The Downland Practice

What The Downland Practice does

The Downland Practice is an NHS General Medical Services (GMS) GP surgery operating two sites in West Berkshire, England — a main surgery at East Lane, Chieveley (open Monday–Friday 8am–6:30pm) and a branch surgery at High Street, Compton (Monday–Friday 8am–midday). It serves an established patient list of more than 11,000 registered residents drawn from the surrounding rural catchment area and delivers the standard NHS primary care bundle: same-day urgent and pre-bookable GP appointments, chronic disease management, nurse-led clinics, cervical screening, minor surgery, spirometry, NHS vaccinations (Flu, COVID-19, childhood immunisations), maternity coordination, mental-health referrals, and sick (fit) notes. The practice additionally runs an on-site dispensary/pharmacy at Chieveley and supports community-based care through home visits, a Social Prescriber link worker, and a Clinical Pharmacist medication-review service, with two GP Registrars in training under its training-practice designation.

Technology is built entirely around the NHS national stack rather than proprietary platforms. The clinical system is EMIS Web or SystmOne (NHS-standard primary care EPR), with patient-facing access delivered through the NHS App (NHS Login enabled from 2023), the Patient Access portal, an in-house online-forms service for sick notes, prescriptions, admin queries and feedback launched in 2023, an automated SMS reminder/communication channel, and a practice website hosted on Silicon Practice (WCAG 2.2 AA compliant, tested 02/09/2025). Diagnostic integration is limited to referral into West Berkshire Community Hospital's online blood-test booking system and standard NHS e-referral pathways. There is no bespoke software product, no AI tooling, and no direct integration with analytics or automation beyond Google Analytics for website usage.

The revenue model is dominated by the NHS England GMS contract, which is essentially a capitated, recurring per-patient payment supplemented by Quality and Outcomes Framework (QOF) achievement payments and enhanced-service fees. Secondary revenue is generated from the Chieveley dispensary via NHS prescription dispensing margins, and from a schedule of private / non-NHS work (insurance medicals, DVLA forms, holiday-cancellation letters, HGV medicals, etc.). The customer base is split into persona segments — general registered patients, unpaid carers, expectant and new mothers, and elderly patients with dementia/care needs — but economically the entire operation is exposed to a single public-payer counterparty (NHS England via BOB ICB), with no commercial pricing power and no ability to differentiate on price within NHS-funded services.

Name

The Downland Practice

Legal name

The Downland Practice

Website

https://downlandpractice.nhs.uk

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

NHS GP surgery serving more than 11,000 registered patients across two sites in Chieveley and Compton, West Berkshire. Delivers comprehensive primary care — consultations, prescriptions, vaccinations, chronic disease management, and on-site dispensing — funded primarily through NHS England's GMS contract with supplementary private fees.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Primary Care / NHS General Practice

NAICS

Offices of Physicians (6211), Offices of Physicians (except Mental Health Specialists) (621111)

SIC

Services-Offices & Clinics Of Doctors Of Medicine (8011)

akta.pro primary industry

Retail & Walk-In Primary Care Clinics (HLAFAGAC)

Keywords

• Primary care services
• NHS GP surgery
• General practice
• Family medicine
• Community healthcare

Headquarters

HQ city

Chieveley, Newbury

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. NHS Core Funding: Core funding from NHS England through the General Medical Services (GMS) contract for providing essential primary care services to registered patients. Includes quality and outcomes framework (QOF) payments.
2. Prescription Dispensing: Dispensing fees for prescribing and dispensing medications to registered patients, particularly at the Chieveley Pharmacy/Dispensary location.
3. Private/Non-NHS Services: Fee-charging services not covered by NHS including medical reports for insurance, DVLA forms, holiday cancellation forms, private medical reports, HGV licences. Fee schedule available in private fees PDF document.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

The Downland Practice is an NHS-commissioned GP surgery delivering primary healthcare services directly to a registered patient population of over 11,000 people across West Berkshire. It provides urgent and routine GP appointments, prescription management, vaccinations, chronic disease management, minor surgery, maternity and mental health referrals, and diagnostic testing (blood tests, spirometry), supported by an in-house dispensary/pharmacy and digital access via the NHS App and Patient Access.

Product overview

The Downland Practice is an NHS GP Surgery offering a comprehensive range of primary healthcare services across two locations (Chieveley and Compton). The practice provides core clinical services including GP appointments (urgent and routine), vaccinations (flu and COVID-19), prescriptions management, diagnostic testing (blood tests, spirometry), minor surgery, and maternity care. Digital services include online forms, NHS App integration, Patient Access portal, and text messaging. The practice also connects patients to wellbeing services including mental health support, stop smoking services, weight management, and carer support through partnerships with local and national healthcare providers.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• GP Appointments
• Prescription Management
• Test Results Service
• Sick (Fit) Notes
• Vaccinations
• Wellbeing Services Directory
• Spirometry Testing
• Nomad Medication Compliance Trays
• Text Message Service
• Patient Transport Services
• Minor Surgery
• Maternity Services
• Mental Health Referrals
• Home Visits
• Register as a Carer
• Register with the Surgery
• Private / Non-NHS Medical Reports and Forms

Quantifiable outcome

• GP earnings averaging £102,380 for 10 part-time GPs in 2024/25
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration8 records

Feature4 records

Partnerships

13 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Buckinghamshire, Oxfordshire & Berkshire West Integrated Care System (BOB ICS)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe practice is part of the BOB ICS which joins up health and care services across the region, improves people's health and wellbeing, ensures equal access to services, and oversees NHS funding and quality standards. The ICS brings together health and care organisations including NHS trusts, local authorities, and primary care networks.
• West Berkshire Rural Primary Care NetworkcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPractice is part of the West Berkshire Rural PCN which clusters neighbouring GP practices to provide wider range of health and wellbeing services tailored to local area needs. Berkshire West has 17 PCNs representing 43 GP practices.
• Silicon PracticecoreTechnology or IntegrationSilicon Practice is the website provider and data processor for The Downland Practice. They provide and maintain the practice website and have a data processing agreement with the practice. They handle accessibility compliance (WCAG 2.2 AA) and technical support for the website.
• West Berkshire Community HospitalcoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerReferral destination for blood tests (phlebotomy), physiotherapy, and various hospital-based services. The practice refers patients to West Berkshire Community Hospital for services including physiotherapy MSK, blood testing, and minor injuries treatment.
• Berkshire Talking TherapiesminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerNHS talking therapies service for anxiety, depression, stress, and phobias. Patients can self-refer or be referred by the GP. Part of Berkshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust.
• Berkshire Healthcare NHS Foundation TrustcoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerProvider of community health services including health visitors, community (district) nurses, community matrons, talking therapies, and sexual health services. The practice works with their attached staff (health visitors, community nurses) who are employed by this trust.
• South Central Ambulance Service (SCAS)minorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerSCAS operates the non-emergency patient transport service (PTS) in Berkshire, Buckinghamshire, Hampshire and Oxfordshire for patients unable to use public transport due to medical conditions.
• The Downland Volunteer GroupminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorLocal volunteer organization providing private car transport for doctors' appointments, hospital visits, and other medical appointments. Serves patients needing transport to local doctors' surgeries and hospitals in Newbury, Reading, Oxford, Basingstoke, and Swindon. Operates Monday-Friday 9:30-11:30.
• Chieveley Pharmacy/DispensarycoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerOn-site pharmacy and dispensary at Chieveley Surgery location. Dispenses NHS prescriptions and provides pharmaceutical advice. Open 8:30am-1pm and 2pm-6:30pm weekdays. Part of the practice's integrated medication management service.
• NHS EnglandcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPrimary commissioning body providing the GMS contract for essential NHS GP services. Operates national frameworks for GP contracts, GP2GP transfers, Summary Care Records, and NHS App integration.
• NHS 111coreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerNHS 111 service for urgent medical help when the practice is closed. Patients are directed to call 111 for non-emergency urgent care advice and to determine if A&E or other services are needed.
• Westcall Out of Hours GP ServiceminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerOut of hours GP service provided by Berkshire Healthcare for urgent treatment when the practice is closed. Accessed via NHS 111 or direct contact for emergency care needs.
• Care Quality Commission (CQC)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerIndependent regulator of health and social care in England. Inspects the practice against essential standards of quality and safety. The practice is registered with CQC (location ID: 1-547838123) and subject to regular inspections.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Practice Plus Group: Provider of NHS primary care, urgent care, and secondary care services including GP practices and minor injury units. Comparable as an NHS-commissioned primary care operator with broader service portfolio.
• One Medical (Amazon): US tech-enabled primary care provider acquired by Amazon in 2023. Comparable in the sense of subscription/membership-based primary care with strong digital patient access, though operates in a fundamentally different US payer environment.
• HCRG Care Group (formerly Virgin Care): Large private-sector provider of NHS and local authority health services across England. Comparable as a commissioned NHS services provider but with a broader portfolio spanning community health, urgent care, and primary care.
• Oak Street Health (CVS Health): US value-based primary care provider for Medicare patients, owned by CVS Health. Comparable as an at-scale primary care operator with embedded multidisciplinary teams (Clinical Pharmacists, Social Prescribers similar to Downland's setup), though operating under US capitation rather than NHS GMS.
• Bupa Health Clinics: Private primary care provider in the UK offering private GP services, health assessments, and specialty consultations. Comparable as a UK primary care provider but operating on a fee-paying model rather than NHS commissioning.

Direct peers

• The Hurley Group: London-based GP partnership operating multiple NHS GP practices and urgent care services. Comparable as an NHS-commissioned multi-site GP provider with similar contractual and operational characteristics.
• AT Medics: NHS GP provider operating numerous practices across London under APMS contracts. Directly comparable as a multi-site NHS primary care operator, though focused on urban London rather than rural Berkshire.
• Modality Partnership: Large NHS GP federation operating across multiple sites in England with shared back-office and multi-disciplinary teams. Directly comparable as an at-scale primary care provider model, contrasting with The Downland Practice's standalone structure.
• Operose Health (formerly The Practice Group): NHS GP services provider operating practices across England, now owned by HCA Healthcare UK (acquired from The Practice Group). Comparable as a corporate NHS primary care operator with multiple sites, although at much larger scale than Downland.

Others

• accuRx: UK health tech company providing patient communication and online consultation tools widely used by NHS GP practices. Comparable as an adjacent digital infrastructure provider supporting the kind of NHS App/online forms workflows Downland has deployed.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/profile.php
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/the-downland-practice

Compliance5 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles24 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about The Downland Practice