Balsall Common and Meriden Group Practice, Coventry: patient reviews and CQC rating
Balsall Common and Meriden Group Practice is a GP practice in Coventry with 12,452 registered patients (September 2026). In the 2026 GP Patient Survey, 75% 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 May 2018. It has 6.4 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs, or 1,938 patients per GP.
Latest data: September 2026. Patient survey 2026; registered patients September 2026; appointments to August 2026.
What patients say about Balsall Common and Meriden Group Practice
Its best result against England is the share who said the healthcare professional was good at listening to them: 92%, against 87% across England. Its weakest is the share who found it easy to contact the practice through its website: 34%, below the England figure of 58%. 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.
On overall experience it is 33rd of the 52 practices in Coventry with 50 or more responses. 59% found it easy to get through by phone (England: 57%). The overall experience result is 4 points lower than in 2025 (79%). 119 patients answered the survey (response rate 39%).
| Survey question | Balsall Common and Meriden Group Practice | Birmingham and Solihull | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overall experience good | 75% | 73% | 77% |
| Easy to contact by phone | 59% | 51% | 57% |
| Easy to contact via the website | 34% | 51% | 58% |
| Easy to contact via the NHS App | 47% | 51% | 54% |
| Reception team helpful | 85% | 81% | 85% |
| Last contact good | 74% | 68% | 73% |
| Wait for appointment about right | 64% | 68% | 69% |
| Listened to well | 92% | 84% | 87% |
| Treated with care and concern | 90% | 84% | 86% |
| Confidence and trust in the clinician | 96% | 92% | 93% |
| Needs met | 90% | 89% | 90% |
In the Friends and Family Test for July 2026, 92% of 39 responses rated the practice good or very good (England: 92%).
CQC's overall rating for Balsall Common and Meriden Group Practice is Good, published in May 2018. All 5 key questions are rated Good. It held the same rating in the report before (April 2015).
| Key question | Rating |
|---|---|
| Safe | Good |
| Well-led | Good |
| Caring | Good |
| Responsive | Good |
| Effective | Good |
12,452 patients were registered at Balsall Common and Meriden Group Practice in September 2026, down 1.5% on a year earlier (England: down 1.1%).
27% of its patients are aged 65 or over, against 19% across England. With 6.4 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs, there are 1,938 patients per GP, fewer than the England figure of 2,171 and Birmingham and Solihull's 1,990. The practice also has 2.6 nurses and 1.1 other clinical staff such as pharmacists and physiotherapists (full-time equivalent).
| Year | Qualified GPs (FTE) | All GPs incl. trainees (FTE) |
|---|---|---|
| August 2023 | 8.0 | 9.5 |
| August 2024 | 7.6 | 9.3 |
| August 2025 | 6.4 | 8.5 |
| August 2026 | 6.4 | 9.3 |
From June 2026 to August 2026 the practice recorded 5,683 appointments a month, or 456 per 1,000 registered patients (England: 510). 95% were face to face (England: 63%). 40% took place on the day they were booked and 13% more than 28 days after booking (England: 45% and 5%).
57% were with a GP rather than another member of the practice team. 4% of booked patients did not attend.
| Measure | Balsall Common and Meriden Group Practice | Birmingham and Solihull | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Appointments per 1,000 patients a month | 456 | 532 | 510 |
| Face to face | 95% | 62% | 63% |
| Same day as booked | 40% | 50% | 45% |
| More than 28 days after booking | 13% | 3% | 5% |
| Did not attend | 4% | 6% | 4% |
Compared with England, the practice has a higher share of patients on its registers for palliative or supportive care needs (1.3% against 0.6%), cancer (5.4% against 3.8%) and atrial fibrillation (2.9% against 2.2%). It has a lower share for osteoporosis (0.5% against 1.2%), a learning disability (0.3% against 0.6%) and serious mental illness (0.7% against 1.0%). The practice's patients live in areas with an average deprivation score of 9.8 (England: 21.8; higher is more deprived).
Life expectancy for its patients' neighbourhoods is 85.6 years for women and 82.6 for men (England: 83.0 and 79.1).
| Condition register | Age group | Practice (2024/25) | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| High blood pressure | All ages | 18.8% | 15.2% |
| Depression | 18+ yrs | 10.9% | 14.3% |
| Asthma | 6+ yrs | 7.3% | 6.6% |
| Diabetes | 17+ yrs | 6.6% | 7.9% |
| Cancer | All ages | 5.4% | 3.8% |
| Chronic kidney disease | 18+ yrs | 4.3% | 4.6% |
| Coronary heart disease | All ages | 3.4% | 3.0% |
| Atrial fibrillation | All ages | 2.9% | 2.2% |
| Stroke and TIA | All ages | 2.4% | 1.9% |
| COPD | All ages | 1.5% | 1.9% |
| Heart failure | All ages | 1.3% | 1.1% |
| Palliative care | All ages | 1.3% | 0.6% |
| Rheumatoid arthritis | 16+ yrs | 0.9% | 0.8% |
| Dementia | All ages | 0.9% | 0.8% |
| Serious mental illness | All ages | 0.7% | 1.0% |
| Epilepsy | 18+ yrs | 0.7% | 0.8% |
| Peripheral arterial disease | All ages | 0.6% | 0.6% |
| Osteoporosis | 50+ yrs | 0.5% | 1.2% |
| Learning disability | All ages | 0.3% | 0.6% |
| Screening coverage | Period | Practice | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bowel cancer screening (aged 60 to 74) | 2024/25 | 79.5% | 72.9% |
| Breast cancer screening (women aged 53 to 70) | 2024/25 | 81.8% | 72.2% |
| Cervical screening (women aged 25 to 49) | 2023/24 | 74.9% | 67.5% |
| Cervical screening (women aged 50 to 64) | 2023/24 | 81.2% | 74.9% |
Balsall Common and Meriden Group Practice, 1 Ashley Drive, Balsall Common, Coventry, CV7 7RW. Phone: 01676 935000. Website: www.balsallcommongrouppractice.co.uk.
| Nearby practice | Distance | Overall experience good |
|---|---|---|
| Woodside Medical Centre | 4.6 km | 75% |
| Limbrick Wood Surgery | 4.6 km | 82% |
| Hampton Surgery | 5.1 km | 94% |
| Forrest Medical Centre | 5.7 km | 83% |
| Westwood Medical Health Centre | 5.7 km | 83% |
- Arden Medical Centre (89% overall experience good)
- Dorridge Surgery (84% overall experience good)
- Hampton Surgery (94% overall experience good)
How do patients rate Balsall Common and Meriden Group Practice?
In the 2026 GP Patient Survey, 75% of patients described their overall experience of Balsall Common and Meriden Group Practice as good, against 77% across England. 59% found it easy to get through by phone.
How many patients are registered at Balsall Common and Meriden Group Practice?
12,452 patients were registered in September 2026, down 1.5% on a year earlier.
What is Balsall Common and Meriden Group Practice's CQC rating?
Good overall, published in May 2018.
How many GPs does Balsall Common and Meriden Group Practice have?
6.4 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs (9 qualified GPs by headcount), which is 1,938 patients per GP against 2,171 across England.
Are appointments at Balsall Common and Meriden Group Practice face to face?
95% of appointments from June 2026 to August 2026 were face to face, against 63% across England.
What is Balsall Common and Meriden Group Practice's phone number?
01676 935000.