Birchills Health Centre, Walsall: patient reviews and CQC rating
Birchills Health Centre is a GP practice in Walsall with 6,981 registered patients (September 2026). In the 2026 GP Patient Survey, 89% of its patients described their overall experience as good, above the England figure of 77% (Black Country: 74%). The Care Quality Commission rates it Good overall, in a report published in January 2018. It has 4.2 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs, or 1,646 patients per GP.
Latest data: September 2026. Patient survey 2026; registered patients September 2026; appointments to August 2026.
What patients say about Birchills Health Centre
Its best result against England is the share who found it easy to get through to the practice by phone: 88%, above the England figure of 57%. Its result closest to England is the share who had confidence and trust in the healthcare professional they saw: 95%, against 93% 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 7th of the 40 practices in Walsall with 50 or more responses. 88% found it easy to get through by phone (England: 57%). The overall experience result is 14 points higher than in 2025 (75%). 88 patients answered the survey (response rate 14%).
| Survey question | Birchills Health Centre | Black Country | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overall experience good | 89% | 74% | 77% |
| Easy to contact by phone | 88% | 53% | 57% |
| Easy to contact via the website | 85% | 54% | 58% |
| Easy to contact via the NHS App | 74% | 54% | 54% |
| Reception team helpful | 90% | 81% | 85% |
| Last contact good | 85% | 68% | 73% |
| Wait for appointment about right | 80% | 65% | 69% |
| Listened to well | 92% | 85% | 87% |
| Treated with care and concern | 92% | 84% | 86% |
| Confidence and trust in the clinician | 95% | 92% | 93% |
| Needs met | 93% | 89% | 90% |
In the Friends and Family Test for July 2026, 91% of 107 responses rated the practice good or very good (England: 92%).
CQC's overall rating for Birchills Health Centre is Good, published in January 2018. All 5 key questions are rated Good. It held the same rating in the report before (February 2017).
| Key question | Rating |
|---|---|
| Safe | Good |
| Well-led | Good |
| Caring | Good |
| Responsive | Good |
| Effective | Good |
6,981 patients were registered at Birchills Health Centre in September 2026, down 2.7% on a year earlier (England: down 1.1%).
9% of its patients are aged 65 or over, against 19% across England. With 4.2 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs, there are 1,646 patients per GP, fewer than the England figure of 2,171 and Black Country's 2,193. The practice also has 1.5 nurses (full-time equivalent).
| Year | Qualified GPs (FTE) | All GPs incl. trainees (FTE) |
|---|---|---|
| August 2023 | 4.1 | 6.2 |
| August 2024 | 4.1 | 6.0 |
| August 2025 | 4.2 | 6.2 |
| August 2026 | 4.2 | 6.2 |
From June 2026 to August 2026 the practice recorded 3,285 appointments a month, or 471 per 1,000 registered patients (England: 510). 64% were face to face (England: 63%). 32% took place on the day they were booked and 2% more than 28 days after booking (England: 45% and 5%).
49% were with a GP rather than another member of the practice team. 7% of booked patients did not attend.
| Measure | Birchills Health Centre | Black Country | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Appointments per 1,000 patients a month | 471 | 561 | 510 |
| Face to face | 64% | 64% | 63% |
| Same day as booked | 32% | 51% | 45% |
| More than 28 days after booking | 2% | 4% | 5% |
| Did not attend | 7% | 5% | 4% |
Compared with England, the practice has a higher share of patients on its registers for diabetes (9.5% against 7.9%). It has a lower share for dementia (0.2% against 0.8%), atrial fibrillation (0.8% against 2.2%) and chronic kidney disease (1.6% against 4.6%). The practice's patients live in areas with an average deprivation score of 46.9 (England: 21.8; higher is more deprived).
Life expectancy for its patients' neighbourhoods is 79.7 years for women and 75.4 for men (England: 83.0 and 79.1).
| Condition register | Age group | Practice (2024/25) | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Depression | 18+ yrs | 12.7% | 14.3% |
| High blood pressure | All ages | 10.4% | 15.2% |
| Diabetes | 17+ yrs | 9.5% | 7.9% |
| Asthma | 6+ yrs | 5.1% | 6.6% |
| Coronary heart disease | All ages | 2.2% | 3.0% |
| Cancer | All ages | 1.8% | 3.8% |
| Chronic kidney disease | 18+ yrs | 1.6% | 4.6% |
| COPD | All ages | 1.3% | 1.9% |
| Osteoporosis | 50+ yrs | 1.0% | 1.2% |
| Stroke and TIA | All ages | 1.0% | 1.9% |
| Serious mental illness | All ages | 0.9% | 1.0% |
| Rheumatoid arthritis | 16+ yrs | 0.8% | 0.8% |
| Atrial fibrillation | All ages | 0.8% | 2.2% |
| Palliative care | All ages | 0.6% | 0.6% |
| Epilepsy | 18+ yrs | 0.6% | 0.8% |
| Heart failure | All ages | 0.6% | 1.1% |
| Learning disability | All ages | 0.5% | 0.6% |
| Peripheral arterial disease | All ages | 0.4% | 0.6% |
| Dementia | All ages | 0.2% | 0.8% |
| Screening coverage | Period | Practice | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bowel cancer screening (aged 60 to 74) | 2024/25 | 57.9% | 72.9% |
| Breast cancer screening (women aged 53 to 70) | 2024/25 | 47.0% | 72.2% |
| Cervical screening (women aged 25 to 49) | 2023/24 | 59.1% | 67.5% |
| Cervical screening (women aged 50 to 64) | 2023/24 | 72.6% | 74.9% |
Birchills Health Centre, 23-37 Old Birchills, Walsall, WS2 8QH. Phone: 01922 614896. Website: www.birchills.co.uk.
| Nearby practice | Distance | Overall experience good |
|---|---|---|
| Forrester Street Medical Centre | 0.7 km | 69% |
| St Peter's Surgery | 0.8 km | 55% |
| Umbrella Medical at Hatherton Medical Centre | 1.2 km | 76% |
| Saddlers Health Centre | 1.2 km | 80% |
| Dr Gian Singh | 1.3 km | 88% |
- Bloxwich Medical Practice (91% overall experience good)
- Dr Amanullah Shamsher Khan (90% overall experience good)
- Dr N Pillai and Dr L Nair (80% overall experience good)
- Dr's P L & S Kaul and Dr G K Gill (79% overall experience good)
- Harden Blakenall Medical Centre (71% overall experience good)
- Lower Farm Health Centre (74% overall experience good)
- Mossley Fields Surgery (76% overall experience good)
- Pinfold Medical (72% overall experience good)
- St Mary's Surgery (86% overall experience good)
How do patients rate Birchills Health Centre?
In the 2026 GP Patient Survey, 89% of patients described their overall experience of Birchills Health Centre as good, above the England figure of 77%. 88% found it easy to get through by phone.
How many patients are registered at Birchills Health Centre?
6,981 patients were registered in September 2026, down 2.7% on a year earlier.
What is Birchills Health Centre's CQC rating?
Good overall, published in January 2018.
How many GPs does Birchills Health Centre have?
4.2 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs (5 qualified GPs by headcount), which is 1,646 patients per GP against 2,171 across England.
Are appointments at Birchills Health Centre face to face?
64% of appointments from June 2026 to August 2026 were face to face, against 63% across England.
What is Birchills Health Centre's phone number?
01922 614896.