Poverest Medical Centre, Orpington: patient reviews and CQC rating
Poverest Medical Centre is a GP practice in Orpington with 7,928 registered patients (September 2026). In the 2026 GP Patient Survey, 61% of its patients described their overall experience as good, below the England figure of 77% (South East London: 76%). The Care Quality Commission rates it Good overall, in a report published in June 2018. It has 7.3 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs, or 1,083 patients per GP.
Latest data: September 2026. Patient survey 2026; registered patients September 2026; appointments to August 2026.
What patients say about Poverest Medical Centre
Its result closest to England is the share who had confidence and trust in the healthcare professional they saw: 81%, below the England figure of 93%. Its weakest is the share who found it easy to contact the practice using the NHS App: 34%, below the England figure of 54%. Of the 11 results in the table, 0 are above England and 11 below by more than the survey's margin of error.
On overall experience it is 12th of the 15 practices in Orpington with 50 or more responses. 38% found it easy to get through by phone (England: 57%). The overall experience result is 10 points higher than in 2025 (51%). 103 patients answered the survey (response rate 22%).
| Survey question | Poverest Medical Centre | South East London | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overall experience good | 61% | 76% | 77% |
| Easy to contact by phone | 38% | 57% | 57% |
| Easy to contact via the website | 37% | 58% | 58% |
| Easy to contact via the NHS App | 34% | 55% | 54% |
| Reception team helpful | 72% | 85% | 85% |
| Last contact good | 55% | 73% | 73% |
| Wait for appointment about right | 53% | 65% | 69% |
| Listened to well | 75% | 85% | 87% |
| Treated with care and concern | 74% | 84% | 86% |
| Confidence and trust in the clinician | 81% | 92% | 93% |
| Needs met | 76% | 89% | 90% |
In the Friends and Family Test for July 2026, 89% of 65 responses rated the practice good or very good (England: 92%).
CQC's overall rating for Poverest Medical Centre is Good, published in June 2018. All 5 key questions are rated Good. It held the same rating in the report before (June 2015).
| Key question | Rating |
|---|---|
| Safe | Good |
| Well-led | Good |
| Caring | Good |
| Responsive | Good |
| Effective | Good |
7,928 patients were registered at Poverest Medical Centre in September 2026, down 2.2% on a year earlier (England: down 1.1%).
19% of its patients are aged 65 or over, against 19% across England. With 7.3 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs, there are 1,083 patients per GP, fewer than the England figure of 2,171 and South East London's 2,350. The practice also has 1.1 nurses and 1.3 other clinical staff such as pharmacists and physiotherapists (full-time equivalent).
| Year | Qualified GPs (FTE) | All GPs incl. trainees (FTE) |
|---|---|---|
| August 2023 | 6.7 | 6.7 |
| August 2024 | 7.3 | 7.3 |
| August 2025 | 7.3 | 7.3 |
| August 2026 | 7.3 | 7.3 |
From June 2026 to August 2026 the practice recorded 4,674 appointments a month, or 590 per 1,000 registered patients (England: 510). 66% were face to face (England: 63%). 60% took place on the day they were booked and 2% more than 28 days after booking (England: 45% and 5%).
43% were with a GP rather than another member of the practice team. 4% of booked patients did not attend.
| Measure | Poverest Medical Centre | South East London | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Appointments per 1,000 patients a month | 590 | 399 | 510 |
| Face to face | 66% | 54% | 63% |
| Same day as booked | 60% | 45% | 45% |
| More than 28 days after booking | 2% | 2% | 5% |
| Did not attend | 4% | 7% | 4% |
Compared with England, the practice has a higher share of patients on its registers for chronic kidney disease (11.5% against 4.6%). The practice's patients live in areas with an average deprivation score of 19.2 (England: 21.8; higher is more deprived). Life expectancy for its patients' neighbourhoods is 83.9 years for women and 80.4 for men (England: 83.0 and 79.1).
| Condition register | Age group | Practice (2024/25) | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Depression | 18+ yrs | 15.9% | 14.3% |
| High blood pressure | All ages | 15.7% | 15.2% |
| Chronic kidney disease | 18+ yrs | 11.5% | 4.6% |
| Diabetes | 17+ yrs | 8.3% | 7.9% |
| Asthma | 6+ yrs | 6.1% | 6.6% |
| Cancer | All ages | 3.6% | 3.8% |
| Coronary heart disease | All ages | 2.8% | 3.0% |
| Atrial fibrillation | All ages | 2.2% | 2.2% |
| Stroke and TIA | All ages | 1.6% | 1.9% |
| COPD | All ages | 1.6% | 1.9% |
| Osteoporosis | 50+ yrs | 1.5% | 1.2% |
| Serious mental illness | All ages | 1.1% | 1.0% |
| Epilepsy | 18+ yrs | 1.0% | 0.8% |
| Heart failure | All ages | 0.8% | 1.1% |
| Dementia | All ages | 0.8% | 0.8% |
| Rheumatoid arthritis | 16+ yrs | 0.8% | 0.8% |
| Peripheral arterial disease | All ages | 0.5% | 0.6% |
| Learning disability | All ages | 0.4% | 0.6% |
| Palliative care | All ages | 0.4% | 0.6% |
| Screening coverage | Period | Practice | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bowel cancer screening (aged 60 to 74) | 2024/25 | 73.9% | 72.9% |
| Breast cancer screening (women aged 53 to 70) | 2024/25 | 77.5% | 72.2% |
| Cervical screening (women aged 25 to 49) | 2023/24 | 74.3% | 67.5% |
| Cervical screening (women aged 50 to 64) | 2023/24 | 74.7% | 74.9% |
Poverest Medical Centre, 42 Poverest Road, St Mary Cray, Orpington, BR5 2DQ. Phone: 01689 833643. Website: www.poverestmedicalcentre.co.uk.
| Nearby practice | Distance | Overall experience good |
|---|---|---|
| The Crescent Surgery | 0.4 km | 55% |
| St Mary Cray Practice | 0.9 km | 77% |
| Ballater Surgery | 1.0 km | 71% |
| The Derry Downs Surgery | 1.2 km | 84% |
| The Broomwood Road Surgery | 1.5 km | 73% |
- Dr Felix Balaratnam (87% overall experience good)
- St Mary Cray Practice (77% overall experience good)
- The Broomwood Road Surgery (73% overall experience good)
- The Crescent Surgery (55% overall experience good)
- The Derry Downs Surgery (84% overall experience good)
How do patients rate Poverest Medical Centre?
In the 2026 GP Patient Survey, 61% of patients described their overall experience of Poverest Medical Centre as good, below the England figure of 77%. 38% found it easy to get through by phone.
How many patients are registered at Poverest Medical Centre?
7,928 patients were registered in September 2026, down 2.2% on a year earlier.
What is Poverest Medical Centre's CQC rating?
Good overall, published in June 2018.
How many GPs does Poverest Medical Centre have?
7.3 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs (7 qualified GPs by headcount), which is 1,083 patients per GP against 2,171 across England.
Are appointments at Poverest Medical Centre face to face?
66% of appointments from June 2026 to August 2026 were face to face, against 63% across England.
What is Poverest Medical Centre's phone number?
01689 833643.