Much Birch Surgery, Hereford: patient reviews and CQC rating
Much Birch Surgery is a GP practice in Hereford with 5,139 registered patients (September 2026). In the 2026 GP Patient Survey, 88% of its patients described their overall experience as good, above the England figure of 77% (Herefordshire and Worcestershire: 80%). The Care Quality Commission rates it Good overall, in a report published in January 2017. It has 3.3 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs, or 1,554 patients per GP.
Latest data: September 2026. Patient survey 2026; registered patients September 2026; appointments to August 2026.
What patients say about Much Birch Surgery
Its best result against England is the share who found it easy to get through to the practice by phone: 89%, above the England figure of 57%. Its weakest is the share who said the wait for their last appointment was about right: 69%, against 69% across England. Of the 11 results in the table, 6 are above England and 0 below by more than the survey's margin of error, and 5 within it.
On overall experience it is 4th of the 9 practices in Hereford with 50 or more responses. 89% found it easy to get through by phone (England: 57%). The overall experience result is 11 points higher than in 2025 (77%). 102 patients answered the survey (response rate 39%).
| Survey question | Much Birch Surgery | Herefordshire and Worcestershire | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overall experience good | 88% | 80% | 77% |
| Easy to contact by phone | 89% | 66% | 57% |
| Easy to contact via the website | 75% | 65% | 58% |
| Easy to contact via the NHS App | 74% | 64% | 54% |
| Reception team helpful | 95% | 89% | 85% |
| Last contact good | 84% | 78% | 73% |
| Wait for appointment about right | 69% | 75% | 69% |
| Listened to well | 88% | 89% | 87% |
| Treated with care and concern | 92% | 88% | 86% |
| Confidence and trust in the clinician | 96% | 94% | 93% |
| Needs met | 96% | 92% | 90% |
In the Friends and Family Test for July 2026, 91% of 219 responses rated the practice good or very good (England: 92%).
CQC's overall rating for Much Birch Surgery is Good, published in January 2017. One key question is rated differently: Responsive Outstanding.
| Key question | Rating |
|---|---|
| Safe | Good |
| Well-led | Good |
| Caring | Good |
| Responsive | Outstanding |
| Effective | Good |
5,139 patients were registered at Much Birch Surgery in September 2026, down 1.0% on a year earlier (England: down 1.1%).
32% of its patients are aged 65 or over, against 19% across England. With 3.3 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs, there are 1,554 patients per GP, fewer than the England figure of 2,171 and Herefordshire and Worcestershire's 1,893. The practice also has 2.7 nurses and 2.9 other clinical staff such as pharmacists and physiotherapists (full-time equivalent).
| Year | Qualified GPs (FTE) | All GPs incl. trainees (FTE) |
|---|---|---|
| August 2023 | 1.8 | 1.8 |
| August 2024 | 2.0 | 2.0 |
| August 2025 | 3.9 | 3.9 |
| August 2026 | 3.3 | 3.3 |
From June 2026 to August 2026 the practice recorded 3,243 appointments a month, or 631 per 1,000 registered patients (England: 510). 50% were face to face (England: 63%). 40% took place on the day they were booked and 15% more than 28 days after booking (England: 45% and 5%).
39% were with a GP rather than another member of the practice team. 3% of booked patients did not attend.
| Measure | Much Birch Surgery | Herefordshire and Worcestershire | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Appointments per 1,000 patients a month | 631 | 561 | 510 |
| Face to face | 50% | 62% | 63% |
| Same day as booked | 40% | 45% | 45% |
| More than 28 days after booking | 15% | 6% | 5% |
| Did not attend | 3% | 4% | 4% |
Compared with England, the practice has a higher share of patients on its registers for cancer (6.7% against 3.8%), atrial fibrillation (3.7% against 2.2%) and chronic kidney disease (7.3% against 4.6%). It has a lower share for serious mental illness (0.6% against 1.0%). The practice's patients live in areas with an average deprivation score of 18.3 (England: 21.8; higher is more deprived).
Life expectancy for its patients' neighbourhoods is 85.3 years for women and 82.7 for men (England: 83.0 and 79.1).
| Condition register | Age group | Practice (2024/25) | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| High blood pressure | All ages | 19.9% | 15.2% |
| Depression | 18+ yrs | 12.8% | 14.3% |
| Asthma | 6+ yrs | 8.1% | 6.6% |
| Chronic kidney disease | 18+ yrs | 7.3% | 4.6% |
| Diabetes | 17+ yrs | 7.3% | 7.9% |
| Cancer | All ages | 6.7% | 3.8% |
| Atrial fibrillation | All ages | 3.7% | 2.2% |
| Coronary heart disease | All ages | 3.3% | 3.0% |
| Stroke and TIA | All ages | 2.7% | 1.9% |
| COPD | All ages | 1.9% | 1.9% |
| Heart failure | All ages | 1.6% | 1.1% |
| Osteoporosis | 50+ yrs | 1.3% | 1.2% |
| Rheumatoid arthritis | 16+ yrs | 1.1% | 0.8% |
| Dementia | All ages | 1.0% | 0.8% |
| Epilepsy | 18+ yrs | 0.9% | 0.8% |
| Learning disability | All ages | 0.7% | 0.6% |
| Peripheral arterial disease | All ages | 0.6% | 0.6% |
| Serious mental illness | All ages | 0.6% | 1.0% |
| Palliative care | All ages | 0.6% | 0.6% |
| Screening coverage | Period | Practice | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bowel cancer screening (aged 60 to 74) | 2024/25 | 81.0% | 72.9% |
| Breast cancer screening (women aged 53 to 70) | 2024/25 | 75.6% | 72.2% |
| Cervical screening (women aged 25 to 49) | 2023/24 | 74.8% | 67.5% |
| Cervical screening (women aged 50 to 64) | 2023/24 | 78.5% | 74.9% |
Much Birch Surgery, Much Birch, Hereford, HR2 8HT. Phone: 01981 540310.
| Nearby practice | Distance | Overall experience good |
|---|---|---|
| Belmont Medical Centre | 8.0 km | 71% |
| Wargrave House Surgery | 9.5 km | 61% |
| Cantilupe Surgery | 9.5 km | 82% |
| Fownhope Medical Centre | 9.7 km | 79% |
| Kingstone Surgery | 10.0 km | 98% |
- Alton Street Surgery (88% overall experience good)
- Fownhope Medical Centre (79% overall experience good)
- Golden Valley Practice (89% overall experience good)
- Kingstone Surgery (98% overall experience good)
- Pendeen Surgery (83% overall experience good)
How do patients rate Much Birch Surgery?
In the 2026 GP Patient Survey, 88% of patients described their overall experience of Much Birch Surgery as good, above the England figure of 77%. 89% found it easy to get through by phone.
How many patients are registered at Much Birch Surgery?
5,139 patients were registered in September 2026, down 1.0% on a year earlier.
What is Much Birch Surgery's CQC rating?
Good overall, published in January 2017.
How many GPs does Much Birch Surgery have?
3.3 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs (5 qualified GPs by headcount), which is 1,554 patients per GP against 2,171 across England.
Are appointments at Much Birch Surgery face to face?
50% of appointments from June 2026 to August 2026 were face to face, against 63% across England.
What is Much Birch Surgery's phone number?
01981 540310.