Saffron Health Partnership, Biggleswade: patient reviews and CQC rating
Saffron Health Partnership is a GP practice in Biggleswade with 21,683 registered patients (September 2026). In the 2026 GP Patient Survey, 60% of its patients described their overall experience as good, below the England figure of 77% (Central East: 75%). The Care Quality Commission rates it Good overall, in a report published in October 2016. It has 8.5 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs, or 2,561 patients per GP.
Latest data: September 2026. Patient survey 2026; registered patients September 2026; appointments to August 2026.
What patients say about Saffron Health Partnership
Its result closest to England is the share who said the healthcare professional was good at listening to them: 84%, against 87% across England. Its weakest is the share who found it easy to get through to the practice by phone: 25%, below the England figure of 57%. Of the 11 results in the table, 0 are above England and 7 below by more than the survey's margin of error, and 4 within it.
25% found it easy to get through by phone (England: 57%). The overall experience result is 24 points higher than in 2025 (36%). 117 patients answered the survey (response rate 35%).
| Survey question | Saffron Health Partnership | Central East | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overall experience good | 60% | 75% | 77% |
| Easy to contact by phone | 25% | 52% | 57% |
| Easy to contact via the website | 50% | 60% | 58% |
| Easy to contact via the NHS App | 31% | 52% | 54% |
| Reception team helpful | 77% | 83% | 85% |
| Last contact good | 56% | 71% | 73% |
| Wait for appointment about right | 63% | 69% | 69% |
| Listened to well | 84% | 86% | 87% |
| Treated with care and concern | 80% | 85% | 86% |
| Confidence and trust in the clinician | 86% | 92% | 93% |
| Needs met | 83% | 89% | 90% |
In the Friends and Family Test for July 2026, 89% of 119 responses rated the practice good or very good (England: 92%).
CQC's overall rating for Saffron Health Partnership is Good, published in October 2016. All 5 key questions are rated Good.
| Key question | Rating |
|---|---|
| Safe | Good |
| Well-led | Good |
| Caring | Good |
| Responsive | Good |
| Effective | Good |
21,683 patients were registered at Saffron Health Partnership in September 2026, almost the same as a year earlier.
20% of its patients are aged 65 or over, against 19% across England. With 8.5 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs, there are 2,561 patients per GP, more than the England figure of 2,171 and Central East's 2,348. The practice also has 4.9 nurses and 6.3 other clinical staff such as pharmacists and physiotherapists (full-time equivalent).
| Year | Qualified GPs (FTE) | All GPs incl. trainees (FTE) |
|---|---|---|
| August 2023 | 8.4 | 12.7 |
| August 2024 | 7.7 | 10.9 |
| August 2025 | 7.7 | 13.9 |
| August 2026 | 8.5 | 11.7 |
From June 2026 to August 2026 the practice recorded 7,681 appointments a month, or 354 per 1,000 registered patients (England: 510). 81% were face to face (England: 63%). 40% took place on the day they were booked and 8% more than 28 days after booking (England: 45% and 5%).
38% were with a GP rather than another member of the practice team. 6% of booked patients did not attend.
| Measure | Saffron Health Partnership | Central East | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Appointments per 1,000 patients a month | 354 | 521 | 510 |
| Face to face | 81% | 62% | 63% |
| Same day as booked | 40% | 48% | 45% |
| More than 28 days after booking | 8% | 6% | 5% |
| Did not attend | 6% | 4% | 4% |
Compared with England, the practice has a higher share of patients on its registers for osteoporosis (2.0% against 1.2%) and cancer (4.8% against 3.8%). It has a lower share for palliative or supportive care needs (0.4% against 0.6%). The practice's patients live in areas with an average deprivation score of 14.7 (England: 21.8; higher is more deprived).
Life expectancy for its patients' neighbourhoods is 83.1 years for women and 79.7 for men (England: 83.0 and 79.1).
| Condition register | Age group | Practice (2024/25) | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| High blood pressure | All ages | 15.6% | 15.2% |
| Depression | 18+ yrs | 13.0% | 14.3% |
| Diabetes | 17+ yrs | 8.3% | 7.9% |
| Asthma | 6+ yrs | 7.3% | 6.6% |
| Cancer | All ages | 4.8% | 3.8% |
| Chronic kidney disease | 18+ yrs | 4.6% | 4.6% |
| Coronary heart disease | All ages | 3.1% | 3.0% |
| Atrial fibrillation | All ages | 2.5% | 2.2% |
| Osteoporosis | 50+ yrs | 2.0% | 1.2% |
| COPD | All ages | 1.9% | 1.9% |
| Stroke and TIA | All ages | 1.8% | 1.9% |
| Heart failure | All ages | 1.0% | 1.1% |
| Serious mental illness | All ages | 0.9% | 1.0% |
| Rheumatoid arthritis | 16+ yrs | 0.9% | 0.8% |
| Dementia | All ages | 0.8% | 0.8% |
| Epilepsy | 18+ yrs | 0.8% | 0.8% |
| Learning disability | All ages | 0.5% | 0.6% |
| Peripheral arterial disease | All ages | 0.5% | 0.6% |
| Palliative care | All ages | 0.4% | 0.6% |
| Screening coverage | Period | Practice | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bowel cancer screening (aged 60 to 74) | 2024/25 | 78.6% | 72.9% |
| Breast cancer screening (women aged 53 to 70) | 2024/25 | 79.8% | 72.2% |
| Cervical screening (women aged 25 to 49) | 2023/24 | 74.9% | 67.5% |
| Cervical screening (women aged 50 to 64) | 2023/24 | 79.2% | 74.9% |
Saffron Health Partnership, Biggleswade Health Centre, Saffron Road, Biggleswade, SG18 8DJ. Phone: 01767 604772. Website: www.saffronhealthpartnership.nhs.uk.
| Nearby practice | Distance | Overall experience good |
|---|---|---|
| Ivel Medical Centre | 0.6 km | 53% |
| Sandy Health Centre Medical Practice | 5.3 km | 65% |
| Greensands Medical Practice | 6.0 km | 77% |
| Dr Baxter and Partners | 6.7 km | 72% |
| Larksfield Surgery Medical Partnership | 7.7 km | 67% |
- Greensands Medical Practice (77% overall experience good)
- Sandy Health Centre Medical Practice (65% overall experience good)
How do patients rate Saffron Health Partnership?
In the 2026 GP Patient Survey, 60% of patients described their overall experience of Saffron Health Partnership as good, below the England figure of 77%. 25% found it easy to get through by phone.
How many patients are registered at Saffron Health Partnership?
21,683 patients were registered in September 2026, down 0.3% on a year earlier.
What is Saffron Health Partnership's CQC rating?
Good overall, published in October 2016.
How many GPs does Saffron Health Partnership have?
8.5 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs (9 qualified GPs by headcount), which is 2,561 patients per GP against 2,171 across England.
Are appointments at Saffron Health Partnership face to face?
81% of appointments from June 2026 to August 2026 were face to face, against 63% across England.
What is Saffron Health Partnership's phone number?
01767 604772.