The Birchwood Practice, Poole: patient reviews and CQC rating
The Birchwood Practice is a GP practice in Poole with 10,442 registered patients (September 2026). In the 2026 GP Patient Survey, 89% of its patients described their overall experience as good, above the England figure of 77% (Dorset: 80%). The Care Quality Commission rates it Good overall, in a report published in November 2016. It has 6.2 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs, or 1,683 patients per GP.
Latest data: September 2026. Patient survey 2026; registered patients September 2026; appointments to August 2026.
What patients say about The Birchwood Practice
Its best result against England is the share who found it easy to get through to the practice by phone: 82%, above the England figure of 57%. Its weakest is the share who said the wait for their last appointment was about right: 63%, against 69% 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.
On overall experience it is 3rd of the 9 practices in Poole with 50 or more responses. 82% found it easy to get through by phone (England: 57%). The overall experience result is 1 point lower than in 2025 (90%). 127 patients answered the survey (response rate 33%).
| Survey question | The Birchwood Practice | Dorset | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overall experience good | 89% | 80% | 77% |
| Easy to contact by phone | 82% | 63% | 57% |
| Easy to contact via the website | 67% | 65% | 58% |
| Easy to contact via the NHS App | 76% | 55% | 54% |
| Reception team helpful | 90% | 88% | 85% |
| Last contact good | 88% | 77% | 73% |
| Wait for appointment about right | 63% | 67% | 69% |
| Listened to well | 92% | 89% | 87% |
| Treated with care and concern | 90% | 88% | 86% |
| Confidence and trust in the clinician | 97% | 94% | 93% |
| Needs met | 96% | 92% | 90% |
In the Friends and Family Test for July 2026, 96% of 345 responses rated the practice good or very good (England: 92%).
CQC's overall rating for The Birchwood Practice is Good, published in November 2016. All 5 key questions are rated Good.
| Key question | Rating |
|---|---|
| Safe | Good |
| Well-led | Good |
| Caring | Good |
| Responsive | Good |
| Effective | Good |
10,442 patients were registered at The Birchwood Practice in September 2026, down 0.9% on a year earlier (England: down 1.1%).
20% of its patients are aged 65 or over, against 19% across England. With 6.2 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs, there are 1,683 patients per GP, fewer than the England figure of 2,171 and Dorset's 1,904. The practice also has 3.7 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 | 6.2 | 7.0 |
| August 2024 | 6.7 | 7.8 |
| August 2025 | 6.4 | 7.2 |
| August 2026 | 6.2 | 7.3 |
From June 2026 to August 2026 the practice recorded 4,857 appointments a month, or 465 per 1,000 registered patients (England: 510). 74% were face to face (England: 63%). 37% took place on the day they were booked and 16% more than 28 days after booking (England: 45% and 5%).
44% were with a GP rather than another member of the practice team. 4% of booked patients did not attend.
| Measure | The Birchwood Practice | Dorset | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Appointments per 1,000 patients a month | 465 | 612 | 510 |
| Face to face | 74% | 63% | 63% |
| Same day as booked | 37% | 43% | 45% |
| More than 28 days after booking | 16% | 10% | 5% |
| Did not attend | 4% | 3% | 4% |
Compared with England, the practice has a higher share of patients on its registers for peripheral arterial disease (1.0% against 0.6%), coronary heart disease (3.9% against 3.0%) and chronic kidney disease (5.9% against 4.6%). The practice's patients live in areas with an average deprivation score of 14.1 (England: 21.8; higher is more deprived). Life expectancy for its patients' neighbourhoods is 84.2 years for women and 80.5 for men (England: 83.0 and 79.1).
| Condition register | Age group | Practice (2024/25) | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Depression | 18+ yrs | 17.0% | 14.3% |
| High blood pressure | All ages | 16.1% | 15.2% |
| Diabetes | 17+ yrs | 8.1% | 7.9% |
| Asthma | 6+ yrs | 7.9% | 6.6% |
| Chronic kidney disease | 18+ yrs | 5.9% | 4.6% |
| Cancer | All ages | 4.6% | 3.8% |
| Coronary heart disease | All ages | 3.9% | 3.0% |
| Atrial fibrillation | All ages | 2.3% | 2.2% |
| Stroke and TIA | All ages | 2.1% | 1.9% |
| COPD | All ages | 1.8% | 1.9% |
| Osteoporosis | 50+ yrs | 1.4% | 1.2% |
| Heart failure | All ages | 1.3% | 1.1% |
| Serious mental illness | All ages | 1.2% | 1.0% |
| Rheumatoid arthritis | 16+ yrs | 1.0% | 0.8% |
| Peripheral arterial disease | All ages | 1.0% | 0.6% |
| Epilepsy | 18+ yrs | 0.9% | 0.8% |
| Learning disability | All ages | 0.6% | 0.6% |
| Dementia | All ages | 0.5% | 0.8% |
| Palliative care | All ages | 0.4% | 0.6% |
| Screening coverage | Period | Practice | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bowel cancer screening (aged 60 to 74) | 2024/25 | 78.8% | 72.9% |
| Breast cancer screening (women aged 53 to 70) | 2024/25 | 83.2% | 72.2% |
| Cervical screening (women aged 25 to 49) | 2023/24 | 77.7% | 67.5% |
| Cervical screening (women aged 50 to 64) | 2023/24 | 80.6% | 74.9% |
35% of the practice's patients live in the BH17 postcode district, followed by BH15 (34%), BH16 (9%) and BH18 (9%). 88% live in Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole, the council area the practice is in.
The Birchwood Practice, Birchwood Medical Centre, Northmead Drive, Creekmoor, Poole, BH17 7XW. Phone: 01202 697639. Website: www.birchwoodpractice.co.uk.
| Nearby practice | Distance | Overall experience good |
|---|---|---|
| The Adam Practice | 2.3 km | 71% |
| The Hadleigh Practice | 2.3 km | 94% |
| The Harvey Practice | 2.3 km | 90% |
| Canford Heath Group Practice | 2.4 km | 90% |
| Dr Newmans Surgery - The Newman Practice | 2.8 km | 91% |
- Canford Heath Group Practice (90% overall experience good)
- The Hadleigh Practice (94% overall experience good)
- The Harvey Practice (90% overall experience good)
How do patients rate The Birchwood Practice?
In the 2026 GP Patient Survey, 89% of patients described their overall experience of The Birchwood Practice as good, above the England figure of 77%. 82% found it easy to get through by phone.
How many patients are registered at The Birchwood Practice?
10,442 patients were registered in September 2026, down 0.9% on a year earlier.
What is The Birchwood Practice's CQC rating?
Good overall, published in November 2016.
How many GPs does The Birchwood Practice have?
6.2 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs (10 qualified GPs by headcount), which is 1,683 patients per GP against 2,171 across England.
Are appointments at The Birchwood Practice face to face?
74% of appointments from June 2026 to August 2026 were face to face, against 63% across England.
What is The Birchwood Practice's phone number?
01202 697639.