Cape Hill Medical Centre, Smethwick: patient reviews and CQC rating
Cape Hill Medical Centre is a GP practice in Smethwick with 11,562 registered patients (September 2026). In the 2026 GP Patient Survey, 65% of its patients described their overall experience as good, below the England figure of 77% (Black Country: 74%). The Care Quality Commission rates it Outstanding overall, in a report published in December 2019. It has 9.5 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs, or 1,213 patients per GP.
Latest data: September 2026. Patient survey 2026; registered patients September 2026; appointments to August 2026.
What patients say about Cape Hill Medical Centre
Its best result against England is the share who said their needs were met at their last appointment: 96%, against 90% across England. Its weakest is the share who found it easy to contact the practice using the NHS App: 25%, below the England figure of 54%. Of the 11 results in the table, 0 are above England and 7 below by more than the survey's margin of error, and 4 within it.
On overall experience it is 5th of the 8 practices in Smethwick with 50 or more responses. 33% found it easy to get through by phone (England: 57%). The overall experience result is 2 points lower than in 2025 (67%). 88 patients answered the survey (response rate 13%).
| Survey question | Cape Hill Medical Centre | Black Country | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overall experience good | 65% | 74% | 77% |
| Easy to contact by phone | 33% | 53% | 57% |
| Easy to contact via the website | 36% | 54% | 58% |
| Easy to contact via the NHS App | 25% | 54% | 54% |
| Reception team helpful | 73% | 81% | 85% |
| Last contact good | 51% | 68% | 73% |
| Wait for appointment about right | 49% | 65% | 69% |
| Listened to well | 81% | 85% | 87% |
| Treated with care and concern | 83% | 84% | 86% |
| Confidence and trust in the clinician | 92% | 92% | 93% |
| Needs met | 96% | 89% | 90% |
In the Friends and Family Test for July 2026, 88% of 69 responses rated the practice good or very good (England: 92%).
CQC's overall rating for Cape Hill Medical Centre is Outstanding, published in December 2019. 3 key questions are rated differently: Safe Good, Responsive Good and Effective Good. It held the same rating in the report before (May 2017).
| Key question | Rating |
|---|---|
| Safe | Good |
| Well-led | Outstanding |
| Caring | Outstanding |
| Responsive | Good |
| Effective | Good |
11,562 patients were registered at Cape Hill Medical Centre in September 2026, down 4.9% on a year earlier (England: down 1.1%).
10% of its patients are aged 65 or over, against 19% across England. With 9.5 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs, there are 1,213 patients per GP, fewer than the England figure of 2,171 and Black Country's 2,193. The practice also has 4.7 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 | 5.2 | 9.9 |
| August 2024 | 6.8 | 12.1 |
| August 2025 | 7.1 | 11.8 |
| August 2026 | 9.5 | 13.4 |
From June 2026 to August 2026 the practice recorded 9,814 appointments a month, or 849 per 1,000 registered patients (England: 510). 45% were face to face (England: 63%). 64% took place on the day they were booked and 3% more than 28 days after booking (England: 45% and 5%).
35% were with a GP rather than another member of the practice team. 8% of booked patients did not attend.
| Measure | Cape Hill Medical Centre | Black Country | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Appointments per 1,000 patients a month | 849 | 561 | 510 |
| Face to face | 45% | 64% | 63% |
| Same day as booked | 64% | 51% | 45% |
| More than 28 days after booking | 3% | 4% | 5% |
| Did not attend | 8% | 5% | 4% |
Compared with England, the practice has a higher share of patients on its registers for serious mental illness (1.6% against 1.0%), palliative or supportive care needs (0.9% against 0.6%) and diabetes (10.7% against 7.9%). It has a lower share for atrial fibrillation (1.0% against 2.2%), cancer (2.0% against 3.8%) and heart failure (0.7% against 1.1%). The practice's patients live in areas with an average deprivation score of 40.3 (England: 21.8; higher is more deprived).
Life expectancy for its patients' neighbourhoods is 80.1 years for women and 74.2 for men (England: 83.0 and 79.1).
| Condition register | Age group | Practice (2024/25) | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Depression | 18+ yrs | 16.1% | 14.3% |
| High blood pressure | All ages | 13.3% | 15.2% |
| Diabetes | 17+ yrs | 10.7% | 7.9% |
| Asthma | 6+ yrs | 7.3% | 6.6% |
| Chronic kidney disease | 18+ yrs | 4.1% | 4.6% |
| Coronary heart disease | All ages | 2.8% | 3.0% |
| Cancer | All ages | 2.0% | 3.8% |
| Serious mental illness | All ages | 1.6% | 1.0% |
| Stroke and TIA | All ages | 1.5% | 1.9% |
| COPD | All ages | 1.3% | 1.9% |
| Atrial fibrillation | All ages | 1.0% | 2.2% |
| Dementia | All ages | 1.0% | 0.8% |
| Palliative care | All ages | 0.9% | 0.6% |
| Epilepsy | 18+ yrs | 0.7% | 0.8% |
| Osteoporosis | 50+ yrs | 0.7% | 1.2% |
| Rheumatoid arthritis | 16+ yrs | 0.7% | 0.8% |
| Heart failure | All ages | 0.7% | 1.1% |
| Learning disability | All ages | 0.6% | 0.6% |
| Peripheral arterial disease | All ages | 0.4% | 0.6% |
| Screening coverage | Period | Practice | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bowel cancer screening (aged 60 to 74) | 2024/25 | 58.6% | 72.9% |
| Breast cancer screening (women aged 53 to 70) | 2024/25 | 61.3% | 72.2% |
| Cervical screening (women aged 25 to 49) | 2023/24 | 52.3% | 67.5% |
| Cervical screening (women aged 50 to 64) | 2023/24 | 73.3% | 74.9% |
Cape Hill Medical Centre, Raglan Road, Smethwick, B66 3NR. Phone: 0121 558 2613. Website: www.capehillmedicalcentre.co.uk.
| Nearby practice | Distance | Overall experience good |
|---|---|---|
| Norvic Family Practice | 0.4 km | 66% |
| EMC Surgery | 0.8 km | 74% |
| Rotton Park Medical Centre | 0.8 km | 88% |
| City Road Medical Centre | 0.9 km | 70% |
| Sarephed Medical Centre | 1.1 km | 63% |
- Hill Top Medical Centre (59% overall experience good)
- Rood End Medical Centre (83% overall experience good)
How do patients rate Cape Hill Medical Centre?
In the 2026 GP Patient Survey, 65% of patients described their overall experience of Cape Hill Medical Centre as good, below the England figure of 77%. 33% found it easy to get through by phone.
How many patients are registered at Cape Hill Medical Centre?
11,562 patients were registered in September 2026, down 4.9% on a year earlier.
What is Cape Hill Medical Centre's CQC rating?
Outstanding overall, published in December 2019.
How many GPs does Cape Hill Medical Centre have?
9.5 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs (17 qualified GPs by headcount), which is 1,213 patients per GP against 2,171 across England.
Are appointments at Cape Hill Medical Centre face to face?
45% of appointments from June 2026 to August 2026 were face to face, against 63% across England.
What is Cape Hill Medical Centre's phone number?
0121 558 2613.