Balmore Park Surgery, Reading: patient reviews and CQC rating
Balmore Park Surgery is a GP practice in Reading with 19,838 registered patients (September 2026). In the 2026 GP Patient Survey, 85% of its patients described their overall experience as good, above the England figure of 77% (Thames Valley: 76%). The Care Quality Commission rates it Good overall, in a report published in September 2018. It has 8.6 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs, or 2,295 patients per GP.
Latest data: September 2026. Patient survey 2026; registered patients September 2026; appointments to August 2026.
What patients say about Balmore Park Surgery
Its best result against England is the share who found it easy to contact the practice using the NHS App: 70%, above the England figure of 54%. Its weakest is the share who said the wait for their last appointment was about right: 61%, 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 6th of the 31 practices in Reading with 50 or more responses. 57% found it easy to get through by phone (England: 57%). The overall experience result is 6 points higher than in 2025 (79%). 108 patients answered the survey (response rate 30%).
| Survey question | Balmore Park Surgery | Thames Valley | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overall experience good | 85% | 76% | 77% |
| Easy to contact by phone | 57% | 56% | 57% |
| Easy to contact via the website | 71% | 57% | 58% |
| Easy to contact via the NHS App | 70% | 53% | 54% |
| Reception team helpful | 83% | 84% | 85% |
| Last contact good | 76% | 72% | 73% |
| Wait for appointment about right | 61% | 69% | 69% |
| Listened to well | 92% | 88% | 87% |
| Treated with care and concern | 90% | 87% | 86% |
| Confidence and trust in the clinician | 99% | 93% | 93% |
| Needs met | 98% | 90% | 90% |
CQC's overall rating for Balmore Park Surgery is Good, published in September 2018. All 5 key questions are rated Good. It held the same rating in the report before (January 2018).
| Key question | Rating |
|---|---|
| Safe | Good |
| Well-led | Good |
| Caring | Good |
| Responsive | Good |
| Effective | Good |
19,838 patients were registered at Balmore Park Surgery in September 2026, down 3.2% on a year earlier (England: down 1.1%).
19% of its patients are aged 65 or over, against 19% across England. With 8.6 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs, there are 2,295 patients per GP, close to the England figure of 2,171 and Thames Valley's 2,121. The practice also has 5.0 nurses and 3.2 other clinical staff such as pharmacists and physiotherapists (full-time equivalent).
| Year | Qualified GPs (FTE) | All GPs incl. trainees (FTE) |
|---|---|---|
| August 2023 | 9.3 | 11.2 |
| August 2024 | 9.3 | 11.4 |
| August 2025 | 6.6 | 8.3 |
| August 2026 | 8.6 | 10.8 |
From June 2026 to August 2026 the practice recorded 9,266 appointments a month, or 467 per 1,000 registered patients (England: 510). 69% were face to face (England: 63%). 38% took place on the day they were booked and 5% more than 28 days after booking (England: 45% and 5%).
59% were with a GP rather than another member of the practice team. 4% of booked patients did not attend.
| Measure | Balmore Park Surgery | Thames Valley | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Appointments per 1,000 patients a month | 467 | 451 | 510 |
| Face to face | 69% | 60% | 63% |
| Same day as booked | 38% | 45% | 45% |
| More than 28 days after booking | 5% | 4% | 5% |
| Did not attend | 4% | 5% | 4% |
Compared with England, the practice has a higher share of patients on its registers for palliative or supportive care needs (0.8% against 0.6%). It has a lower share for osteoporosis (0.4% against 1.2%), COPD (1.1% against 1.9%) and peripheral arterial disease (0.3% against 0.6%). The practice's patients live in areas with an average deprivation score of 8.1 (England: 21.8; higher is more deprived).
Life expectancy for its patients' neighbourhoods is 85.9 years for women and 82.0 for men (England: 83.0 and 79.1).
| Condition register | Age group | Practice (2024/25) | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| High blood pressure | All ages | 14.3% | 15.2% |
| Depression | 18+ yrs | 14.2% | 14.3% |
| Asthma | 6+ yrs | 7.4% | 6.6% |
| Diabetes | 17+ yrs | 6.3% | 7.9% |
| Chronic kidney disease | 18+ yrs | 4.4% | 4.6% |
| Cancer | All ages | 3.8% | 3.8% |
| Coronary heart disease | All ages | 2.2% | 3.0% |
| Atrial fibrillation | All ages | 2.2% | 2.2% |
| Stroke and TIA | All ages | 1.5% | 1.9% |
| COPD | All ages | 1.1% | 1.9% |
| Serious mental illness | All ages | 1.0% | 1.0% |
| Rheumatoid arthritis | 16+ yrs | 0.9% | 0.8% |
| Heart failure | All ages | 0.8% | 1.1% |
| Dementia | All ages | 0.8% | 0.8% |
| Epilepsy | 18+ yrs | 0.8% | 0.8% |
| Palliative care | All ages | 0.8% | 0.6% |
| Learning disability | All ages | 0.5% | 0.6% |
| Osteoporosis | 50+ yrs | 0.4% | 1.2% |
| Peripheral arterial disease | All ages | 0.3% | 0.6% |
| Screening coverage | Period | Practice | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bowel cancer screening (aged 60 to 74) | 2024/25 | 77.9% | 72.9% |
| Breast cancer screening (women aged 53 to 70) | 2024/25 | 76.9% | 72.2% |
| Cervical screening (women aged 25 to 49) | 2023/24 | 72.7% | 67.5% |
| Cervical screening (women aged 50 to 64) | 2023/24 | 74.6% | 74.9% |
99% of the practice's patients live in the RG4 postcode district. 99% live in Reading, the council area the practice is in.
| Postcode district | Registered patients | Share |
|---|---|---|
| RG4 | 19,691 | 99% |
Balmore Park Surgery, 59a Hemdean Road, Caversham, Reading, RG4 7SS. Phone: 0118 947 1455. Website: www.balmoreparksurgery.co.uk.
| Nearby practice | Distance | Overall experience good |
|---|---|---|
| Emmer Green Surgery | 1.4 km | 90% |
| Abbey Medical Centre | 1.8 km | 80% |
| Reading Walk-in Health Centre | 1.8 km | 78% |
| Chatham Street Surgery | 1.8 km | 78% |
| Western Elms Surgery | 2.1 km | 68% |
- Emmer Green Surgery (90% overall experience good)
How do patients rate Balmore Park Surgery?
In the 2026 GP Patient Survey, 85% of patients described their overall experience of Balmore Park Surgery as good, above the England figure of 77%. 57% found it easy to get through by phone.
How many patients are registered at Balmore Park Surgery?
19,838 patients were registered in September 2026, down 3.2% on a year earlier.
What is Balmore Park Surgery's CQC rating?
Good overall, published in September 2018.
How many GPs does Balmore Park Surgery have?
8.6 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs (11 qualified GPs by headcount), which is 2,295 patients per GP against 2,171 across England.
Are appointments at Balmore Park Surgery face to face?
69% of appointments from June 2026 to August 2026 were face to face, against 63% across England.
What is Balmore Park Surgery's phone number?
0118 947 1455.