- GP practice
Branch End Surgery
Assessment report published 17 September 2026
Contents
Ratings
Our view of the service
Branch End Surgery is a GP practice and delivers services to approximately 5,416 people under a contract held with NHS England. According to the latest available data, the ethnic make-up of the practice area is approximately 98% White, 0.8% Asian, 0.9% Mixed, 0.2% Black and 0.2% Other information published by the Office for Health Improvement and Disparities shows deprivation within the practice’s population group is in the 9th decile (9 of 10). The lower the decile, the more deprived the practice population is relative to others.
This was a focused assessment. We undertook this assessment due to the length of time since our last assessment. We assessed 10 quality statements from across all 5 key questions. This assessment considered the demographics of the people using the provider, the context the provider was working within and how this impacted service delivery. Where relevant, further commentary is provided in the quality statements section of this report.
Staff kept facilities clean and maintained equipment appropriately to ensure people were kept safe. They assessed and managed the risk of infection well and took steps to control the risk of it spreading. There were enough staff with the appropriate skills, qualifications and experience to meet the needs of the service. Recruitment processes were generally effective; however, oversight of non-clinical staff immunisation records required strengthening to ensure they were maintained in line with current guidance. The provider acted quickly to address these concerns.
Staff supported people to live healthier lives, monitoring their care and treatment to ensure they received positive and consistent outcomes.
Staff consistently treated people with kindness, empathy and compassion, and respected their privacy and dignity.
People could access care, treatment and support when they needed it. Leaders and staff were alert to discrimination and inequality that could disadvantage groups of people who used the practice and sought ways to address any barriers.
The provider had a clear vision and strategy, which considered the needs of the people who used their practice and the wider community. Staff understood their individual roles and responsibilities. Leaders accounted for the actions, behaviours and performance of staff through clear and effective governance processes.
People's experience of this service
As part of our assessment, we reviewed feedback from people who used the service to understand their views and experience of the practice. This included feedback received by CQC, data from the National GP Patient Survey and the NHS Friends and Family test.
People spoke very positively about the quality of care and treatment they received. They consistently described staff as kind, compassionate and respectful, and told us their privacy and dignity were maintained.
Results from the National GP Patient Survey (January to March 2026) demonstrated high levels of patient satisfaction. Overall, 93% of respondents reported a positive experience of the practice, compared with the national average of 77%.
Feedback from the NHS Friends and Family Test also reflected very positive patient experiences. In the 3 months preceding the assessment, the practice achieved consistently high results, with 93% of respondents rating the provider as good or very good in May, increasing to 95% in June and July 2026. Across all 3 months, the most frequently selected rating was very good. These results provided further evidence that people were highly satisfied with the care and support they received from the practice.
There was an active patient participation group (PPG) who represented the views of people using the practice. Representatives from the Patient Participation Group (PPG) described how practice leaders responded positively to feedback and used it to drive improvements. For example, the practice manager had proactively engaged with local schools to explore opportunities to recruit younger PPG members and gather the views of younger people. Leaders also ensured that members were kept fully informed about the practice and any changes maintaining open communication and involvement in the development of the practice.
Leaders from the aligned care homes also provided consistently positive feedback about the practice. They told us that staff delivered high-quality care and support to care home staff, residents, and their families. The practice team was described as responsive, accessible, professional, caring and helpful. Care home representatives particularly highlighted the strong relationships developed between practice staff and residents, noting that clinicians took the time to get to know people as individuals and understand their needs.