Bearwood Medical Centre, Smethwick: patient reviews and CQC rating
Bearwood Medical Centre is a GP practice in Smethwick with 6,679 registered patients (September 2026). In the 2026 GP Patient Survey, 83% of its patients described their overall experience as good, against 77% across England (Black Country: 74%). The Care Quality Commission rates it Good overall, in a report published in December 2017. It has 2.3 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs, or 2,879 patients per GP.
Latest data: September 2026. Patient survey 2026; registered patients September 2026; appointments to August 2026.
What patients say about Bearwood Medical Centre
Its best result against England is the share who found it easy to get through to the practice by phone: 77%, above the England figure of 57%. Its result closest to England is the share who said their needs were met at their last appointment: 92%, against 90% across England. Of the 11 results in the table, 3 are above England and 0 below by more than the survey's margin of error, and 8 within it.
On overall experience it is 1st of the 8 practices in Smethwick with 50 or more responses. 77% found it easy to get through by phone (England: 57%). The overall experience result is 2 points lower than in 2025 (85%). 87 patients answered the survey (response rate 17%).
| Survey question | Bearwood Medical Centre | Black Country | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overall experience good | 83% | 74% | 77% |
| Easy to contact by phone | 77% | 53% | 57% |
| Easy to contact via the website | 62% | 54% | 58% |
| Easy to contact via the NHS App | 72% | 54% | 54% |
| Reception team helpful | 88% | 81% | 85% |
| Last contact good | 83% | 68% | 73% |
| Wait for appointment about right | 77% | 65% | 69% |
| Listened to well | 91% | 85% | 87% |
| Treated with care and concern | 88% | 84% | 86% |
| Confidence and trust in the clinician | 96% | 92% | 93% |
| Needs met | 92% | 89% | 90% |
In the Friends and Family Test for July 2026, 91% of 22 responses rated the practice good or very good (England: 92%).
CQC's overall rating for Bearwood Medical Centre is Good, published in December 2017. All 5 key questions are rated Good. It held the same rating in the report before (November 2016).
| Key question | Rating |
|---|---|
| Safe | Good |
| Well-led | Good |
| Caring | Good |
| Responsive | Good |
| Effective | Good |
6,679 patients were registered at Bearwood Medical Centre in September 2026, up 6.9% on a year earlier (England: down 1.1%).
9% of its patients are aged 65 or over, against 19% across England. With 2.3 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs, there are 2,879 patients per GP, more than the England figure of 2,171 and Black Country's 2,193. The practice also has 0.8 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 | 1.4 | 1.4 |
| August 2024 | 1.4 | 1.4 |
| August 2025 | 1.5 | 1.5 |
| August 2026 | 2.3 | 2.3 |
From June 2026 to August 2026 the practice recorded 2,649 appointments a month, or 397 per 1,000 registered patients (England: 510). 77% were face to face (England: 63%). 25% took place on the day they were booked and 7% more than 28 days after booking (England: 45% and 5%).
38% were with a GP rather than another member of the practice team. 7% of booked patients did not attend.
| Measure | Bearwood Medical Centre | Black Country | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Appointments per 1,000 patients a month | 397 | 561 | 510 |
| Face to face | 77% | 64% | 63% |
| Same day as booked | 25% | 51% | 45% |
| More than 28 days after booking | 7% | 4% | 5% |
| Did not attend | 7% | 5% | 4% |
Compared with England, the practice has a lower share of patients for dementia (0.3% against 0.8%), peripheral arterial disease (0.2% against 0.6%) and cancer (1.6% against 3.8%). The practice's patients live in areas with an average deprivation score of 28.4 (England: 21.8; higher is more deprived). Life expectancy for its patients' neighbourhoods is 82.5 years for women and 77.9 for men (England: 83.0 and 79.1).
| Condition register | Age group | Practice (2024/25) | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Depression | 18+ yrs | 13.7% | 14.3% |
| High blood pressure | All ages | 11.4% | 15.2% |
| Diabetes | 17+ yrs | 7.3% | 7.9% |
| Asthma | 6+ yrs | 5.7% | 6.6% |
| Chronic kidney disease | 18+ yrs | 3.1% | 4.6% |
| Cancer | All ages | 1.6% | 3.8% |
| Coronary heart disease | All ages | 1.6% | 3.0% |
| COPD | All ages | 1.3% | 1.9% |
| Atrial fibrillation | All ages | 1.0% | 2.2% |
| Stroke and TIA | All ages | 1.0% | 1.9% |
| Serious mental illness | All ages | 0.8% | 1.0% |
| Osteoporosis | 50+ yrs | 0.7% | 1.2% |
| Heart failure | All ages | 0.7% | 1.1% |
| Rheumatoid arthritis | 16+ yrs | 0.6% | 0.8% |
| Epilepsy | 18+ yrs | 0.5% | 0.8% |
| Learning disability | All ages | 0.4% | 0.6% |
| Dementia | All ages | 0.3% | 0.8% |
| Palliative care | All ages | 0.3% | 0.6% |
| Peripheral arterial disease | All ages | 0.2% | 0.6% |
| Screening coverage | Period | Practice | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bowel cancer screening (aged 60 to 74) | 2024/25 | 61.3% | 72.9% |
| Breast cancer screening (women aged 53 to 70) | 2024/25 | 60.7% | 72.2% |
| Cervical screening (women aged 25 to 49) | 2023/24 | 67.2% | 67.5% |
| Cervical screening (women aged 50 to 64) | 2023/24 | 75.0% | 74.9% |
Bearwood Medical Centre, 176 Milcote Road, Smethwick, B67 5BP. Phone: 0121 429 1572. Website: www.bearwoodmedicalcentre.co.uk.
| Nearby practice | Distance | Overall experience good |
|---|---|---|
| Dr Kanjana Paramanathan | 0.6 km | 77% |
| Sherwood House Medical Practice | 1.0 km | 94% |
| City Health Centre | 1.0 km | 81% |
| Sarephed Medical Centre | 1.5 km | 63% |
| Hill Top Medical Centre | 1.7 km | 59% |
- Causeway Green Surgery (65% overall experience good)
- Dog Kennel Lane Surgery (93% overall experience good)
- Dr Jagtar Chaggar (67% overall experience good)
- Dr VK Dewan (94% overall experience good)
- Hawthorns Medical Centre (60% overall experience good)
- Oldbury Health Centre (75% overall experience good)
- St Paul's Partners (85% overall experience good)
- St Paul's Partnership - Lyng Medical (88% overall experience good)
- Walford Street Surgery (80% overall experience good)
- Warley Road Surgery (76% overall experience good)
How do patients rate Bearwood Medical Centre?
In the 2026 GP Patient Survey, 83% of patients described their overall experience of Bearwood Medical Centre as good, against 77% across England. 77% found it easy to get through by phone.
How many patients are registered at Bearwood Medical Centre?
6,679 patients were registered in September 2026, up 6.9% on a year earlier.
What is Bearwood Medical Centre's CQC rating?
Good overall, published in December 2017.
How many GPs does Bearwood Medical Centre have?
2.3 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs (7 qualified GPs by headcount), which is 2,879 patients per GP against 2,171 across England.
Are appointments at Bearwood Medical Centre face to face?
77% of appointments from June 2026 to August 2026 were face to face, against 63% across England.
What is Bearwood Medical Centre's phone number?
0121 429 1572.