Birchwood Surgery, Letchworth Garden City: patient reviews and CQC rating
Birchwood Surgery is a GP practice in Letchworth Garden City with 18,301 registered patients (September 2026). In the 2026 GP Patient Survey, 58% of its patients described their overall experience as good, below the England figure of 77% (Central East: 75%). It has 5.5 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs, or 3,303 patients per GP.
Latest data: September 2026. Patient survey 2026; registered patients September 2026; appointments to August 2026.
What patients say about Birchwood Surgery
Its result closest to England is the share who said their needs were met at their last appointment: 85%, against 90% across England. Its weakest is the share who found it easy to contact the practice using the NHS App: 19%, below the England figure of 54%. Of the 11 results in the table, 0 are above England and 10 below by more than the survey's margin of error, and 1 within it.
On overall experience it is 2nd of the 3 practices in Letchworth Garden City with 50 or more responses. 39% found it easy to get through by phone (England: 57%). The overall experience result is 9 points lower than in 2025 (67%). 104 patients answered the survey (response rate 31%).
| Survey question | Birchwood Surgery | Central East | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overall experience good | 58% | 75% | 77% |
| Easy to contact by phone | 39% | 52% | 57% |
| Easy to contact via the website | 32% | 60% | 58% |
| Easy to contact via the NHS App | 19% | 52% | 54% |
| Reception team helpful | 68% | 83% | 85% |
| Last contact good | 53% | 71% | 73% |
| Wait for appointment about right | 56% | 69% | 69% |
| Listened to well | 77% | 86% | 87% |
| Treated with care and concern | 66% | 85% | 86% |
| Confidence and trust in the clinician | 79% | 92% | 93% |
| Needs met | 85% | 89% | 90% |
18,301 patients were registered at Birchwood Surgery in September 2026, down 1.3% on a year earlier (England: down 1.1%).
23% of its patients are aged 65 or over, against 19% across England. With 5.5 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs, there are 3,303 patients per GP, more than the England figure of 2,171 and Central East's 2,348. The practice also has 4.5 nurses and 3.1 other clinical staff such as pharmacists and physiotherapists (full-time equivalent).
| Year | Qualified GPs (FTE) | All GPs incl. trainees (FTE) |
|---|---|---|
| August 2023 | 3.8 | 3.8 |
| August 2024 | 2.5 | 2.5 |
| August 2025 | 2.5 | 3.6 |
| August 2026 | 5.5 | 6.6 |
From June 2026 to August 2026 the practice recorded 8,279 appointments a month, or 452 per 1,000 registered patients (England: 510). 52% were face to face (England: 63%). 22% took place on the day they were booked and 17% more than 28 days after booking (England: 45% and 5%).
56% were with a GP rather than another member of the practice team. 3% of booked patients did not attend.
| Measure | Birchwood Surgery | Central East | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Appointments per 1,000 patients a month | 452 | 521 | 510 |
| Face to face | 52% | 62% | 63% |
| Same day as booked | 22% | 48% | 45% |
| More than 28 days after booking | 17% | 6% | 5% |
| Did not attend | 3% | 4% | 4% |
Compared with England, the practice has a higher share of patients on its registers for palliative or supportive care needs (1.2% against 0.6%), dementia (1.1% against 0.8%) and asthma (7.9% against 6.6%). It has a lower share for osteoporosis (0.2% against 1.2%), depression (10.5% against 14.3%) and heart failure (0.8% against 1.1%). The practice's patients live in areas with an average deprivation score of 15.7 (England: 21.8; higher is more deprived).
Life expectancy for its patients' neighbourhoods is 84.4 years for women and 80.9 for men (England: 83.0 and 79.1).
| Condition register | Age group | Practice (2024/25) | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| High blood pressure | All ages | 16.1% | 15.2% |
| Depression | 18+ yrs | 10.5% | 14.3% |
| Diabetes | 17+ yrs | 8.3% | 7.9% |
| Asthma | 6+ yrs | 7.9% | 6.6% |
| Chronic kidney disease | 18+ yrs | 4.3% | 4.6% |
| Cancer | All ages | 4.1% | 3.8% |
| Coronary heart disease | All ages | 3.1% | 3.0% |
| Atrial fibrillation | All ages | 2.6% | 2.2% |
| Stroke and TIA | All ages | 2.1% | 1.9% |
| COPD | All ages | 2.0% | 1.9% |
| Palliative care | All ages | 1.2% | 0.6% |
| Dementia | All ages | 1.1% | 0.8% |
| Serious mental illness | All ages | 1.1% | 1.0% |
| Epilepsy | 18+ yrs | 0.9% | 0.8% |
| Heart failure | All ages | 0.8% | 1.1% |
| Rheumatoid arthritis | 16+ yrs | 0.8% | 0.8% |
| Learning disability | All ages | 0.7% | 0.6% |
| Peripheral arterial disease | 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 | 76.1% | 72.9% |
| Breast cancer screening (women aged 53 to 70) | 2024/25 | 77.7% | 72.2% |
| Cervical screening (women aged 25 to 49) | 2023/24 | 81.8% | 67.5% |
| Cervical screening (women aged 50 to 64) | 2023/24 | 83.2% | 74.9% |
Birchwood Surgery, 232-240 Nevells Road, Letchworth Garden City, SG6 4UB. Phone: 01462 453232.
| Nearby practice | Distance | Overall experience good |
|---|---|---|
| The Garden City Surgery | 0.2 km | 51% |
| The Nevells Road Surgery | 0.3 km | 66% |
| The Baldock Surgery | 2.8 km | 73% |
| Larksfield Surgery Medical Partnership | 3.9 km | 67% |
| Regal Chambers Surgery | 4.8 km | 72% |
- Ashwell Surgery (59% overall experience good)
- The Baldock Surgery (73% overall experience good)
- The Garden City Surgery (51% overall experience good)
- The Nevells Road Surgery (66% overall experience good)
How do patients rate Birchwood Surgery?
In the 2026 GP Patient Survey, 58% of patients described their overall experience of Birchwood Surgery as good, below the England figure of 77%. 39% found it easy to get through by phone.
How many patients are registered at Birchwood Surgery?
18,301 patients were registered in September 2026, down 1.3% on a year earlier.
How many GPs does Birchwood Surgery have?
5.5 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs (7 qualified GPs by headcount), which is 3,303 patients per GP against 2,171 across England.
Are appointments at Birchwood Surgery face to face?
52% of appointments from June 2026 to August 2026 were face to face, against 63% across England.
What is Birchwood Surgery's phone number?
01462 453232.