Lower Gornal Medical Practice, Dudley: patient reviews and CQC rating
Lower Gornal Medical Practice is a GP practice in Dudley with 7,735 registered patients (September 2026). In the 2026 GP Patient Survey, 75% of its patients described their overall experience as good, against 77% across England (Black Country: 74%). It has 2.1 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs, or 3,672 patients per GP.
Latest data: September 2026. Patient survey 2026; registered patients September 2026; appointments to August 2026.
What patients say about Lower Gornal Medical Practice
Its best result against England is the share who said the wait for their last appointment was about right: 84%, above the England figure of 69%. Its weakest is the share who found it easy to contact the practice through its website: 43%, against 58% 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 10th of the 17 practices in Dudley with 50 or more responses. 60% found it easy to get through by phone (England: 57%). The overall experience result is 3 points higher than in 2025 (72%). 107 patients answered the survey (response rate 25%).
| Survey question | Lower Gornal Medical Practice | Black Country | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overall experience good | 75% | 74% | 77% |
| Easy to contact by phone | 60% | 53% | 57% |
| Easy to contact via the website | 43% | 54% | 58% |
| Easy to contact via the NHS App | 55% | 54% | 54% |
| Reception team helpful | 90% | 81% | 85% |
| Last contact good | 81% | 68% | 73% |
| Wait for appointment about right | 84% | 65% | 69% |
| Listened to well | 85% | 85% | 87% |
| Treated with care and concern | 83% | 84% | 86% |
| Confidence and trust in the clinician | 89% | 92% | 93% |
| Needs met | 92% | 89% | 90% |
In the Friends and Family Test for July 2026, 93% of 146 responses rated the practice good or very good (England: 92%).
7,735 patients were registered at Lower Gornal Medical Practice in September 2026, down 3.1% on a year earlier (England: down 1.1%).
26% of its patients are aged 65 or over, against 19% across England. With 2.1 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs, there are 3,672 patients per GP, more than the England figure of 2,171 and Black Country's 2,193. The practice also has 2.8 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 | 2.6 | 5.6 |
| August 2024 | 2.9 | 6.1 |
| August 2025 | 2.4 | 6.6 |
| August 2026 | 2.1 | 5.1 |
From June 2026 to August 2026 the practice recorded 3,692 appointments a month, or 477 per 1,000 registered patients (England: 510). 66% were face to face (England: 63%). 50% took place on the day they were booked and 1% 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 | Lower Gornal Medical Practice | Black Country | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Appointments per 1,000 patients a month | 477 | 561 | 510 |
| Face to face | 66% | 64% | 63% |
| Same day as booked | 50% | 51% | 45% |
| More than 28 days after booking | 1% | 4% | 5% |
| Did not attend | 4% | 5% | 4% |
Compared with England, the practice has a higher share of patients on its registers for chronic kidney disease (10.6% against 4.6%), heart failure (2.0% against 1.1%) and COPD (3.2% against 1.9%). It has a lower share for osteoporosis (0.2% against 1.2%). The practice's patients live in areas with an average deprivation score of 19.6 (England: 21.8; higher is more deprived).
Life expectancy for its patients' neighbourhoods is 84.0 years for women and 79.2 for men (England: 83.0 and 79.1).
| Condition register | Age group | Practice (2024/25) | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| High blood pressure | All ages | 22.9% | 15.2% |
| Depression | 18+ yrs | 18.9% | 14.3% |
| Chronic kidney disease | 18+ yrs | 10.6% | 4.6% |
| Diabetes | 17+ yrs | 9.2% | 7.9% |
| Asthma | 6+ yrs | 7.8% | 6.6% |
| Cancer | All ages | 5.1% | 3.8% |
| Coronary heart disease | All ages | 4.3% | 3.0% |
| Atrial fibrillation | All ages | 3.7% | 2.2% |
| COPD | All ages | 3.2% | 1.9% |
| Stroke and TIA | All ages | 2.4% | 1.9% |
| Heart failure | All ages | 2.0% | 1.1% |
| Rheumatoid arthritis | 16+ yrs | 1.1% | 0.8% |
| Epilepsy | 18+ yrs | 0.9% | 0.8% |
| Dementia | All ages | 0.8% | 0.8% |
| Palliative care | All ages | 0.8% | 0.6% |
| Serious mental illness | All ages | 0.7% | 1.0% |
| Peripheral arterial disease | All ages | 0.6% | 0.6% |
| Learning disability | All ages | 0.5% | 0.6% |
| Osteoporosis | 50+ yrs | 0.2% | 1.2% |
| Screening coverage | Period | Practice | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bowel cancer screening (aged 60 to 74) | 2024/25 | 68.1% | 72.9% |
| Breast cancer screening (women aged 53 to 70) | 2024/25 | 73.5% | 72.2% |
| Cervical screening (women aged 25 to 49) | 2023/24 | 70.2% | 67.5% |
| Cervical screening (women aged 50 to 64) | 2023/24 | 67.9% | 74.9% |
Lower Gornal Medical Practice, Bull Street,, Lower Gornal,, Dudley, DY3 2NQ. Phone: 01384 322422. Website: www.lowergornalmedicalpractice.nhs.uk.
| Nearby practice | Distance | Overall experience good |
|---|---|---|
| Castle Meadows Surgery | 0.9 km | 80% |
| Drs Oram, Walton, Hynes & Dutton | 1.7 km | 65% |
| Keelinge House Surgery | 2.3 km | 61% |
| Drs Dawes, Narasimhan and Spiller | 2.3 km | 96% |
| St James Medical Practice | 2.4 km | 81% |
- Castle Meadows Surgery (80% overall experience good)
- Coseley Medical Centre (80% overall experience good)
- Drs Dawes, Narasimhan and Spiller (96% overall experience good)
- Northway Medical Centre (90% overall experience good)
- The Greens Health Centre (82% overall experience good)
- Woodsetton Medical Centre (68% overall experience good)
How do patients rate Lower Gornal Medical Practice?
In the 2026 GP Patient Survey, 75% of patients described their overall experience of Lower Gornal Medical Practice as good, against 77% across England. 60% found it easy to get through by phone.
How many patients are registered at Lower Gornal Medical Practice?
7,735 patients were registered in September 2026, down 3.1% on a year earlier.
How many GPs does Lower Gornal Medical Practice have?
2.1 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs (5 qualified GPs by headcount), which is 3,672 patients per GP against 2,171 across England.
Are appointments at Lower Gornal Medical Practice face to face?
66% of appointments from June 2026 to August 2026 were face to face, against 63% across England.
What is Lower Gornal Medical Practice's phone number?
01384 322422.