Briarwood Medical Centre, Preston: patient reviews and CQC rating
Briarwood Medical Centre is a GP practice in Preston with 7,870 registered patients (September 2026). In the 2026 GP Patient Survey, 76% of its patients described their overall experience as good, against 77% across England (Lancashire and South Cumbria: 78%). The Care Quality Commission rates it Good overall, in a report published in January 2017. It has 3.8 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs, or 2,049 patients per GP.
Latest data: September 2026. Patient survey 2026; registered patients September 2026; appointments to August 2026.
What patients say about Briarwood Medical Centre
Its best result against England is the share who said the wait for their last appointment was about right: 80%, above the England figure of 69%. Its weakest is the share who said the healthcare professional was good at listening to them: 78%, below the England figure of 87%. Of the 11 results in the table, 1 is above England and 1 below by more than the survey's margin of error, and 9 within it.
On overall experience it is 22nd of the 32 practices in Preston with 50 or more responses. 66% found it easy to get through by phone (England: 57%). The overall experience result is 8 points lower than in 2025 (84%). 91 patients answered the survey (response rate 24%).
| Survey question | Briarwood Medical Centre | Lancashire and South Cumbria | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overall experience good | 76% | 78% | 77% |
| Easy to contact by phone | 66% | 61% | 57% |
| Easy to contact via the website | 55% | 55% | 58% |
| Easy to contact via the NHS App | 65% | 57% | 54% |
| Reception team helpful | 85% | 86% | 85% |
| Last contact good | 75% | 74% | 73% |
| Wait for appointment about right | 80% | 70% | 69% |
| Listened to well | 78% | 88% | 87% |
| Treated with care and concern | 84% | 87% | 86% |
| Confidence and trust in the clinician | 93% | 93% | 93% |
| Needs met | 91% | 91% | 90% |
In the Friends and Family Test for July 2026, 88% of 49 responses rated the practice good or very good (England: 92%).
CQC's overall rating for Briarwood Medical Centre is Good, published in January 2017. All 5 key questions are rated Good.
| Key question | Rating |
|---|---|
| Safe | Good |
| Well-led | Good |
| Caring | Good |
| Responsive | Good |
| Effective | Good |
7,870 patients were registered at Briarwood Medical Centre in September 2026, up 4.0% on a year earlier (England: down 1.1%).
18% of its patients are aged 65 or over, against 19% across England. With 3.8 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs, there are 2,049 patients per GP, close to the England figure of 2,171 and Lancashire and South Cumbria's 2,288. The practice also has 1.7 nurses (full-time equivalent).
| Year | Qualified GPs (FTE) | All GPs incl. trainees (FTE) |
|---|---|---|
| August 2023 | 2.8 | 2.8 |
| August 2024 | 2.8 | 4.9 |
| August 2025 | 3.4 | 4.3 |
| August 2026 | 3.8 | 6.0 |
From June 2026 to August 2026 the practice recorded 3,051 appointments a month, or 388 per 1,000 registered patients (England: 510). 63% were face to face (England: 63%). 57% took place on the day they were booked and 1% more than 28 days after booking (England: 45% and 5%).
55% were with a GP rather than another member of the practice team. 3% of booked patients did not attend.
| Measure | Briarwood Medical Centre | Lancashire and South Cumbria | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Appointments per 1,000 patients a month | 388 | 471 | 510 |
| Face to face | 63% | 70% | 63% |
| Same day as booked | 57% | 42% | 45% |
| More than 28 days after booking | 1% | 6% | 5% |
| Did not attend | 3% | 5% | 4% |
Compared with England, the practice has a higher share of patients on its registers for osteoporosis (2.2% against 1.2%), dementia (1.2% against 0.8%) and heart failure (1.6% against 1.1%). The practice's patients live in areas with an average deprivation score of 22.7 (England: 21.8; higher is more deprived). Life expectancy for its patients' neighbourhoods is 82.7 years for women and 77.8 for men (England: 83.0 and 79.1).
| Condition register | Age group | Practice (2024/25) | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Depression | 18+ yrs | 19.4% | 14.3% |
| High blood pressure | All ages | 15.0% | 15.2% |
| Diabetes | 17+ yrs | 6.8% | 7.9% |
| Asthma | 6+ yrs | 6.1% | 6.6% |
| Chronic kidney disease | 18+ yrs | 5.4% | 4.6% |
| Cancer | All ages | 3.6% | 3.8% |
| Coronary heart disease | All ages | 2.9% | 3.0% |
| Atrial fibrillation | All ages | 2.4% | 2.2% |
| Osteoporosis | 50+ yrs | 2.2% | 1.2% |
| Stroke and TIA | All ages | 1.8% | 1.9% |
| Heart failure | All ages | 1.6% | 1.1% |
| COPD | All ages | 1.6% | 1.9% |
| Dementia | All ages | 1.2% | 0.8% |
| Serious mental illness | All ages | 1.1% | 1.0% |
| Rheumatoid arthritis | 16+ yrs | 0.9% | 0.8% |
| Epilepsy | 18+ yrs | 0.9% | 0.8% |
| Peripheral arterial disease | All ages | 0.6% | 0.6% |
| Learning disability | All ages | 0.5% | 0.6% |
| Palliative care | All ages | 0.3% | 0.6% |
| Screening coverage | Period | Practice | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bowel cancer screening (aged 60 to 74) | 2024/25 | 72.3% | 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 | 77.3% | 67.5% |
| Cervical screening (women aged 50 to 64) | 2023/24 | 80.0% | 74.9% |
Briarwood Medical Centre, 514 Blackpool Road, Ashton, Preston, PR2 1HY. Phone: 01772 364999. Website: www.briarwoodmedicalcentre.com.
| Nearby practice | Distance | Overall experience good |
|---|---|---|
| The Park Medical Practice | 0.2 km | 73% |
| Lane Ends Surgery | 0.6 km | 82% |
| St Fillans Medical Centre | 2.2 km | 80% |
| Fishergate Hill Surgery | 2.2 km | 86% |
| Lytham Road Surgery | 2.5 km | 92% |
- Dr R Ali Surgery (73% overall experience good)
- Guttridge Medical Centre (78% overall experience good)
- Kingsfold Medical Centre (97% overall experience good)
- Lane Ends Surgery (82% overall experience good)
- North Preston Medical Practice (71% overall experience good)
- Penwortham St. Mary's Medical Group (80% overall experience good)
- The New Hall Lane Practice (87% overall experience good)
- The Park Medical Practice (73% overall experience good)
How do patients rate Briarwood Medical Centre?
In the 2026 GP Patient Survey, 76% of patients described their overall experience of Briarwood Medical Centre as good, against 77% across England. 66% found it easy to get through by phone.
How many patients are registered at Briarwood Medical Centre?
7,870 patients were registered in September 2026, up 4.0% on a year earlier.
What is Briarwood Medical Centre's CQC rating?
Good overall, published in January 2017.
How many GPs does Briarwood Medical Centre have?
3.8 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs (6 qualified GPs by headcount), which is 2,049 patients per GP against 2,171 across England.
Are appointments at Briarwood Medical Centre face to face?
63% of appointments from June 2026 to August 2026 were face to face, against 63% across England.
What is Briarwood Medical Centre's phone number?
01772 364999.