Best GP practices in Hitchin 2026
3 GP practices in Hitchin (North Hertfordshire, East of England), ranked by the Practice Grade. The grade weighs what patients say in the 2026 GP Patient Survey and how soon appointments take place. Practices with too few answers have no grade. Hitchin here is the built-up area the Office for National Statistics maps, and its practices are those with a postcode inside it.
The Portmill Surgery has the highest Practice Grade in Hitchin, 82.7 out of 100. Hitchin as a whole: 76.1, 1.1 points below the England average.
Updated with GP Patient Survey (2026 survey) and Appointments in General Practice (August 2026)
Compare the three best in Hitchin
GP practices in Hitchin
| Practice | Practice Grade | Response rate | Survey answers | Trend 2024–2026 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
1The Portmill SurgeryTop-rated in North Hertfordshire 2026 | 82.7 | 30.9% | 112 | |
74.9 | 30.8% | 103 | ||
70.7 | 26.9% | 115 |
The Practice Grade is on a scale of 0 to 100. The response rate and the number of survey answers show how large the base is: more answers give a surer grade. The trend column shows overall experience (the share of patients who describe the practice as good), 2024–2026, from the GP Patient Survey (question 32). It is the survey part of the Practice Grade, not the grade itself. Practices with fewer than 3 yearly results are shown without a curve.
Flu vaccination in Hertfordshire, winter 2025 to 2026
76.6% of patients aged 65 and over registered with GP practices in Hertfordshire had a flu vaccine between 1 September 2025 and 28 February 2026 (178,623 of 233,191). England: 74.5%.
UKHSA publishes flu vaccine uptake for counties and unitary authorities, not for districts. These figures are for Hertfordshire, the county that North Hertfordshire is in.
| Who | Hertfordshire | England |
|---|---|---|
| Aged 65 and over178,623 of 233,191 | 76.6% | 74.5% |
| Under 65 in a clinical risk group83,172 of 189,460 | 43.9% | 40.6% |
| Pregnant women5,349 of 13,729 | 39.0% | 38.4% |
| Children aged 26,282 of 12,920 | 48.6% | 43.5% |
| Children aged 36,903 of 13,944 | 49.5% | 44.8% |
The counts follow the GP practice, not where people live. They include vaccinations given in GP practices, pharmacies and other places that are recorded in the GP record. 99.3% of practices sent data. UKHSA says the number counted as pregnant may be too high, so uptake among pregnant women is probably understated.
This card shows flu only. We have not found local authority figures for last winter’s COVID-19 vaccination from UKHSA.
Source: UK Health Security Agency, Seasonal influenza vaccine uptake in GP patients: winter season 2025 to 2026 (final data, published 28 May 2026). Open Government Licence v3.0.
Appointments within two weeks in Hitchin, August 2026
81.6% of the 9,518 appointments at 3 practices in Hitchin took place within two weeks of booking. England: 87.7%.
Source: NHS England, Appointments in General Practice. This is the appointments half of the grade’s access part.
Talking therapies for the NHS area covering North Hertfordshire, August 2026
NHS Talking Therapies for North Hertfordshire are commissioned by more than one NHS area. Of the people who finished a course in August 2026, the share who started treatment within 6 weeks and within 18 weeks of referral is given for each below. The national standards are 75% and 95%.
North Hertfordshire is covered by more than one NHS area, both in NHS Central East ICB. NHS England publishes each separately and we do not combine them.
NHS Central East ICB, sub-ICB 06K, which covers about 87% of the area: 69% started within 6 weeks and 93% within 18 weeks (about 640 people finished a course in August 2026).
England: 83.4% started within 6 weeks and 97.5% within 18 weeks (51,269 people finished a course in August 2026).
These figures are for the NHS area that commissions the service, not for North Hertfordshire and not for any GP practice. Most people refer themselves, so they say nothing about the quality of a practice.
Only people who finished a course in the month are counted, so people still waiting are not. Counts are rounded to the nearest 5, rates to the nearest whole per cent, and NHS England hides numbers under 5. One month can move by several points.
Source: NHS England Digital, NHS Talking Therapies Monthly Statistics (August 2026, published 8 October 2026), Open Government Licence. Areas are matched to NHS areas with the Office for National Statistics lookup from neighbourhoods to sub-ICBs and local authorities (April 2026).
Cancer waiting times near North Hertfordshire
The 3 NHS trusts with a hospital nearest the middle of North Hertfordshire, nearest first, and how quickly people were diagnosed and treated in August 2026. Your GP can refer you elsewhere if you ask.
- East and North Hertfordshire Teaching NHS Trust – about 4 km away, told within 28 days: 66%, treated within 62 days of referral: 80%
- Bedfordshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust – about 19 km away, told within 28 days: 77%, treated within 62 days of referral: 61%
- The Princess Alexandra Hospital NHS Trust – about 30 km away, told within 28 days: 72%, treated within 62 days of referral: 61%
People referred urgently because cancer was suspected (by a GP, a dentist, a screening programme, or for breast symptoms) who were told within 28 days, four weeks, that they have cancer or that it has been ruled out. People with cancer who started their first treatment within 62 days, about two months, of an urgent referral. The clock starts when the hospital gets the referral (from a GP, screening, or a hospital doctor who suspects cancer) and stops when treatment such as surgery, drugs or radiotherapy begins.
Source: NHS England, Cancer Waiting Times (August 2026, published 8 October 2026), Open Government Licence. Distance from the middle of the area’s GP practices to the trust’s nearest hospital with an A&E department, or its head office.
NHS dentists in North Hertfordshire
18 NHS dental practices in North Hertfordshire hold an NHS contract (July 2026).
45.0% of adults living in North Hertfordshire saw an NHS dentist in the 2 years to June 2026 (48,869 people). England: 40.0%.
69.9% of children saw an NHS dentist in the year to June 2026 (20,114). England: 58.3%.
People are counted where they live, whichever NHS dentist they went to. Adults are counted over 2 years and children over 1, as the NHS counts them.
The 18 NHS dental practices in North Hertfordshire, with NHS patients seen
Source: NHS Business Services Authority, English Contractor Monthly General Dental Activity (July 2026, published 15 October 2026) and NHS Dental Statistics for England (to June 2026, published 8 October 2026); practice names and addresses from the NHS Organisation Data Service. NHSBSA Copyright 2026, Open Government Licence v3.0.
Maternity units near North Hertfordshire
The 3 hospital maternity units nearest the middle of North Hertfordshire, nearest first, with CQC’s rating of the maternity service. You can choose where to give birth: you do not have to use the nearest unit.
- Lister Hospital – about 4 km away, East and North Hertfordshire Teaching NHS Trust, CQC maternity rating: Requires improvement (3 November 2023)
- Luton and Dunstable Hospital – about 19 km away, Bedfordshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, CQC maternity rating: Inadequate (23 January 2026)
- Bedford Hospital – about 25 km away, Bedfordshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, CQC maternity rating: Inadequate (23 January 2026)
Each link goes to the trust’s maternity page: CQC’s ratings, what women said in CQC’s Maternity Survey and how babies were born there. Your options for where to give birth are on nhs.uk.
Source: CQC maternity ratings, Open Government Licence. Distance from the middle of the area’s GP practices to the hospital’s postcode.
NHS pharmacies in North Hertfordshire
24 NHS pharmacies are on NHS England’s pharmaceutical list in North Hertfordshire (30 September 2026).
In April to June 2026 these pharmacies dispensed 631,572 NHS items, and gave 2,722 Pharmacy First consultations and 8,122 New Medicine Service check-ins.
22 of 24 list Saturday opening and 6 list Sunday opening (pharmaceutical list, 30 September 2026).
Facts about size and services, not a grade: there is no patient survey for pharmacies.
The 24 NHS pharmacies in North Hertfordshire, with opening hours and services
Source: NHS Business Services Authority, Pharmacy and appliance contractor dispensing data (April to June 2026, published 24 September 2026) and NHS England’s Consolidated Pharmaceutical List (as at 30 September 2026); names, addresses and phone numbers from the NHS Organisation Data Service. Management information, not official statistics. NHSBSA Copyright 2026, Open Government Licence v3.0.
- Clearly above the England average
- Graded
- Not graded
Each practice is placed at the centre of its postcode, not at its building, so practices that share a postcode share a point. Click a point to see every practice there.
Within reach of Hitchin
15 GP practices within 10 km, the nearest 8 shown.
The highest Practice Grade within 10 km is Dr Ps Bath's Practice in Luton, 87.8, 9.8 km away.
- Bancroft Medical Centre
- Regal Chambers Surgery
- The Portmill Surgery
- The Symonds Green Health CentreStevenage
- Stanmore Medical GroupStevenage
- Lower Stondon SurgeryCentral Bedfordshire
- King George & Manor House SurgeriesStevenage
- The Baldock SurgeryNorth Hertfordshire
Distance as the crow flies from the middle of the practices in Hitchin. A practice in another area may still cover your address: check its boundary before you register.
Common questions
- Which GP practice in Hitchin has the highest grade?
- The Portmill Surgery has the highest Practice Grade in Hitchin, 82.7 out of 100. Practices next to each other in the list are often so close that another year's answers could swap them. How the grade works
- How many GP practices are there in Hitchin?
- 3 open GP practices that you can register with, 3 of them with a Practice Grade.
- How soon do practices in Hitchin see patients?
- In the latest month 81.6% of appointments at practices in Hitchin took place within two weeks of booking, against 87.7% in England.
- How do I change GP practice in Hitchin?
- It is free, and you do not have to tell your current practice. Most practices let you register online or in the NHS App. Guide: changing GP practice
About North Hertfordshire
Background
Background on North Hertfordshire as context for the practices above. Not part of the Practice Grade.
- Residents
- 137,201
- Aged 65 and over
- 20.0%
- Aged 80 and over
- 6.1%
Deprivation, income and life expectancy
| Measure | North Hertfordshire | England |
|---|---|---|
| Deprivation score (Index of Multiple Deprivation 2025)2025 | 11.3 | 21.8 |
| Children under 16 in relative low income families2024/25, likely range 10.1 to 11.2 | 10.6% | 19.8% |
| Life expectancy at birth, men2022 to 2024, likely range 80.9 to 82.0 | 81.5 years | 79.5 years |
| Life expectancy at birth, women2022 to 2024, likely range 83.7 to 84.8 | 84.3 years | 83.3 years |
Source: Office for Health Improvement and Disparities, Fingertips: residents and ages 2024 (Office for National Statistics), deprivation 2025 (Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government), children in low income families 2024/25 (Department for Work and Pensions), life expectancy 2022 to 2024 (Office for National Statistics). Open Government Licence v3.0.
Older people in North Hertfordshire
Background
Background on people aged 65 and over in North Hertfordshire, with England beside it. No figure here says an area is doing better or worse. Not part of the Practice Grade.
Hospital care and dementia
| Measure | North Hertfordshire | England |
|---|---|---|
| Emergency hospital admissions for falls, per 100,000 people aged 65 and over2024/25, age-standardised, likely range 2,074 to 2,414 | 2,239 | 1,958 |
| Hip fractures, per 100,000 people aged 65 and over2024/25, age-standardised, likely range 472 to 641 | 552 | 536 |
| Estimated dementia diagnosis rate, people aged 65 and over2026, as at 31 March, likely range 61.4 to 75.9 | 69.2% | 66.3% |
The hospital figures are age-standardised, so an older population does not raise them. Since 2022/23 some hospital trusts report same-day emergency care in another dataset, which can lower the admissions counted.
The dementia rate is the number of people with a recorded diagnosis out of the number estimated to have dementia. It is counted by where the practice is, not where patients live.
Care homes
| Measure | North Hertfordshire | England |
|---|---|---|
| Care home beds per 100 people aged 75 and over2025 | 9.9 | 8.3 |
Beds are counted where the home is, not where its residents come from, and people under 75 also live in care homes.
Life expectancy at 65
| Measure | North Hertfordshire | England |
|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy at 65, men2022 to 2024, likely range 19.5 to 20.3 | 19.9 years | 18.9 years |
| Life expectancy at 65, women2022 to 2024, likely range 21.5 to 22.2 | 21.8 years | 21.4 years |
Source: Office for Health Improvement and Disparities, Fingertips: hospital admissions 2024/25 (NHS England), dementia diagnosis 2026 (as at 31 March) (NHS England), care home beds 2025 (Care Quality Commission), life expectancy 2022 to 2024 (Office for National Statistics). Open Government Licence v3.0.
Other towns near Hitchin
Other NHS services in Hitchin
NHS England’s register lists these services as GP practices, but you cannot choose to register with them, so they are not in the list or on the map.
- Hertfordshire Special Allocation SchemeA special allocation scheme for East and North Hertfordshire: the NHS places patients here after they have been removed from a practice’s list because of a violent or threatening incident. It is not a GP practice you can choose to register with.
See also
- Help me choose in North Hertfordshire
- Every GP practice in North Hertfordshire
- Shortest wait for a GP appointment in North Hertfordshire
- Seeing the same GP in North Hertfordshire
- Changing GP practice in North Hertfordshire
- The best GP practices in England
- Choosing a GP practice
- Changing your GP practice
- Seeing the same GP
- All areas
Get an email when the grades for North Hertfordshire are updated
We email you once when we have read in new survey or access figures for this area, and at no other time. No newsletters and no adverts.
2026 GP Patient Survey: https://www.gp-patient.co.uk/
2024 GP Patient Survey: https://www.gp-patient.co.uk/
2025 GP Patient Survey: https://www.gp-patient.co.uk/
Contains information from NHS England, licenced under the current version of the Open Government Licence
Contains OS data © Crown copyright and database right 2026
Contains Royal Mail data © Royal Mail copyright and database right 2026
Source: Office for National Statistics licensed under the Open Government Licence v.3.0
Built-up areas and Census 2021 population: Office for National Statistics, licensed under the Open Government Licence v.3.0
Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Area figures: Office for Health Improvement and Disparities (Fingertips), from Office for National Statistics, Department for Work and Pensions, Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government, NHS England and Care Quality Commission data.
Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Flu vaccine uptake: UK Health Security Agency, Seasonal influenza vaccine uptake in GP patients (final data, winter season 2025 to 2026). Contains Office for National Statistics data (local authority lookup) licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
Contains information from NHS England, licenced under the current version of the Open Government Licence. NHS Talking Therapies monthly statistics. Contains Office for National Statistics data (LSOA to sub-ICB to ICB to local authority lookup) licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
Contains public sector information from NHS England licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0: Cancer Waiting Times, monthly statistics.
NHSBSA Copyright 2026. NHS Business Services Authority, English Contractor Monthly General Dental Activity, Open Government Licence v3.0.
NHSBSA Copyright 2026. NHS Business Services Authority, NHS Dental Statistics for England 2025/26 (patients seen by patient location), Open Government Licence v3.0.
Contains information from the Care Quality Commission, licensed under the Open Government Licence. CQC must be acknowledged as the source of the data; CQC is not responsible for our analysis.
NHSBSA Copyright 2026. NHS England, Consolidated Pharmaceutical List (published by NHS Business Services Authority), Open Government Licence v3.0.
NHSBSA Copyright 2026. NHS Business Services Authority, Pharmacy and appliance contractor dispensing data, Open Government Licence v3.0.
All sources and licences