Birchwood Medical Centre, Warrington: patient reviews and CQC rating
Birchwood Medical Centre is a GP practice in Warrington with 10,457 registered patients (September 2026). In the 2026 GP Patient Survey, 72% of its patients described their overall experience as good, against 77% across England (Cheshire and Merseyside: 78%). The Care Quality Commission rates it Good overall, in a report published in May 2018. It has 6.2 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs, or 1,682 patients per GP.
Latest data: September 2026. Patient survey 2026; registered patients September 2026; appointments to August 2026.
What patients say about Birchwood Medical Centre
Its best result against England is the share who said their needs were met at their last appointment: 92%, against 90% across England. Its weakest is the share who found it easy to contact the practice using the NHS App: 19%, below the England figure of 54%. Of the 11 results in the table, 0 are above England and 5 below by more than the survey's margin of error, and 6 within it.
On overall experience it is 22nd of the 31 practices in Warrington with 50 or more responses. 39% found it easy to get through by phone (England: 57%). The overall experience result is 17 points higher than in 2025 (55%). 115 patients answered the survey (response rate 28%).
| Survey question | Birchwood Medical Centre | Cheshire and Merseyside | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overall experience good | 72% | 78% | 77% |
| Easy to contact by phone | 39% | 57% | 57% |
| Easy to contact via the website | 33% | 55% | 58% |
| Easy to contact via the NHS App | 19% | 53% | 54% |
| Reception team helpful | 79% | 86% | 85% |
| Last contact good | 61% | 73% | 73% |
| Wait for appointment about right | 57% | 73% | 69% |
| Listened to well | 87% | 89% | 87% |
| Treated with care and concern | 81% | 87% | 86% |
| Confidence and trust in the clinician | 91% | 93% | 93% |
| Needs met | 92% | 91% | 90% |
CQC's overall rating for Birchwood Medical Centre is Good, published in May 2018. All 5 key questions are rated Good. It held the same rating in the report before (July 2015).
| Key question | Rating |
|---|---|
| Safe | Good |
| Well-led | Good |
| Caring | Good |
| Responsive | Good |
| Effective | Good |
10,457 patients were registered at Birchwood Medical Centre in September 2026, down 3.8% on a year earlier (England: down 1.1%).
24% of its patients are aged 65 or over, against 19% across England. With 6.2 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs, there are 1,682 patients per GP, fewer than the England figure of 2,171 and Cheshire and Merseyside's 1,971. The practice also has 2.8 nurses and 3.1 other clinical staff such as pharmacists and physiotherapists (full-time equivalent).
| Year | Qualified GPs (FTE) | All GPs incl. trainees (FTE) |
|---|---|---|
| August 2023 | 6.8 | 7.9 |
| August 2024 | 6.0 | 6.6 |
| August 2025 | 6.0 | 6.6 |
| August 2026 | 6.2 | 7.3 |
From June 2026 to August 2026 the practice recorded 5,644 appointments a month, or 540 per 1,000 registered patients (England: 510). 60% were face to face (England: 63%). 47% took place on the day they were booked and 9% more than 28 days after booking (England: 45% and 5%).
41% were with a GP rather than another member of the practice team. 3% of booked patients did not attend.
| Measure | Birchwood Medical Centre | Cheshire and Merseyside | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Appointments per 1,000 patients a month | 540 | 492 | 510 |
| Face to face | 60% | 60% | 63% |
| Same day as booked | 47% | 48% | 45% |
| More than 28 days after booking | 9% | 4% | 5% |
| Did not attend | 3% | 5% | 4% |
Compared with England, the practice has a higher share of patients on its registers for peripheral arterial disease (1.1% against 0.6%), epilepsy (1.3% against 0.8%) and coronary heart disease (4.4% against 3.0%). It has a lower share for chronic kidney disease (1.9% against 4.6%), osteoporosis (0.5% against 1.2%) and dementia (0.4% against 0.8%). The practice's patients live in areas with an average deprivation score of 21.8 (England: 21.8; higher is more deprived).
Life expectancy for its patients' neighbourhoods is 81.4 years for women and 78.0 for men (England: 83.0 and 79.1).
| Condition register | Age group | Practice (2024/25) | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| High blood pressure | All ages | 18.9% | 15.2% |
| Depression | 18+ yrs | 15.8% | 14.3% |
| Diabetes | 17+ yrs | 9.1% | 7.9% |
| Asthma | 6+ yrs | 8.3% | 6.6% |
| Coronary heart disease | All ages | 4.4% | 3.0% |
| Cancer | All ages | 4.2% | 3.8% |
| Stroke and TIA | All ages | 2.8% | 1.9% |
| Atrial fibrillation | All ages | 2.7% | 2.2% |
| COPD | All ages | 2.4% | 1.9% |
| Chronic kidney disease | 18+ yrs | 1.9% | 4.6% |
| Heart failure | All ages | 1.4% | 1.1% |
| Rheumatoid arthritis | 16+ yrs | 1.3% | 0.8% |
| Epilepsy | 18+ yrs | 1.3% | 0.8% |
| Peripheral arterial disease | All ages | 1.1% | 0.6% |
| Serious mental illness | All ages | 1.1% | 1.0% |
| Palliative care | All ages | 0.8% | 0.6% |
| Learning disability | All ages | 0.7% | 0.6% |
| Osteoporosis | 50+ yrs | 0.5% | 1.2% |
| Dementia | All ages | 0.4% | 0.8% |
| Screening coverage | Period | Practice | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bowel cancer screening (aged 60 to 74) | 2024/25 | 72.4% | 72.9% |
| Breast cancer screening (women aged 53 to 70) | 2024/25 | 74.5% | 72.2% |
| Cervical screening (women aged 25 to 49) | 2023/24 | 72.0% | 67.5% |
| Cervical screening (women aged 50 to 64) | 2023/24 | 77.1% | 74.9% |
Birchwood Medical Centre, 15 Benson Road, Birchwood, Warrington, WA3 7PJ. Phone: 01925 823502. Website: www.birchwoodmedicalcentre.co.uk.
| Nearby practice | Distance | Overall experience good |
|---|---|---|
| Fairfield Surgery | 2.0 km | 77% |
| The Surgery | 2.1 km | 81% |
| Padgate Medical Centre | 2.2 km | 78% |
| Fearnhead Cross Medical Centre | 2.2 km | 68% |
| Manchester Road Surgery | 3.6 km | 86% |
- Fearnhead Cross Medical Centre (68% overall experience good)
- Padgate Medical Centre (78% overall experience good)
How do patients rate Birchwood Medical Centre?
In the 2026 GP Patient Survey, 72% of patients described their overall experience of Birchwood Medical Centre as good, against 77% across England. 39% found it easy to get through by phone.
How many patients are registered at Birchwood Medical Centre?
10,457 patients were registered in September 2026, down 3.8% on a year earlier.
What is Birchwood Medical Centre's CQC rating?
Good overall, published in May 2018.
How many GPs does Birchwood Medical Centre have?
6.2 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs (9 qualified GPs by headcount), which is 1,682 patients per GP against 2,171 across England.
Are appointments at Birchwood Medical Centre face to face?
60% of appointments from June 2026 to August 2026 were face to face, against 63% across England.
What is Birchwood Medical Centre's phone number?
01925 823502.