Ambar Medical Centre, Walsall: patient reviews and CQC rating
Ambar Medical Centre is a GP practice in Walsall with 2,516 registered patients (September 2026). In the 2026 GP Patient Survey, 64% of its patients described their overall experience as good, below the England figure of 77% (Black Country: 74%). The Care Quality Commission rates it Good overall, in a report published in October 2022. It has 0.8 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs, or 3,044 patients per GP.
Latest data: September 2026. Patient survey 2026; registered patients September 2026; appointments to August 2026.
What patients say about Ambar Medical Centre
Its best result against England is the share who found it easy to contact the practice through its website: 72%, above the England figure of 58%. Its weakest is the share who described their overall experience of the practice as good: 64%, below the England figure of 77%. Of the 11 results in the table, 1 is above England and 4 below by more than the survey's margin of error, and 6 within it.
On overall experience it is 37th of the 40 practices in Walsall with 50 or more responses. 69% found it easy to get through by phone (England: 57%). The overall experience result is 3 points lower than in 2025 (67%). 59 patients answered the survey (response rate 6%).
| Survey question | Ambar Medical Centre | Black Country | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overall experience good | 64% | 74% | 77% |
| Easy to contact by phone | 69% | 53% | 57% |
| Easy to contact via the website | 72% | 54% | 58% |
| Easy to contact via the NHS App | 61% | 54% | 54% |
| Reception team helpful | 76% | 81% | 85% |
| Last contact good | 70% | 68% | 73% |
| Wait for appointment about right | 70% | 65% | 69% |
| Listened to well | 78% | 85% | 87% |
| Treated with care and concern | 75% | 84% | 86% |
| Confidence and trust in the clinician | 86% | 92% | 93% |
| Needs met | 82% | 89% | 90% |
In the Friends and Family Test for July 2026, 79% of 28 responses rated the practice good or very good (England: 92%).
CQC's overall rating for Ambar Medical Centre is Good, published in October 2022. All 5 key questions are rated Good. It held the same rating in the report before (March 2018).
| Key question | Rating |
|---|---|
| Safe | Good |
| Well-led | Good |
| Caring | Good |
| Responsive | Good |
| Effective | Good |
2,516 patients were registered at Ambar Medical Centre in September 2026, almost the same as a year earlier.
6% of its patients are aged 65 or over, against 19% across England. With 0.8 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs, there are 3,044 patients per GP, more than the England figure of 2,171 and Black Country's 2,193. The practice also has 0.1 other clinical staff such as pharmacists and physiotherapists (full-time equivalent).
| Year | Qualified GPs (FTE) | All GPs incl. trainees (FTE) |
|---|---|---|
| August 2023 | 0.8 | 0.8 |
| August 2024 | 0.8 | 0.8 |
| August 2025 | 0.8 | 0.8 |
| August 2026 | 0.8 | 0.8 |
From June 2026 to August 2026 the practice recorded 1,617 appointments a month, or 643 per 1,000 registered patients (England: 510). 90% were face to face (England: 63%). 35% took place on the day they were booked and 1% more than 28 days after booking (England: 45% and 5%).
63% were with a GP rather than another member of the practice team. 8% of booked patients did not attend.
| Measure | Ambar Medical Centre | Black Country | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Appointments per 1,000 patients a month | 643 | 561 | 510 |
| Face to face | 90% | 64% | 63% |
| Same day as booked | 35% | 51% | 45% |
| More than 28 days after booking | 1% | 4% | 5% |
| Did not attend | 8% | 5% | 4% |
Compared with England, the practice has a higher share of patients on its registers for palliative or supportive care needs (1.2% against 0.6%) and diabetes (13.2% against 7.9%). It has a lower share for atrial fibrillation (0.4% against 2.2%), COPD (0.4% against 1.9%) and cancer (1.0% against 3.8%). The practice's patients live in areas with an average deprivation score of 43.0 (England: 21.8; higher is more deprived).
Life expectancy for its patients' neighbourhoods is 80.9 years for women and 76.2 for men (England: 83.0 and 79.1).
| Condition register | Age group | Practice (2024/25) | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Diabetes | 17+ yrs | 13.2% | 7.9% |
| Depression | 18+ yrs | 11.5% | 14.3% |
| High blood pressure | All ages | 8.5% | 15.2% |
| Asthma | 6+ yrs | 5.5% | 6.6% |
| Coronary heart disease | All ages | 2.5% | 3.0% |
| Serious mental illness | All ages | 1.5% | 1.0% |
| Chronic kidney disease | 18+ yrs | 1.4% | 4.6% |
| Palliative care | All ages | 1.2% | 0.6% |
| Cancer | All ages | 1.0% | 3.8% |
| Learning disability | All ages | 0.8% | 0.6% |
| Rheumatoid arthritis | 16+ yrs | 0.8% | 0.8% |
| Epilepsy | 18+ yrs | 0.8% | 0.8% |
| Stroke and TIA | All ages | 0.6% | 1.9% |
| Heart failure | All ages | 0.6% | 1.1% |
| Osteoporosis | 50+ yrs | 0.5% | 1.2% |
| COPD | All ages | 0.4% | 1.9% |
| Atrial fibrillation | All ages | 0.4% | 2.2% |
| Peripheral arterial disease | All ages | 0.2% | 0.6% |
| Dementia | All ages | 0.2% | 0.8% |
| Screening coverage | Period | Practice | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bowel cancer screening (aged 60 to 74) | 2024/25 | 37.9% | 72.9% |
| Breast cancer screening (women aged 53 to 70) | 2024/25 | 50.0% | 72.2% |
| Cervical screening (women aged 25 to 49) | 2023/24 | 63.9% | 67.5% |
| Cervical screening (women aged 50 to 64) | 2023/24 | 81.5% | 74.9% |
Ambar Medical Centre, Milton House, 151 Wednesbury Road, Walsall, WS1 4JQ. Phone: 01922 666390.
| Nearby practice | Distance | Overall experience good |
|---|---|---|
| Palfrey Health Centre | 0.0 km | 71% |
| Pleck Health Centre | 0.5 km | 72% |
| Brace Street Health Centre | 0.6 km | 69% |
| Brace Street Health Centre | 0.6 km | 91% |
| Dr Mahbub's Surgery | 0.6 km | 71% |
- Brace Street Health Centre (69% overall experience good)
- Brace Street Health Centre (91% overall experience good)
- Dr Gian Singh (88% overall experience good)
- Dr Mahbub's Surgery (71% overall experience good)
- Forrester Street Medical Centre (69% overall experience good)
- Little London Surgery (77% overall experience good)
- Pleck Health Centre (72% overall experience good)
- Saddlers Health Centre (80% overall experience good)
How do patients rate Ambar Medical Centre?
In the 2026 GP Patient Survey, 64% of patients described their overall experience of Ambar Medical Centre as good, below the England figure of 77%. 69% found it easy to get through by phone.
How many patients are registered at Ambar Medical Centre?
2,516 patients were registered in September 2026, down 0.0% on a year earlier.
What is Ambar Medical Centre's CQC rating?
Good overall, published in October 2022.
How many GPs does Ambar Medical Centre have?
0.8 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs (2 qualified GPs by headcount), which is 3,044 patients per GP against 2,171 across England.
Are appointments at Ambar Medical Centre face to face?
90% of appointments from June 2026 to August 2026 were face to face, against 63% across England.
What is Ambar Medical Centre's phone number?
01922 666390.