Air Balloon Surgery, Bristol: patient reviews and CQC rating
Air Balloon Surgery is a GP practice in Bristol with 13,061 registered patients (September 2026). In the 2026 GP Patient Survey, 74% of its patients described their overall experience as good, against 77% across England (Bristol, North Somerset and South Gloucestershire: 78%). The Care Quality Commission rates it Good overall, in a report published in November 2018. It has 6.4 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs, or 2,031 patients per GP.
Latest data: September 2026. Patient survey 2026; registered patients September 2026; appointments to August 2026.
What patients say about Air Balloon Surgery
Its best result against England is the share who found it easy to contact the practice using the NHS App: 67%, against 54% across England. Its weakest is the share who said their needs were met at their last appointment: 88%, against 90% across England. With 112 responses, none of its 11 results differs from England by more than the survey's margin of error.
On overall experience it is 49th of the 65 practices in Bristol with 50 or more responses. 58% found it easy to get through by phone (England: 57%). The overall experience result is unchanged from 2025 (74%). 112 patients answered the survey (response rate 27%).
| Survey question | Air Balloon Surgery | Bristol, North Somerset and South Gloucestershire | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overall experience good | 74% | 78% | 77% |
| Easy to contact by phone | 58% | 55% | 57% |
| Easy to contact via the website | 60% | 60% | 58% |
| Easy to contact via the NHS App | 67% | 54% | 54% |
| Reception team helpful | 90% | 86% | 85% |
| Last contact good | 72% | 73% | 73% |
| Wait for appointment about right | 68% | 67% | 69% |
| Listened to well | 90% | 89% | 87% |
| Treated with care and concern | 87% | 88% | 86% |
| Confidence and trust in the clinician | 95% | 93% | 93% |
| Needs met | 88% | 90% | 90% |
In the Friends and Family Test for July 2026, 91% of 399 responses rated the practice good or very good (England: 92%).
CQC's overall rating for Air Balloon Surgery is Good, published in November 2018. All 5 key questions are rated Good. It held the same rating in the report before (May 2015).
| Key question | Rating |
|---|---|
| Safe | Good |
| Well-led | Good |
| Caring | Good |
| Responsive | Good |
| Effective | Good |
13,061 patients were registered at Air Balloon Surgery in September 2026, down 2.4% on a year earlier (England: down 1.1%).
16% of its patients are aged 65 or over, against 19% across England. With 6.4 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs, there are 2,031 patients per GP, close to the England figure of 2,171 and Bristol, North Somerset and South Gloucestershire's 1,925. The practice also has 4.7 nurses and 2.0 other clinical staff such as pharmacists and physiotherapists (full-time equivalent).
| Year | Qualified GPs (FTE) | All GPs incl. trainees (FTE) |
|---|---|---|
| August 2023 | 6.7 | 7.7 |
| August 2024 | 7.4 | 9.5 |
| August 2025 | 7.2 | 10.0 |
| August 2026 | 6.4 | 8.4 |
From June 2026 to August 2026 the practice recorded 5,392 appointments a month, or 413 per 1,000 registered patients (England: 510). 88% were face to face (England: 63%). 45% took place on the day they were booked and 5% more than 28 days after booking (England: 45% and 5%).
48% were with a GP rather than another member of the practice team. 4% of booked patients did not attend.
| Measure | Air Balloon Surgery | Bristol, North Somerset and South Gloucestershire | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Appointments per 1,000 patients a month | 413 | 459 | 510 |
| Face to face | 88% | 65% | 63% |
| Same day as booked | 45% | 38% | 45% |
| More than 28 days after booking | 5% | 5% | 5% |
| Did not attend | 4% | 5% | 4% |
Compared with England, the practice has a higher share of patients on its registers for osteoporosis (1.7% against 1.2%) and serious mental illness (1.3% against 1.0%). It has a lower share for palliative or supportive care needs (0.3% against 0.6%). The practice's patients live in areas with an average deprivation score of 19.4 (England: 21.8; higher is more deprived).
Life expectancy for its patients' neighbourhoods is 82.5 years for women and 77.5 for men (England: 83.0 and 79.1).
| Condition register | Age group | Practice (2024/25) | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Depression | 18+ yrs | 16.2% | 14.3% |
| High blood pressure | All ages | 13.0% | 15.2% |
| Diabetes | 17+ yrs | 7.3% | 7.9% |
| Asthma | 6+ yrs | 6.2% | 6.6% |
| Chronic kidney disease | 18+ yrs | 4.1% | 4.6% |
| Cancer | All ages | 3.6% | 3.8% |
| Coronary heart disease | All ages | 2.9% | 3.0% |
| Atrial fibrillation | All ages | 2.3% | 2.2% |
| COPD | All ages | 2.2% | 1.9% |
| Stroke and TIA | All ages | 2.0% | 1.9% |
| Osteoporosis | 50+ yrs | 1.7% | 1.2% |
| Serious mental illness | All ages | 1.3% | 1.0% |
| Heart failure | All ages | 1.2% | 1.1% |
| Dementia | All ages | 0.9% | 0.8% |
| Epilepsy | 18+ yrs | 0.8% | 0.8% |
| Learning disability | All ages | 0.6% | 0.6% |
| Rheumatoid arthritis | 16+ yrs | 0.6% | 0.8% |
| Peripheral arterial disease | All ages | 0.6% | 0.6% |
| Palliative care | All ages | 0.3% | 0.6% |
| Screening coverage | Period | Practice | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bowel cancer screening (aged 60 to 74) | 2024/25 | 69.2% | 72.9% |
| Breast cancer screening (women aged 53 to 70) | 2024/25 | 74.4% | 72.2% |
| Cervical screening (women aged 25 to 49) | 2023/24 | 74.8% | 67.5% |
| Cervical screening (women aged 50 to 64) | 2023/24 | 74.7% | 74.9% |
Air Balloon Surgery, Kenn Road, St George, Bristol, BS5 7PD. Phone: 0117 909 9912. Website: www.airballoonsurgery.co.uk.
| Nearby practice | Distance | Overall experience good |
|---|---|---|
| St George Health Centre | 0.3 km | 88% |
| The Orchard Medical Centre | 1.5 km | 84% |
| Nightingale Valley Practice | 1.8 km | 78% |
| Birchwood Medical Practice | 1.8 km | 80% |
| The Wellspring Surgery | 2.1 km | 79% |
- Beechwood Medical Practice (81% overall experience good)
- Fishponds Family Practice (67% overall experience good)
How do patients rate Air Balloon Surgery?
In the 2026 GP Patient Survey, 74% of patients described their overall experience of Air Balloon Surgery as good, against 77% across England. 58% found it easy to get through by phone.
How many patients are registered at Air Balloon Surgery?
13,061 patients were registered in September 2026, down 2.4% on a year earlier.
What is Air Balloon Surgery's CQC rating?
Good overall, published in November 2018.
How many GPs does Air Balloon Surgery have?
6.4 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs (9 qualified GPs by headcount), which is 2,031 patients per GP against 2,171 across England.
Are appointments at Air Balloon Surgery face to face?
88% of appointments from June 2026 to August 2026 were face to face, against 63% across England.
What is Air Balloon Surgery's phone number?
0117 909 9912.