Blue PCN: primary care network practices and patient survey
Blue PCN is a primary care network of 6 GP practices with 50,928 registered patients (September 2026). In the 2026 GP Patient Survey, 66% of its patients described their overall experience as good, below the England figure of 77%. Its practices have 2,707 patients per qualified GP (England: 2,171).
Latest data: September 2026. Registered patients September 2026; GP Patient Survey 2026.
Across the 6 practices in Blue PCN with survey results, the share of patients describing their overall experience as good ranges from 30% at Rushden Medical Centre to 85% at Bugbrooke Surgery, with a median of 75% (England: 77%). 0 are above England and 3 below by more than the survey's margin of error. The Crescent Medical Centre has the highest share finding it easy to get through by phone (76%, England 57%).
| Practice | Registered patients | Overall experience good | Easy to contact by phone | CQC rating | Patients per GP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bugbrooke Surgery | 10,688 | 85% | 60% | Good | 1,750 |
| County Surgery | 4,013 | 82% | 75% | – | – |
| The Crescent Medical Centre | 7,050 | 81% | 76% | Good | 5,036 |
| Park Avenue Medical Centre | 15,103 | 69% | 45% | – | 3,726 |
| Brook Medical Centre | 5,517 | 54% | 23% | Good | – |
| Rushden Medical Centre | 8,557 | 30% | 15% | Requires improvement | 2,292 |
Results for the network as a whole, from 628 responses, against Northamptonshire and England.
| Survey question | Blue PCN | Northamptonshire | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overall experience good | 66% | 74% | 77% |
| Easy to contact by phone | 47% | 51% | 57% |
| Easy to contact via the website | 47% | 56% | 58% |
| Easy to contact via the NHS App | 32% | 52% | 54% |
| Reception team helpful | 75% | 83% | 85% |
| Last contact good | 63% | 70% | 73% |
| Wait for appointment about right | 64% | 71% | 69% |
| Listened to well | 80% | 85% | 87% |
| Treated with care and concern | 80% | 85% | 86% |
| Confidence and trust in the clinician | 87% | 91% | 93% |
| Needs met | 86% | 90% | 90% |
There are 2,707 registered patients per full-time-equivalent qualified GP in Blue PCN, more than England's 2,171 and Northamptonshire's 2,413. Practices recorded 474 appointments a month per 1,000 patients (England: 510), 66% of them face to face. 38% of appointments took place on the day they were booked (England: 45%).
17% of registered patients are aged 65 or over (England: 19%). Lists shrank by 4.0% over the year (England: shrank 1.1%).
| Measure | Blue PCN | Northamptonshire | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Patients per qualified GP | 2,707 | 2,413 | 2,171 |
| Appointments per 1,000 patients a month | 474 | 531 | 510 |
| Face-to-face appointments | 66% | 59% | 63% |
| Same day as booked | 38% | 46% | 45% |
| Did not attend | 4% | 4% | 4% |
| Patients aged 65 or over | 17% | 18% | 19% |
Relative to England, the register furthest above England's rate at practices in Blue PCN is depression (16.1% against 14.3%), and the furthest below is palliative care (0.2% against 0.6%).
| Condition register | Age group | Blue PCN (2024/25) | England | Patients on register |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Depression | 18+ yrs | 16.1% | 14.3% | 6,799 |
| High blood pressure | All ages | 15.5% | 15.2% | 8,271 |
| Diabetes | 17+ yrs | 8.7% | 7.9% | 3,726 |
| Asthma | 6+ yrs | 6.0% | 6.6% | 3,012 |
| Chronic kidney disease | 18+ yrs | 4.9% | 4.6% | 2,087 |
| Cancer | All ages | 3.3% | 3.8% | 1,758 |
| Coronary heart disease | All ages | 2.5% | 3.0% | 1,352 |
| Atrial fibrillation | All ages | 2.1% | 2.2% | 1,106 |
| COPD | All ages | 1.9% | 1.9% | 1,040 |
| Stroke and TIA | All ages | 1.7% | 1.9% | 898 |
| Serious mental illness | All ages | 1.0% | 1.0% | 511 |
| Heart failure | All ages | 0.9% | 1.1% | 477 |
| Epilepsy | 18+ yrs | 0.8% | 0.8% | 358 |
| Osteoporosis | 50+ yrs | 0.8% | 1.2% | 155 |
| Rheumatoid arthritis | 16+ yrs | 0.7% | 0.8% | 310 |
| Dementia | All ages | 0.6% | 0.8% | 330 |
| Learning disability | All ages | 0.6% | 0.6% | 330 |
| Peripheral arterial disease | All ages | 0.5% | 0.6% | 264 |
| Palliative care | All ages | 0.2% | 0.6% | 127 |
- Brackley & Towcester PCN (4 practices)
- Daventry PCN (2 practices)
- East Northants PCN (8 practices)
- Grand Union PCN (5 practices)
- Kettering & South West Rural PCN (2 practices)
- M-Web PCN (5 practices)
- Mmwf PCN (4 practices)
- Northamptonshire Rural PCN (5 practices)
- Parkwood PCN (3 practices)
- Red Kite Healthcare PCN (3 practices)
- Rockingham Forest PCN (3 practices)
- Royal Parks PCN (3 practices)
Which practices are in Blue PCN?
Brook Medical Centre, Bugbrooke Surgery, County Surgery, Park Avenue Medical Centre, Rushden Medical Centre and The Crescent Medical Centre.
How do patients rate Blue PCN?
66% described their overall experience as good in the 2026 GP Patient Survey, below the England figure of 77%.
How many patients does Blue PCN cover?
50,928 registered patients across 6 practices in September 2026.
How many patients per GP does Blue PCN have?
2,707 per full-time-equivalent qualified GP, against 2,171 across England.