Birchwood Surgery, North Walsham: patient reviews and CQC rating
Birchwood Surgery is a GP practice in North Walsham with 11,828 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% (Norfolk and Suffolk: 80%). The Care Quality Commission rates it Good overall, in a report published in November 2016. It has 4.9 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs, or 2,420 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 best result against England is the share who described their last contact with the practice as good: 93%, above the England figure of 73%. Its weakest is the share who said they were treated with care and concern: 85%, against 86% 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.
70% found it easy to get through by phone (England: 57%). The overall experience result is 6 points higher than in 2025 (82%). 117 patients answered the survey (response rate 38%).
| Survey question | Birchwood Surgery | Norfolk and Suffolk | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overall experience good | 88% | 80% | 77% |
| Easy to contact by phone | 70% | 61% | 57% |
| Easy to contact via the website | 73% | 62% | 58% |
| Easy to contact via the NHS App | 67% | 55% | 54% |
| Reception team helpful | 95% | 88% | 85% |
| Last contact good | 93% | 76% | 73% |
| Wait for appointment about right | 70% | 74% | 69% |
| Listened to well | 92% | 89% | 87% |
| Treated with care and concern | 85% | 88% | 86% |
| Confidence and trust in the clinician | 99% | 94% | 93% |
| Needs met | 90% | 92% | 90% |
In the Friends and Family Test for July 2026, 95% of 466 responses rated the practice good or very good (England: 92%).
CQC's overall rating for Birchwood Surgery is Good, published in November 2016. All 5 key questions are rated Good. It held the same rating in the report before (April 2016).
| Key question | Rating |
|---|---|
| Safe | Good |
| Well-led | Good |
| Caring | Good |
| Responsive | Good |
| Effective | Good |
11,828 patients were registered at Birchwood Surgery in September 2026, down 1.5% on a year earlier (England: down 1.1%).
31% of its patients are aged 65 or over, against 19% across England. With 4.9 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs, there are 2,420 patients per GP, more than the England figure of 2,171 and Norfolk and Suffolk's 2,133. The practice also has 7.3 nurses and 10.0 other clinical staff such as pharmacists and physiotherapists (full-time equivalent).
| Year | Qualified GPs (FTE) | All GPs incl. trainees (FTE) |
|---|---|---|
| August 2023 | 5.1 | 7.8 |
| August 2024 | 5.4 | 9.9 |
| August 2025 | 5.4 | 8.6 |
| August 2026 | 4.9 | 8.7 |
From June 2026 to August 2026 the practice recorded 7,991 appointments a month, or 676 per 1,000 registered patients (England: 510). 88% were face to face (England: 63%). 39% took place on the day they were booked and 23% more than 28 days after booking (England: 45% and 5%).
41% were with a GP rather than another member of the practice team. 5% of booked patients did not attend.
| Measure | Birchwood Surgery | Norfolk and Suffolk | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Appointments per 1,000 patients a month | 676 | 578 | 510 |
| Face to face | 88% | 70% | 63% |
| Same day as booked | 39% | 42% | 45% |
| More than 28 days after booking | 23% | 8% | 5% |
| Did not attend | 5% | 3% | 4% |
Compared with England, the practice has a higher share of patients on its registers for a learning disability (1.2% against 0.6%), dementia (1.4% against 0.8%) and atrial fibrillation (3.7% against 2.2%). It has a lower share for osteoporosis (0.3% against 1.2%). The practice's patients live in areas with an average deprivation score of 21.0 (England: 21.8; higher is more deprived).
Life expectancy for its patients' neighbourhoods is 83.6 years for women and 78.0 for men (England: 83.0 and 79.1).
| Condition register | Age group | Practice (2024/25) | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| High blood pressure | All ages | 20.8% | 15.2% |
| Depression | 18+ yrs | 16.7% | 14.3% |
| Diabetes | 17+ yrs | 10.5% | 7.9% |
| Asthma | 6+ yrs | 10.3% | 6.6% |
| Chronic kidney disease | 18+ yrs | 7.6% | 4.6% |
| Cancer | All ages | 5.3% | 3.8% |
| Coronary heart disease | All ages | 4.5% | 3.0% |
| Atrial fibrillation | All ages | 3.7% | 2.2% |
| Stroke and TIA | All ages | 2.6% | 1.9% |
| COPD | All ages | 2.6% | 1.9% |
| Rheumatoid arthritis | 16+ yrs | 1.5% | 0.8% |
| Dementia | All ages | 1.4% | 0.8% |
| Heart failure | All ages | 1.2% | 1.1% |
| Learning disability | All ages | 1.2% | 0.6% |
| Epilepsy | 18+ yrs | 1.0% | 0.8% |
| Serious mental illness | All ages | 1.0% | 1.0% |
| Peripheral arterial disease | All ages | 0.7% | 0.6% |
| Palliative care | All ages | 0.4% | 0.6% |
| Osteoporosis | 50+ yrs | 0.3% | 1.2% |
| Screening coverage | Period | Practice | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bowel cancer screening (aged 60 to 74) | 2024/25 | 77.4% | 72.9% |
| Breast cancer screening (women aged 53 to 70) | 2024/25 | 77.8% | 72.2% |
| Cervical screening (women aged 25 to 49) | 2023/24 | 76.8% | 67.5% |
| Cervical screening (women aged 50 to 64) | 2023/24 | 79.1% | 74.9% |
Birchwood Surgery, Park Lane, North Walsham, NR28 0BQ. Phone: 01692 402035.
| Nearby practice | Distance | Overall experience good |
|---|---|---|
| Paston Surgery | 0.0 km | 85% |
| Mundesley Medical Centre | 6.9 km | 86% |
| The Market Surgery | 9.3 km | 85% |
| Coltishall Medical Practice | 10.0 km | 86% |
| Aldborough Surgery | 10.4 km | 95% |
- Aldborough Surgery (95% overall experience good)
- Mundesley Medical Centre (86% overall experience good)
- Paston Surgery (85% overall experience good)
How do patients rate Birchwood Surgery?
In the 2026 GP Patient Survey, 88% of patients described their overall experience of Birchwood Surgery as good, above the England figure of 77%. 70% found it easy to get through by phone.
How many patients are registered at Birchwood Surgery?
11,828 patients were registered in September 2026, down 1.5% on a year earlier.
What is Birchwood Surgery's CQC rating?
Good overall, published in November 2016.
How many GPs does Birchwood Surgery have?
4.9 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs (8 qualified GPs by headcount), which is 2,420 patients per GP against 2,171 across England.
Are appointments at Birchwood Surgery face to face?
88% of appointments from June 2026 to August 2026 were face to face, against 63% across England.
What is Birchwood Surgery's phone number?
01692 402035.