Links Medical Practice, Dudley: patient reviews and CQC rating
Links Medical Practice is a GP practice in Dudley with 6,120 registered patients (September 2026). In the 2026 GP Patient Survey, 86% of its patients described their overall experience as good, above the England figure of 77% (Black Country: 74%). The Care Quality Commission rates it Good overall, in a report published in August 2019. It has 3.2 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs, or 1,897 patients per GP.
Latest data: September 2026. Patient survey 2026; registered patients September 2026; appointments to August 2026.
What patients say about Links Medical Practice
Its best result against England is the share who found it easy to contact the practice using the NHS App: 73%, above the England figure of 54%. Its result closest to England is the share who said their needs were met at their last appointment: 92%, against 90% across England. Of the 11 results in the table, 5 are above England and 0 below by more than the survey's margin of error, and 6 within it.
On overall experience it is 5th of the 17 practices in Dudley with 50 or more responses. 76% found it easy to get through by phone (England: 57%). The overall experience result is 12 points higher than in 2025 (74%). 108 patients answered the survey (response rate 16%).
| Survey question | Links Medical Practice | Black Country | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overall experience good | 86% | 74% | 77% |
| Easy to contact by phone | 76% | 53% | 57% |
| Easy to contact via the website | 68% | 54% | 58% |
| Easy to contact via the NHS App | 73% | 54% | 54% |
| Reception team helpful | 94% | 81% | 85% |
| Last contact good | 78% | 68% | 73% |
| Wait for appointment about right | 88% | 65% | 69% |
| Listened to well | 89% | 85% | 87% |
| Treated with care and concern | 88% | 84% | 86% |
| Confidence and trust in the clinician | 95% | 92% | 93% |
| Needs met | 92% | 89% | 90% |
In the Friends and Family Test for July 2026, 96% of 28 responses rated the practice good or very good (England: 92%).
CQC's overall rating for Links Medical Practice is Good, published in August 2019. One key question is rated differently: Well-led Outstanding.
| Key question | Rating |
|---|---|
| Safe | Good |
| Well-led | Outstanding |
| Caring | Good |
| Responsive | Good |
| Effective | Good |
6,120 patients were registered at Links Medical Practice in September 2026, down 3.0% on a year earlier (England: down 1.1%).
10% of its patients are aged 65 or over, against 19% across England. With 3.2 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs, there are 1,897 patients per GP, fewer than the England figure of 2,171 and Black Country's 2,193. The practice also has 1.5 nurses and 4.9 other clinical staff such as pharmacists and physiotherapists (full-time equivalent).
| Year | Qualified GPs (FTE) | All GPs incl. trainees (FTE) |
|---|---|---|
| August 2023 | 2.4 | 4.1 |
| August 2024 | 2.4 | 3.5 |
| August 2025 | 2.4 | 4.4 |
| August 2026 | 3.2 | 4.1 |
From June 2026 to August 2026 the practice recorded 3,679 appointments a month, or 601 per 1,000 registered patients (England: 510). 46% were face to face (England: 63%). 58% took place on the day they were booked and 3% more than 28 days after booking (England: 45% and 5%).
31% were with a GP rather than another member of the practice team. 7% of booked patients did not attend.
| Measure | Links Medical Practice | Black Country | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Appointments per 1,000 patients a month | 601 | 561 | 510 |
| Face to face | 46% | 64% | 63% |
| Same day as booked | 58% | 51% | 45% |
| More than 28 days after booking | 3% | 4% | 5% |
| Did not attend | 7% | 5% | 4% |
Compared with England, the practice has a higher share of patients on its registers for depression (22.4% against 14.3%) and diabetes (9.8% against 7.9%). It has a lower share for dementia (0.3% against 0.8%), atrial fibrillation (1.0% against 2.2%) and cancer (1.9% against 3.8%). The practice's patients live in areas with an average deprivation score of 36.0 (England: 21.8; higher is more deprived).
Life expectancy for its patients' neighbourhoods is 80.1 years for women and 75.6 for men (England: 83.0 and 79.1).
| Condition register | Age group | Practice (2024/25) | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Depression | 18+ yrs | 22.4% | 14.3% |
| High blood pressure | All ages | 13.9% | 15.2% |
| Diabetes | 17+ yrs | 9.8% | 7.9% |
| Asthma | 6+ yrs | 7.2% | 6.6% |
| Chronic kidney disease | 18+ yrs | 4.7% | 4.6% |
| Coronary heart disease | All ages | 2.8% | 3.0% |
| Cancer | All ages | 1.9% | 3.8% |
| COPD | All ages | 1.5% | 1.9% |
| Serious mental illness | All ages | 1.3% | 1.0% |
| Stroke and TIA | All ages | 1.2% | 1.9% |
| Epilepsy | 18+ yrs | 1.1% | 0.8% |
| Atrial fibrillation | All ages | 1.0% | 2.2% |
| Osteoporosis | 50+ yrs | 0.9% | 1.2% |
| Learning disability | All ages | 0.8% | 0.6% |
| Heart failure | All ages | 0.6% | 1.1% |
| Palliative care | All ages | 0.6% | 0.6% |
| Rheumatoid arthritis | 16+ yrs | 0.6% | 0.8% |
| Peripheral arterial disease | All ages | 0.4% | 0.6% |
| Dementia | All ages | 0.3% | 0.8% |
| Screening coverage | Period | Practice | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bowel cancer screening (aged 60 to 74) | 2024/25 | 65.9% | 72.9% |
| Breast cancer screening (women aged 53 to 70) | 2024/25 | 60.5% | 72.2% |
| Cervical screening (women aged 25 to 49) | 2023/24 | 64.9% | 67.5% |
| Cervical screening (women aged 50 to 64) | 2023/24 | 73.6% | 74.9% |
Links Medical Practice, Netherton Health Centre, Halesowen Road, Netherton, Dudley, DY2 9PU. Phone: 01384 458820. Website: linksmedical.co.uk.
| Nearby practice | Distance | Overall experience good |
|---|---|---|
| Anchor Medical Practice | 0.0 km | 89% |
| Dudley Wood Surgery | 1.5 km | 62% |
| Church View Surgery | 1.7 km | 85% |
| The Practice Old Hill | 1.8 km | 71% |
| Bean Road Medical Practice | 2.0 km | 70% |
- Anchor Medical Practice (89% overall experience good)
- Bean Road Medical Practice (70% overall experience good)
- Central Clinic (65% overall experience good)
- Dr William Porter (80% overall experience good)
- Dudley Wood Surgery (62% overall experience good)
- Eve Hill Medical Practice (90% overall experience good)
- Keelinge House Surgery (61% overall experience good)
- Limestone Surgery (70% overall experience good)
- St James Medical Practice (81% overall experience good)
- Steppingstones Medical Practice (73% overall experience good)
How do patients rate Links Medical Practice?
In the 2026 GP Patient Survey, 86% of patients described their overall experience of Links Medical Practice as good, above the England figure of 77%. 76% found it easy to get through by phone.
How many patients are registered at Links Medical Practice?
6,120 patients were registered in September 2026, down 3.0% on a year earlier.
What is Links Medical Practice's CQC rating?
Good overall, published in August 2019.
How many GPs does Links Medical Practice have?
3.2 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs (5 qualified GPs by headcount), which is 1,897 patients per GP against 2,171 across England.
Are appointments at Links Medical Practice face to face?
46% of appointments from June 2026 to August 2026 were face to face, against 63% across England.
What is Links Medical Practice's phone number?
01384 458820.