The Castle Practice, Birmingham: patient reviews and CQC rating
The Castle Practice is a GP practice in Birmingham with 10,537 registered patients (September 2026). In the 2026 GP Patient Survey, 74% of its patients described their overall experience as good, against 77% across England (Birmingham and Solihull: 73%). The Care Quality Commission rates it Good overall, in a report published in June 2016. It has 4.6 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs, or 2,311 patients per GP.
Latest data: September 2026. Patient survey 2026; registered patients September 2026; appointments to August 2026.
What patients say about The Castle Practice
Its best result against England is the share who said the wait for their last appointment was about right: 79%, against 69% across England. Its weakest is the share who found it easy to contact the practice through its website: 45%, against 58% across England. With 99 responses, none of its 11 results differs from England by more than the survey's margin of error.
On overall experience it is 100th of the 171 practices in Birmingham with 50 or more responses. 48% found it easy to get through by phone (England: 57%). The overall experience result is 4 points lower than in 2025 (78%). 99 patients answered the survey (response rate 27%).
| Survey question | The Castle Practice | Birmingham and Solihull | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overall experience good | 74% | 73% | 77% |
| Easy to contact by phone | 48% | 51% | 57% |
| Easy to contact via the website | 45% | 51% | 58% |
| Easy to contact via the NHS App | 50% | 51% | 54% |
| Reception team helpful | 90% | 81% | 85% |
| Last contact good | 70% | 68% | 73% |
| Wait for appointment about right | 79% | 68% | 69% |
| Listened to well | 82% | 84% | 87% |
| Treated with care and concern | 82% | 84% | 86% |
| Confidence and trust in the clinician | 92% | 92% | 93% |
| Needs met | 87% | 89% | 90% |
In the Friends and Family Test for July 2026, 90% of 51 responses rated the practice good or very good (England: 92%).
CQC's overall rating for The Castle Practice is Good, published in June 2016. All 5 key questions are rated Good.
| Key question | Rating |
|---|---|
| Safe | Good |
| Well-led | Good |
| Caring | Good |
| Responsive | Good |
| Effective | Good |
10,537 patients were registered at The Castle Practice in September 2026, down 1.0% on a year earlier (England: down 1.1%).
21% of its patients are aged 65 or over, against 19% across England. With 4.6 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs, there are 2,311 patients per GP, close to the England figure of 2,171 and Birmingham and Solihull's 1,990. The practice also has 1.3 nurses and 2.3 other clinical staff such as pharmacists and physiotherapists (full-time equivalent).
| Year | Qualified GPs (FTE) | All GPs incl. trainees (FTE) |
|---|---|---|
| August 2023 | 5.8 | 6.4 |
| August 2024 | 6.2 | 6.2 |
| August 2025 | 4.6 | 6.5 |
| August 2026 | 4.6 | 6.7 |
From June 2026 to August 2026 the practice recorded 7,544 appointments a month, or 716 per 1,000 registered patients (England: 510). 44% were face to face (England: 63%). 68% took place on the day they were booked and 6% more than 28 days after booking (England: 45% and 5%).
72% were with a GP rather than another member of the practice team. 3% of booked patients did not attend.
| Measure | The Castle Practice | Birmingham and Solihull | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Appointments per 1,000 patients a month | 716 | 532 | 510 |
| Face to face | 44% | 62% | 63% |
| Same day as booked | 68% | 50% | 45% |
| More than 28 days after booking | 6% | 3% | 5% |
| Did not attend | 3% | 6% | 4% |
Compared with England, the practice has a higher share of patients on its registers for chronic kidney disease (9.5% against 4.6%), COPD (2.5% against 1.9%) and high blood pressure (19.9% against 15.2%). It has a lower share for osteoporosis (0.4% against 1.2%). The practice's patients live in areas with an average deprivation score of 30.1 (England: 21.8; higher is more deprived).
Life expectancy for its patients' neighbourhoods is 83.0 years for women and 78.4 for men (England: 83.0 and 79.1).
| Condition register | Age group | Practice (2024/25) | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| High blood pressure | All ages | 19.9% | 15.2% |
| Depression | 18+ yrs | 15.7% | 14.3% |
| Diabetes | 17+ yrs | 9.9% | 7.9% |
| Chronic kidney disease | 18+ yrs | 9.5% | 4.6% |
| Asthma | 6+ yrs | 7.0% | 6.6% |
| Cancer | All ages | 4.1% | 3.8% |
| Coronary heart disease | All ages | 3.6% | 3.0% |
| COPD | All ages | 2.5% | 1.9% |
| Atrial fibrillation | All ages | 2.3% | 2.2% |
| Stroke and TIA | All ages | 1.8% | 1.9% |
| Heart failure | All ages | 1.1% | 1.1% |
| Epilepsy | 18+ yrs | 1.0% | 0.8% |
| Rheumatoid arthritis | 16+ yrs | 0.8% | 0.8% |
| Serious mental illness | All ages | 0.8% | 1.0% |
| Learning disability | All ages | 0.7% | 0.6% |
| Peripheral arterial disease | All ages | 0.6% | 0.6% |
| Dementia | All ages | 0.6% | 0.8% |
| Palliative care | All ages | 0.5% | 0.6% |
| Osteoporosis | 50+ yrs | 0.4% | 1.2% |
| Screening coverage | Period | Practice | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bowel cancer screening (aged 60 to 74) | 2024/25 | 74.9% | 72.9% |
| Breast cancer screening (women aged 53 to 70) | 2024/25 | 65.4% | 72.2% |
| Cervical screening (women aged 25 to 49) | 2023/24 | 79.9% | 67.5% |
| Cervical screening (women aged 50 to 64) | 2023/24 | 82.2% | 74.9% |
The Castle Practice, 2 Hawthorne Road, Castle Bromwich, Birmingham, B36 0HH. Phone: 0121 747 2422. Website: www.thecastlepractice.nhs.uk.
| Nearby practice | Distance | Overall experience good |
|---|---|---|
| Arran Medical Centre | 0.7 km | 80% |
| Green Lane Surgery | 0.7 km | 84% |
| Kingshurst Medical Practice | 1.0 km | 59% |
| OHP-Harlequin Surgery | 1.5 km | 65% |
| Parkfield Medical Centre | 1.5 km | 81% |
- Coventry Road Practice (87% overall experience good)
- Croft Medical Centre (62% overall experience good)
- Kingshurst Medical Practice (59% overall experience good)
- Parkfield Medical Centre (81% overall experience good)
How do patients rate The Castle Practice?
In the 2026 GP Patient Survey, 74% of patients described their overall experience of The Castle Practice as good, against 77% across England. 48% found it easy to get through by phone.
How many patients are registered at The Castle Practice?
10,537 patients were registered in September 2026, down 1.0% on a year earlier.
What is The Castle Practice's CQC rating?
Good overall, published in June 2016.
How many GPs does The Castle Practice have?
4.6 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs (7 qualified GPs by headcount), which is 2,311 patients per GP against 2,171 across England.
Are appointments at The Castle Practice face to face?
44% of appointments from June 2026 to August 2026 were face to face, against 63% across England.
What is The Castle Practice's phone number?
0121 747 2422.