Birchington Medical Centre, Birchington: patient reviews and CQC rating
Birchington Medical Centre is a GP practice in Birchington with 12,716 registered patients (September 2026). In the 2026 GP Patient Survey, 71% of its patients described their overall experience as good, against 77% across England (Kent and Medway: 73%). The Care Quality Commission rates it Good overall, in a report published in September 2021. It has 4.5 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs, or 2,815 patients per GP.
Latest data: September 2026. Patient survey 2026; registered patients September 2026; appointments to August 2026.
What patients say about Birchington Medical Centre
Its best result against England is the share who said their needs were met at their last appointment: 95%, against 90% across England. Its weakest is the share who described their last contact with the practice as good: 59%, below the England figure of 73%. Of the 11 results in the table, 0 are above England and 1 below by more than the survey's margin of error, and 10 within it.
48% found it easy to get through by phone (England: 57%). The overall experience result is 1 point higher than in 2025 (70%). 112 patients answered the survey (response rate 38%).
| Survey question | Birchington Medical Centre | Kent and Medway | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overall experience good | 71% | 73% | 77% |
| Easy to contact by phone | 48% | 48% | 57% |
| Easy to contact via the website | 54% | 52% | 58% |
| Easy to contact via the NHS App | 57% | 50% | 54% |
| Reception team helpful | 79% | 82% | 85% |
| Last contact good | 59% | 67% | 73% |
| Wait for appointment about right | 65% | 65% | 69% |
| Listened to well | 84% | 85% | 87% |
| Treated with care and concern | 87% | 84% | 86% |
| Confidence and trust in the clinician | 91% | 91% | 93% |
| Needs met | 95% | 89% | 90% |
In the Friends and Family Test for July 2026, 91% of 100 responses rated the practice good or very good (England: 92%).
CQC's overall rating for Birchington Medical Centre is Good, published in September 2021. All 5 key questions are rated Good. Its previous overall rating was Requires Improvement (June 2019).
| Key question | Rating |
|---|---|
| Safe | Good |
| Well-led | Good |
| Caring | Good |
| Responsive | Good |
| Effective | Good |
12,716 patients were registered at Birchington Medical Centre in September 2026, down 0.6% on a year earlier (England: down 1.1%).
37% of its patients are aged 65 or over, against 19% across England. With 4.5 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs, there are 2,815 patients per GP, more than the England figure of 2,171 and Kent and Medway's 2,419. The practice also has 6.7 nurses and 9.6 other clinical staff such as pharmacists and physiotherapists (full-time equivalent).
| Year | Qualified GPs (FTE) | All GPs incl. trainees (FTE) |
|---|---|---|
| August 2023 | 1.0 | 1.0 |
| August 2024 | 1.1 | 2.2 |
| August 2025 | 3.0 | 3.0 |
| August 2026 | 4.5 | 5.6 |
From June 2026 to August 2026 the practice recorded 7,955 appointments a month, or 626 per 1,000 registered patients (England: 510). 69% were face to face (England: 63%). 33% took place on the day they were booked and 10% more than 28 days after booking (England: 45% and 5%).
35% were with a GP rather than another member of the practice team. 5% of booked patients did not attend.
| Measure | Birchington Medical Centre | Kent and Medway | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Appointments per 1,000 patients a month | 626 | 457 | 510 |
| Face to face | 69% | 62% | 63% |
| Same day as booked | 33% | 41% | 45% |
| More than 28 days after booking | 10% | 7% | 5% |
| Did not attend | 5% | 5% | 4% |
Compared with England, the practice has a higher share of patients on its registers for atrial fibrillation (5.0% against 2.2%), COPD (4.1% against 1.9%) and peripheral arterial disease (1.1% against 0.6%). The practice's patients live in areas with an average deprivation score of 25.3 (England: 21.8; higher is more deprived). Life expectancy for its patients' neighbourhoods is 84.4 years for women and 79.5 for men (England: 83.0 and 79.1).
| Condition register | Age group | Practice (2024/25) | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| High blood pressure | All ages | 24.5% | 15.2% |
| Depression | 18+ yrs | 20.8% | 14.3% |
| Diabetes | 17+ yrs | 11.0% | 7.9% |
| Cancer | All ages | 7.4% | 3.8% |
| Asthma | 6+ yrs | 7.0% | 6.6% |
| Chronic kidney disease | 18+ yrs | 6.7% | 4.6% |
| Atrial fibrillation | All ages | 5.0% | 2.2% |
| Coronary heart disease | All ages | 4.9% | 3.0% |
| COPD | All ages | 4.1% | 1.9% |
| Stroke and TIA | All ages | 3.6% | 1.9% |
| Heart failure | All ages | 2.0% | 1.1% |
| Dementia | All ages | 1.3% | 0.8% |
| Rheumatoid arthritis | 16+ yrs | 1.3% | 0.8% |
| Peripheral arterial disease | All ages | 1.1% | 0.6% |
| Epilepsy | 18+ yrs | 1.1% | 0.8% |
| Serious mental illness | All ages | 1.1% | 1.0% |
| Palliative care | All ages | 1.1% | 0.6% |
| Learning disability | All ages | 1.0% | 0.6% |
| Osteoporosis | 50+ yrs | 0.8% | 1.2% |
| Screening coverage | Period | Practice | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bowel cancer screening (aged 60 to 74) | 2024/25 | 74.0% | 72.9% |
| Breast cancer screening (women aged 53 to 70) | 2024/25 | 74.7% | 72.2% |
| Cervical screening (women aged 25 to 49) | 2023/24 | 76.2% | 67.5% |
| Cervical screening (women aged 50 to 64) | 2023/24 | 76.1% | 74.9% |
Birchington Medical Centre, Minnis Road, Birchington, CT7 9HQ. Phone: 01843 848818. Website: www.birchingtonmc.nhs.net.
| Nearby practice | Distance | Overall experience good |
|---|---|---|
| Westgate Surgery | 2.9 km | 91% |
| Minster Surgery | 4.8 km | 77% |
| The Limes Medical Centre | 6.3 km | 72% |
| Northdown and Dashwood Surgery | 7.6 km | 75% |
| St Peters Surgery | 7.8 km | 70% |
- East Cliff Medical Practice (87% overall experience good)
- Newington Road Surgery Limited (64% overall experience good)
- St Peters Surgery (70% overall experience good)
- Summerhill Surgery (63% overall experience good)
- The Grange Practice (55% overall experience good)
How do patients rate Birchington Medical Centre?
In the 2026 GP Patient Survey, 71% of patients described their overall experience of Birchington Medical Centre as good, against 77% across England. 48% found it easy to get through by phone.
How many patients are registered at Birchington Medical Centre?
12,716 patients were registered in September 2026, down 0.6% on a year earlier.
What is Birchington Medical Centre's CQC rating?
Good overall, published in September 2021.
How many GPs does Birchington Medical Centre have?
4.5 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs (7 qualified GPs by headcount), which is 2,815 patients per GP against 2,171 across England.
Are appointments at Birchington Medical Centre face to face?
69% of appointments from June 2026 to August 2026 were face to face, against 63% across England.
What is Birchington Medical Centre's phone number?
01843 848818.