Birches Head Medical Centre, Stoke On Trent: patient reviews and CQC rating
Birches Head Medical Centre is a GP practice in Stoke On Trent with 10,282 registered patients (September 2026). In the 2026 GP Patient Survey, 86% of its patients described their overall experience as good, above the England figure of 77% (Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent: 80%). The Care Quality Commission rates it Good overall, in a report published in August 2017. It has 3.2 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs, or 3,213 patients per GP.
Latest data: September 2026. Patient survey 2026; registered patients September 2026; appointments to August 2026.
What patients say about Birches Head Medical Centre
Its best result against England is the share who found it easy to contact the practice using the NHS App: 79%, above the England figure of 54%. Its weakest is the share who had confidence and trust in the healthcare professional they saw: 91%, against 93% across England. Of the 11 results in the table, 7 are above England and 0 below by more than the survey's margin of error, and 4 within it.
On overall experience it is 19th of the 52 practices in Stoke On Trent with 50 or more responses. 68% found it easy to get through by phone (England: 57%). The overall experience result is 3 points lower than in 2025 (89%). 126 patients answered the survey (response rate 24%).
| Survey question | Birches Head Medical Centre | Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overall experience good | 86% | 80% | 77% |
| Easy to contact by phone | 68% | 63% | 57% |
| Easy to contact via the website | 78% | 59% | 58% |
| Easy to contact via the NHS App | 79% | 61% | 54% |
| Reception team helpful | 96% | 86% | 85% |
| Last contact good | 85% | 76% | 73% |
| Wait for appointment about right | 78% | 75% | 69% |
| Listened to well | 92% | 87% | 87% |
| Treated with care and concern | 92% | 87% | 86% |
| Confidence and trust in the clinician | 91% | 92% | 93% |
| Needs met | 88% | 90% | 90% |
In the Friends and Family Test for July 2026, 95% of 278 responses rated the practice good or very good (England: 92%).
CQC's overall rating for Birches Head Medical Centre is Good, published in August 2017. All 5 key questions are rated Good. It held the same rating in the report before (March 2016).
| Key question | Rating |
|---|---|
| Safe | Good |
| Well-led | Good |
| Caring | Good |
| Responsive | Good |
| Effective | Good |
10,282 patients were registered at Birches Head Medical Centre in September 2026, up 1.4% on a year earlier (England: down 1.1%).
16% of its patients are aged 65 or over, against 19% across England. With 3.2 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs, there are 3,213 patients per GP, more than the England figure of 2,171 and Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent's 2,252. The practice also has 1.9 nurses (full-time equivalent).
| Year | Qualified GPs (FTE) | All GPs incl. trainees (FTE) |
|---|---|---|
| August 2023 | 3.2 | 8.1 |
| August 2024 | 3.2 | 9.4 |
| August 2025 | 3.2 | 7.3 |
| August 2026 | 3.2 | 10.5 |
From June 2026 to August 2026 the practice recorded 3,603 appointments a month, or 350 per 1,000 registered patients (England: 510). 83% were face to face (England: 63%). 59% took place on the day they were booked and 3% more than 28 days after booking (England: 45% and 5%).
36% were with a GP rather than another member of the practice team. 5% of booked patients did not attend.
| Measure | Birches Head Medical Centre | Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Appointments per 1,000 patients a month | 350 | 479 | 510 |
| Face to face | 83% | 66% | 63% |
| Same day as booked | 59% | 48% | 45% |
| More than 28 days after booking | 3% | 3% | 5% |
| Did not attend | 5% | 4% | 4% |
Compared with England, the practice has a higher share of patients on its registers for osteoporosis (5.0% against 1.2%), depression (29.0% against 14.3%) and epilepsy (1.4% against 0.8%). The practice's patients live in areas with an average deprivation score of 31.1 (England: 21.8; higher is more deprived). Life expectancy for its patients' neighbourhoods is 80.5 years for women and 76.8 for men (England: 83.0 and 79.1).
| Condition register | Age group | Practice (2024/25) | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Depression | 18+ yrs | 29.0% | 14.3% |
| High blood pressure | All ages | 18.2% | 15.2% |
| Diabetes | 17+ yrs | 8.9% | 7.9% |
| Asthma | 6+ yrs | 7.7% | 6.6% |
| Chronic kidney disease | 18+ yrs | 6.3% | 4.6% |
| Osteoporosis | 50+ yrs | 5.0% | 1.2% |
| Cancer | All ages | 3.8% | 3.8% |
| Coronary heart disease | All ages | 3.0% | 3.0% |
| COPD | All ages | 2.7% | 1.9% |
| Atrial fibrillation | All ages | 2.0% | 2.2% |
| Stroke and TIA | All ages | 1.9% | 1.9% |
| Heart failure | All ages | 1.5% | 1.1% |
| Epilepsy | 18+ yrs | 1.4% | 0.8% |
| Rheumatoid arthritis | 16+ yrs | 1.2% | 0.8% |
| Dementia | All ages | 1.1% | 0.8% |
| Serious mental illness | All ages | 1.0% | 1.0% |
| Learning disability | All ages | 1.0% | 0.6% |
| Palliative care | All ages | 0.9% | 0.6% |
| Peripheral arterial disease | All ages | 0.7% | 0.6% |
| Screening coverage | Period | Practice | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bowel cancer screening (aged 60 to 74) | 2024/25 | 69.8% | 72.9% |
| Breast cancer screening (women aged 53 to 70) | 2024/25 | 75.0% | 72.2% |
| Cervical screening (women aged 25 to 49) | 2023/24 | 70.7% | 67.5% |
| Cervical screening (women aged 50 to 64) | 2023/24 | 72.0% | 74.9% |
Birches Head Medical Centre, Diana Road, Birches Head, Stoke On Trent, ST1 6RS. Phone: 01782 948998.
| Nearby practice | Distance | Overall experience good |
|---|---|---|
| Dr VSR Chadalavada & Partners | 1.4 km | 82% |
| Millrise Medical Practice | 1.7 km | 94% |
| Moorcroft Medical Centre | 1.8 km | 63% |
| Dr M Keersmaekers & Partners | 1.8 km | 68% |
| Potteries Medical Centre | 2.1 km | 90% |
- Dr VSR Chadalavada & Partners (82% overall experience good)
- Norfolk Street Surgery (76% overall experience good)
How do patients rate Birches Head Medical Centre?
In the 2026 GP Patient Survey, 86% of patients described their overall experience of Birches Head Medical Centre as good, above the England figure of 77%. 68% found it easy to get through by phone.
How many patients are registered at Birches Head Medical Centre?
10,282 patients were registered in September 2026, up 1.4% on a year earlier.
What is Birches Head Medical Centre's CQC rating?
Good overall, published in August 2017.
How many GPs does Birches Head Medical Centre have?
3.2 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs (3 qualified GPs by headcount), which is 3,213 patients per GP against 2,171 across England.
Are appointments at Birches Head Medical Centre face to face?
83% of appointments from June 2026 to August 2026 were face to face, against 63% across England.
What is Birches Head Medical Centre's phone number?
01782 948998.