Thorns Road Surgery, Brierley Hill: patient reviews and CQC rating
Thorns Road Surgery is a GP practice in Brierley Hill with 3,755 registered patients (September 2026). In the 2026 GP Patient Survey, 81% of its patients described their overall experience as good, against 77% across England (Black Country: 74%). The Care Quality Commission rates it Good overall, in a report published in August 2018. It has 1.5 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs, or 2,560 patients per GP.
Latest data: September 2026. Patient survey 2026; registered patients September 2026; appointments to August 2026.
What patients say about Thorns Road Surgery
Its best result against England is the share who found it easy to get through to the practice by phone: 72%, above the England figure of 57%. Its weakest is the share who found it easy to contact the practice using the NHS App: 48%, against 54% across England. Of the 11 results in the table, 1 is above England and 0 below by more than the survey's margin of error, and 10 within it.
On overall experience it is 2nd of the 6 practices in Brierley Hill with 50 or more responses. 72% found it easy to get through by phone (England: 57%). The overall experience result is 2 points lower than in 2025 (83%). 104 patients answered the survey (response rate 21%).
| Survey question | Thorns Road Surgery | Black Country | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overall experience good | 81% | 74% | 77% |
| Easy to contact by phone | 72% | 53% | 57% |
| Easy to contact via the website | 66% | 54% | 58% |
| Easy to contact via the NHS App | 48% | 54% | 54% |
| Reception team helpful | 87% | 81% | 85% |
| Last contact good | 77% | 68% | 73% |
| Wait for appointment about right | 68% | 65% | 69% |
| Listened to well | 88% | 85% | 87% |
| Treated with care and concern | 87% | 84% | 86% |
| Confidence and trust in the clinician | 97% | 92% | 93% |
| Needs met | 93% | 89% | 90% |
In the Friends and Family Test for July 2026, 94% of 105 responses rated the practice good or very good (England: 92%).
CQC's overall rating for Thorns Road Surgery is Good, published in August 2018. All 5 key questions are rated Good.
| Key question | Rating |
|---|---|
| Safe | Good |
| Well-led | Good |
| Caring | Good |
| Responsive | Good |
| Effective | Good |
3,755 patients were registered at Thorns Road Surgery in September 2026, down 2.8% on a year earlier (England: down 1.1%).
22% of its patients are aged 65 or over, against 19% across England. With 1.5 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs, there are 2,560 patients per GP, more than the England figure of 2,171 and Black Country's 2,193. The practice also has 0.8 nurses and 0.8 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 | 1.0 | 1.0 |
| August 2025 | 1.0 | 1.0 |
| August 2026 | 1.5 | 1.5 |
From June 2026 to August 2026 the practice recorded 2,057 appointments a month, or 548 per 1,000 registered patients (England: 510). 85% were face to face (England: 63%). 38% took place on the day they were booked and 4% more than 28 days after booking (England: 45% and 5%).
33% were with a GP rather than another member of the practice team. 9% of booked patients did not attend.
| Measure | Thorns Road Surgery | Black Country | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Appointments per 1,000 patients a month | 548 | 561 | 510 |
| Face to face | 85% | 64% | 63% |
| Same day as booked | 38% | 51% | 45% |
| More than 28 days after booking | 4% | 4% | 5% |
| Did not attend | 9% | 5% | 4% |
Compared with England, the practice has a higher share of patients on its registers for chronic kidney disease (8.6% against 4.6%), COPD (2.7% against 1.9%) and depression (19.6% against 14.3%). The practice's patients live in areas with an average deprivation score of 23.7 (England: 21.8; higher is more deprived). Life expectancy for its patients' neighbourhoods is 82.5 years for women and 79.0 for men (England: 83.0 and 79.1).
| Condition register | Age group | Practice (2024/25) | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Depression | 18+ yrs | 19.6% | 14.3% |
| High blood pressure | All ages | 18.9% | 15.2% |
| Diabetes | 17+ yrs | 9.2% | 7.9% |
| Chronic kidney disease | 18+ yrs | 8.6% | 4.6% |
| Asthma | 6+ yrs | 5.9% | 6.6% |
| Cancer | All ages | 4.1% | 3.8% |
| Coronary heart disease | All ages | 4.0% | 3.0% |
| COPD | All ages | 2.7% | 1.9% |
| Atrial fibrillation | All ages | 2.6% | 2.2% |
| Osteoporosis | 50+ yrs | 1.9% | 1.2% |
| Stroke and TIA | All ages | 1.9% | 1.9% |
| Rheumatoid arthritis | 16+ yrs | 1.3% | 0.8% |
| Heart failure | All ages | 1.0% | 1.1% |
| Serious mental illness | All ages | 0.9% | 1.0% |
| Epilepsy | 18+ yrs | 0.8% | 0.8% |
| Dementia | All ages | 0.6% | 0.8% |
| Learning disability | All ages | 0.4% | 0.6% |
| Peripheral arterial disease | All ages | 0.4% | 0.6% |
| Palliative care | All ages | 0.4% | 0.6% |
| Screening coverage | Period | Practice | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bowel cancer screening (aged 60 to 74) | 2024/25 | 73.0% | 72.9% |
| Breast cancer screening (women aged 53 to 70) | 2024/25 | 67.5% | 72.2% |
| Cervical screening (women aged 25 to 49) | 2023/24 | 71.1% | 67.5% |
| Cervical screening (women aged 50 to 64) | 2023/24 | 77.3% | 74.9% |
Thorns Road Surgery, 43 Thorns Road, Brierley Hill, DY5 2JS. Phone: 01384 484894. Website: www.thornsroadsurgery.nhs.uk.
| Nearby practice | Distance | Overall experience good |
|---|---|---|
| Quarry Bank Medical Centre | 0.5 km | 78% |
| The Waterfront Surgery | 1.2 km | 67% |
| High Oak Surgery | 1.2 km | 77% |
| Dudley Wood Surgery | 1.3 km | 62% |
| AW Surgeries | 1.4 km | 80% |
- AW Surgeries (80% overall experience good)
- High Oak Surgery (77% overall experience good)
- Quarry Bank Medical Centre (78% overall experience good)
- Quincy Rise Surgery (89% overall experience good)
- The Waterfront Surgery (67% overall experience good)
- Three Villages Medical Practice (85% overall experience good)
How do patients rate Thorns Road Surgery?
In the 2026 GP Patient Survey, 81% of patients described their overall experience of Thorns Road Surgery as good, against 77% across England. 72% found it easy to get through by phone.
How many patients are registered at Thorns Road Surgery?
3,755 patients were registered in September 2026, down 2.8% on a year earlier.
What is Thorns Road Surgery's CQC rating?
Good overall, published in August 2018.
How many GPs does Thorns Road Surgery have?
1.5 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs (2 qualified GPs by headcount), which is 2,560 patients per GP against 2,171 across England.
Are appointments at Thorns Road Surgery face to face?
85% of appointments from June 2026 to August 2026 were face to face, against 63% across England.
What is Thorns Road Surgery's phone number?
01384 484894.