their ‘helpfulness.’

The Apples Medical Centre, Eagle House Surgery, Malthouse Meadows Surgery, Corfe Castle Surgery and Puddletown Surgery had the most helpful receptionists according to 99 per cent of patients.

Herbert Avenue surgery was the worst performing in this category with 67 per cent of patients rating the receptionists there. This was followed by Lilliput Surgery with 74 per cent and Heatherview Medical Centre with 76 per cent of patients saying the receptionists are helpful.

The number of people satisfied with their GP’s opening hours varied with the lowest of 63 per cent of patients satisfied with Poole Road Medical Centre but 99 per cent at Puddletown Surgery.

In total, 97 per cent of patients said they trusted their GP and 98 per cent had faith in their practice nurses.

An NHS Dorset CCG spokesman said: "It’s fantastic to see that Dorset’s GP practices have been rated above the national average across the board, and that 90 per cent of patients described their overall experience as good.

“This is a great demonstration of the hard work our primary care teams and patient engagement groups put in to making a trip to the GP a positive experience from start to finish.

“The data we’ve gathered from this survey will help us continue to improve patient experience and identify areas where more work is needed in the future.”

The overall patient satisfaction ratings for Dorset GP practices were:

1. Charmouth Medical Practice – 100 per cent

2. Cross Road Surgery – 100 per cent

3. Fordington Surgery – 99 per cent

4. Malthouse Meadows Surgery – 99 per cent

5. Gillingham Medical Practice – 99 per cent

6. Bute House – 99 per cent

7. Milton Abbas Surgery – 99 per cent

8. Yetminster Medical Centre – 99 per cent

9. Puddletown Surgery – 98 per cent

10. Corfe Castle Surgery – 98 per cent

11. Leybourne Surgery – 98 per cent

12. Southbourne Practice – 98 per cent

13. Wessex Road Surgery – 98 per cent

14. Eagle House Surgery – 98 per cent

15. The Apples Medical Centre – 98 per cent

16. Parkstone Health Centre – 98 per cent

17. Lyme Bay Medical Practice – 97 per cent

18. Littledown Surgery – 97 per cent

19. Wyke Regis Medical Practice - 97 per cent

20. Village Surgery - 97 per cent

21. Royal Crescent Surgery – 97 per cent

22. Queens Avenue Surgery - 97 per cent

23. Dr Newman – 96 per cent

24. The Lanehouse Surgery – 96 per cent

25. Evergreen Oak Surgery – 96 per cent

26. Barton House Medical Practice – 96 per cent

27. Newland Surgery – 96 per cent

28. Beaufort Road Surgery – 96 per cent

29. Sandford Surgery – 95 per cent

30. Denmark Road Medical Centre – 95 per cent

31. Poole Town Surgery – 95 per cent

32. Carlisle House Surgery – 95 per cent

33. The Hadleigh Practice – 95 per cent

34. Canford Heath Group Practice – 95 per cent

35. Grove Surgery – 94 per cent

36. The Barcellos Family Practice – 94 per cent

37. Stour Surgery – 94 per cent

38. Cerne Abbas Surgery – 94 per cent

39. Stalbridge Surgery – 94 per cent

40. Wareham Surgery – 94 per cent

41. The Old Dispensary – 93 per cent

42. James Fisher Medical Centre – 93 per cent

43. Quarterjack Surgery – 93 per cent

44. Crescent Surgery – 92 per cent

45. The Dorchester Road Surgery – 92 per cent

46. The Tollerford Practice – 92 per cent

47. The Rosemary Health Centre – 92 per cent

48. The Verwood Surgery – 92 per cent

49. Westbourne Medical Centre – 92 per cent

50. The Adam Practice – 92 per cent

51. Boscombe Manor Medical Centre - 91 per cent

52. Poundbury Doctors Surgery - 91 per cent

53. The Cranborne Practice - 91 per cent

54. Farmhouse Surgery - 91 per cent

55. Moordown Medical Centre - 91 per cent

56. Shelley Manor Holdenhurst Medical Centre - 91 per cent

57. Bere Regis Surgery - 91 per cent

58. The Prince of Wales Surgery - 90 per cent

59. The Birchwood Practice - 90 per cent

60. Penny’s Hill Practice - 90 per cent

61. The Harvey Practice - 90 per cent

62. Swanage Medical Practice - 90 per cent

63. Alma Partnership - 90 per cent

64. Lyme Regis Medical Centre - 89 per cent

65. Durdells Avenue Surgery - 89 per cent

66. Kinson Road Medical Centre - 89 per cent

67. Whitecliff Group Practice - 89 per cent

68. St Albans Medical Centre - 88 per cent

69. Orchid House Surgery - 88 per cent

70. Woodlea House Surgery - 87 per cent

71. The Bridges Medical Centre - 87 per cent

72. The Barn Surgery - 87 per cent

73. The Panton Practice - 86 per cent

74. Atrium Health Centre - 86 per cent

75. Abbotsbury Road Surgery - 86 per cent

76. Bridport Medical Centre - 86 per cent

77. Walford Mill Medical Centre - 85 per cent

78. Talbot Medical Centre - 85 per cent

79. Highcliffe Medical Centre - 85 per cent

80. Poole Road Medical Centre – 85 per cent

81. The Banks and Bearwood Medical Centre – 84 per cent

82. Royal Manor Health Care – 84 per cent

83. Providence Surgery – 83 per cent

84. Burton and Bransgore Medical Centre – 83 per cent

85. Herbert Avenue – 82 per cent

86. Heatherview Medical Centre – 82 per cent

87. West Moors Group Practice – 82 per cent

88. Madeira Medical Centre – 79 per cent

89. The Orchard Surgery – 79 per cent

90. Lilliput Surgery – 79 per cent

91. Northbourne Surgery – 79 per cent

92. Blackmore Vale Partnership – 78 per cent

93. Holdenhurst Road Surgery – 78 per cent

94. Longfleet House Surgery – 77 per cent

95. The Marine and Oakridge Partnership – 76 per cent

96. The Wellbridge Practice – 75 per cent