03/08/2026
Please find attached our action plan from the results The Birches Medical Centre received from the national survey for 2026. Thank you to all of our patients who completed the survey. The Birches came in 1st place in Prestwich and 2nd place overall in Bury, well done to all the team.
NATIONAL PATIENT SURVEY RESULTS & ACTION PLAN 2026
Surveys sent out: 499
Surveys Sent back: 133
Completions percentage: 27%
Survey Link: https://www.gp-patient.co.uk/patientexperience/results?code=P83609
Where patient experience is highest compared with the ICS result or National result:
Your GP practice services:
79% find it easy to get through to this GP practice by phone
ICS result: 63% | National result: 57%
93% find the reception and administrative team at this GP practice helpful
ICS result: 86% | National result: 85%
Your last contact:
84% knew what the next step would be after contacting their GP practice
ICS result: 85% | National result: 84%
95% knew what the next step would be within two days of contacting their GP practice
ICS result: 93% | National result: 93%
86% describe their experience of contacting their GP practice as good
ICS result: 76% | National result: 73%
Your last appointment:
60% were offered a choice of time or day when they last tried to make a general practice appointment
ICS result: 60% | National result: 57%
16% were offered a choice of location when they last tried to make a general practice appointment
ICS result: 15% | National result: 16%
81% felt they waited about the right amount of time for their last general practice appointment
ICS result: 71% | National result: 69%
89% say the healthcare professional they saw or spoke to was good at listening to them during their last general practice appointment
ICS result: 88% | National result: 87%
88% say the healthcare professional they saw or spoke to was good at treating them with care and concern during their last general practice appointment
ICS result: 87% | National result: 86%
80% say the healthcare professional they saw or spoke to was good at considering their mental wellbeing during their last general practice appointment
ICS result: 78% | National result: 75%
100% felt the healthcare professional they saw had all the information they needed about them during their last general practice appointment
ICS result: 93% | National result: 92%
96% had confidence and trust in the healthcare professional they saw or spoke to during their last general practice appointment
ICS result: 93% | National result: 93%
100% were involved as much as they wanted to be in decisions about their care and treatment during their last general practice appointment
ICS result: 92% | National result: 92%
95% felt their needs were met during their last general practice appointment
ICS result: 91% | National result: 90%
Your Health:
75% say they have had enough support from local services or organisations in the last 12 months to help manage their long-term conditions or illnesses
ICS result: 70% | National result: 70%
Overall experience
90% describe their overall experience of this GP practice as good
ICS result: 79% | National result: 77%
Areas of Improvement:
Where patient experience is lower compared with the ICS or National result:
1. 43% find it easy to contact this GP practice using their website
ICS result: 61% | National result: 58%
Actions: Last year this was 38% so we have made some improvement, we have recently bought a new website, which was in last years plan. This will greatly improve this score going forward.
2. 47% find it easy to contact this GP practice using the NHS App
ICS result: 58% | National result: 54%
Actions: We have made improvement on this score from last year from 24%. Administrative staff are trained to help patients with this app. We will continue to advertise the NHS App. Information has been added our new website and on NUMED information screen in the waiting room plus added onto practice page.
3. 40% usually get to see or speak to their preferred healthcare professional when they would like to
ICS result: 43% | National result: 42%
Actions: We are just below the ICS result. All of our GPs are part time, however we are able to book appointments in advance and will continue to do this. We have had a new GP start at the practice this year and are currently interviewing for another GP.
See how your GP practice is doing: explore the results of The GP Patient Survey, an independent patient experience survey run by Ipsos on behalf of NHS England.
