Lower Farm Health Centre, Walsall: patient reviews and CQC rating
Lower Farm Health Centre is a GP practice in Walsall with 1,952 registered patients (September 2026). In the 2026 GP Patient Survey, 74% 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 October 2018. It has 0.7 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs, or 2,662 patients per GP.
Latest data: September 2026. Patient survey 2026; registered patients September 2026; appointments to August 2026.
What patients say about Lower Farm Health Centre
Its best result against England is the share who found it easy to get through to the practice by phone: 76%, above the England figure of 57%. Its weakest is the share who said the healthcare professional was good at listening to them: 80%, below the England figure of 87%. Of the 11 results in the table, 3 are above England and 1 below by more than the survey's margin of error, and 7 within it.
On overall experience it is 28th of the 40 practices in Walsall with 50 or more responses. 76% found it easy to get through by phone (England: 57%). The overall experience result is 8 points higher than in 2025 (66%). 120 patients answered the survey (response rate 26%).
| Survey question | Lower Farm Health Centre | Black Country | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overall experience good | 74% | 74% | 77% |
| Easy to contact by phone | 76% | 53% | 57% |
| Easy to contact via the website | 76% | 54% | 58% |
| Easy to contact via the NHS App | 73% | 54% | 54% |
| Reception team helpful | 82% | 81% | 85% |
| Last contact good | 78% | 68% | 73% |
| Wait for appointment about right | 68% | 65% | 69% |
| Listened to well | 80% | 85% | 87% |
| Treated with care and concern | 82% | 84% | 86% |
| Confidence and trust in the clinician | 91% | 92% | 93% |
| Needs met | 92% | 89% | 90% |
CQC's overall rating for Lower Farm Health Centre is Good, published in October 2018. All 5 key questions are rated Good. Its previous overall rating was Requires Improvement (October 2017).
| Key question | Rating |
|---|---|
| Safe | Good |
| Well-led | Good |
| Caring | Good |
| Responsive | Good |
| Effective | Good |
1,952 patients were registered at Lower Farm Health Centre in September 2026, up 0.6% on a year earlier (England: down 1.1%).
22% of its patients are aged 65 or over, against 19% across England. With 0.7 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs, there are 2,662 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 | 0.7 | 0.7 |
| August 2024 | 0.7 | 0.7 |
| August 2025 | 0.7 | 0.7 |
| August 2026 | 0.7 | 0.7 |
From June 2026 to August 2026 the practice recorded 1,032 appointments a month, or 529 per 1,000 registered patients (England: 510). 83% were face to face (England: 63%). 40% took place on the day they were booked and 1% more than 28 days after booking (England: 45% and 5%).
66% were with a GP rather than another member of the practice team. 5% of booked patients did not attend.
| Measure | Lower Farm Health Centre | Black Country | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Appointments per 1,000 patients a month | 529 | 561 | 510 |
| Face to face | 83% | 64% | 63% |
| Same day as booked | 40% | 51% | 45% |
| More than 28 days after booking | 1% | 4% | 5% |
| Did not attend | 5% | 5% | 4% |
Compared with England, the practice has a higher share of patients on its registers for palliative or supportive care needs (2.2% against 0.6%), peripheral arterial disease (1.1% against 0.6%) and serious mental illness (1.8% against 1.0%). The practice's patients live in areas with an average deprivation score of 28.7 (England: 21.8; higher is more deprived). Life expectancy for its patients' neighbourhoods is 82.3 years for women and 78.1 for men (England: 83.0 and 79.1).
| Condition register | Age group | Practice (2024/25) | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| High blood pressure | All ages | 17.3% | 15.2% |
| Depression | 18+ yrs | 15.2% | 14.3% |
| Diabetes | 17+ yrs | 11.4% | 7.9% |
| Asthma | 6+ yrs | 8.1% | 6.6% |
| Coronary heart disease | All ages | 5.1% | 3.0% |
| Cancer | All ages | 4.1% | 3.8% |
| Chronic kidney disease | 18+ yrs | 4.0% | 4.6% |
| Atrial fibrillation | All ages | 3.6% | 2.2% |
| COPD | All ages | 2.6% | 1.9% |
| Stroke and TIA | All ages | 2.5% | 1.9% |
| Palliative care | All ages | 2.2% | 0.6% |
| Heart failure | All ages | 1.8% | 1.1% |
| Serious mental illness | All ages | 1.8% | 1.0% |
| Osteoporosis | 50+ yrs | 1.6% | 1.2% |
| Epilepsy | 18+ yrs | 1.4% | 0.8% |
| Peripheral arterial disease | All ages | 1.1% | 0.6% |
| Rheumatoid arthritis | 16+ yrs | 1.1% | 0.8% |
| Dementia | All ages | 0.8% | 0.8% |
| Learning disability | All ages | 0.8% | 0.6% |
| Screening coverage | Period | Practice | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bowel cancer screening (aged 60 to 74) | 2024/25 | 68.5% | 72.9% |
| Breast cancer screening (women aged 53 to 70) | 2024/25 | 69.6% | 72.2% |
| Cervical screening (women aged 25 to 49) | 2023/24 | 71.2% | 67.5% |
| Cervical screening (women aged 50 to 64) | 2023/24 | 76.5% | 74.9% |
Lower Farm Health Centre, 109 Buxton Road, Walsall, WS3 3RT. Phone: 01922 476640.
| Nearby practice | Distance | Overall experience good |
|---|---|---|
| Mossley Fields Surgery | 1.4 km | 76% |
| Bloxwich Medical Practice | 1.7 km | 91% |
| St Mary's Surgery | 1.7 km | 86% |
| Dr Amanullah Shamsher Khan | 1.7 km | 90% |
| Pinfold Medical | 1.7 km | 72% |
- Birchills Health Centre (89% overall experience good)
- 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)
- 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 Lower Farm Health Centre?
In the 2026 GP Patient Survey, 74% of patients described their overall experience of Lower Farm Health Centre as good, against 77% across England. 76% found it easy to get through by phone.
How many patients are registered at Lower Farm Health Centre?
1,952 patients were registered in September 2026, up 0.6% on a year earlier.
What is Lower Farm Health Centre's CQC rating?
Good overall, published in October 2018.
How many GPs does Lower Farm Health Centre have?
0.7 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs (2 qualified GPs by headcount), which is 2,662 patients per GP against 2,171 across England.
Are appointments at Lower Farm Health Centre face to face?
83% of appointments from June 2026 to August 2026 were face to face, against 63% across England.
What is Lower Farm Health Centre's phone number?
01922 476640.