About GPFinder

Enter your postcode on the GPFinder homepage and select a search radius (1, 2, 5, or 10 miles). You will see a map and list of nearby GP practices with CQC ratings, patient satisfaction scores, and key statistics.

The Care Quality Commission (CQC) inspects and rates GP practices in England on a scale of Outstanding, Good, Requires Improvement, or Inadequate. Ratings cover five areas: Safe, Effective, Caring, Responsive, and Well-led.

Visit the practice in person or check their website for online registration. You will need to fill in a GMS1 form. You do not need proof of address or ID to register — practices cannot refuse you without a reasonable reason.

Each source publishes on a different schedule and GPFinder shows the reporting date where it is available. The current import process is manually run, so the source publication frequency is not a guarantee that GPFinder has already imported the latest release.

Yes. Select up to 3 practices using the "Add to Compare" button, then click "Compare Now" to see a side-by-side comparison across 40+ metrics including CQC ratings, patient satisfaction, wait times, staffing, and prescribing data.

The comparison data comes from published sources including NHS Organisation Data Service, Care Quality Commission, GP Patient Survey, NHS England publications, OpenPrescribing, and the Quality and Outcomes Framework. Reuse terms are governed by each source.

You can apply to a practice outside your local area, but not every practice accepts out-of-area registrations. A practice may refuse an application if you live outside its boundary or its patient list is closed. Out-of-area registration can also affect home visits and some community services, so confirm the policy with the practice or on its NHS profile.

An Inadequate rating means CQC has identified serious concerns. The practice will typically be placed in "special measures" and given a set timeframe to improve. CQC will re-inspect to check progress. If sufficient improvement isn't made, CQC can take enforcement action, which may include cancelling the practice's registration. As a patient, you're not required to switch practices because of a rating, but you may want to consider your options. GPFinder makes it easy to compare alternatives nearby.

You can switch GP practices at any time without needing to give a reason. Simply choose a new practice (GPFinder can help you compare options), contact them or visit in person to register, and fill in a GMS1 form. Your medical records will be transferred automatically — you don't need to collect them from your old practice. There's no need to "de-register" from your current practice; it happens automatically when your new registration is processed.

Registration availability and out-of-area policies can change. GPFinder does not currently have a reliable structured feed for this status, so check the official NHS profile or contact the practice before applying.

There is no official ideal ratio and it should not be treated as a prediction of appointment availability. GPFinder derives it from the latest available registered-patient count and GP full-time-equivalent workforce figure, which may have different source dates. Use it alongside patient experience and appointment data, not on its own.

New practices, recently merged practices, or practices that haven't yet been inspected by CQC may not have a rating. Additionally, some practices may have had their rating withdrawn pending re-inspection. On GPFinder, these appear as "Not yet rated." This doesn't mean the practice is bad — just that CQC hasn't published a current assessment.

The GP Patient Survey (GPPS) is an official, independently run survey by Ipsos on behalf of NHS England, with hundreds of thousands of responses. It uses standardised questions and statistical methodology. User reviews are voluntary submissions from individuals sharing their personal experience. Both are valuable — GPPS gives you a statistically robust overview, while individual reviews can highlight specific aspects of the patient experience.

No. GPFinder is an independent service. We are not affiliated with, endorsed by, or connected to the NHS, CQC, or any government body. We use publicly available data published under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Our goal is to make this existing public data more accessible and useful for patients.

Yes, GPFinder is completely free for patients. We believe everyone should have easy access to the information they need to make informed healthcare decisions.

NHS.uk provides the authoritative registration route and practice profile. GPFinder adds side-by-side comparison of CQC ratings, GP Patient Survey results, appointments, workforce statistics, patient-to-GP ratios, prescribing, and selected QOF measures. Registration availability should still be confirmed through NHS.uk or the practice.