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.

Data is sourced from official NHS and CQC systems. Practice details update monthly, CQC ratings update after each inspection, patient survey data updates annually (July), and appointment statistics update monthly.

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.

All data comes from official government sources: NHS Organisation Data Service, Care Quality Commission, GP Patient Survey, NHS Digital (appointments, workforce, patients registered), OpenPrescribing, and the Quality and Outcomes Framework. All data is published under the Open Government Licence v3.0.

You have the right to register with any GP practice in England. Practices cannot refuse you because you live outside their traditional catchment area — this was confirmed by NHS England in 2015. However, some practices may not be able to offer home visits if you live far away, and may suggest you register somewhere closer for practical reasons. On GPFinder, you can search by any postcode and see all practices regardless of distance.

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.

When a practice shows as "accepting new patients" on GPFinder, this comes from data reported by the practice to NHS Digital. However, this status isn't always updated in real time. Some practices may have recently closed their list, or may have reopened it. We recommend confirming directly with the practice before visiting to register.

There's no official "ideal" ratio, but the Royal College of GPs has historically suggested around 1,600 patients per full-time GP as a reasonable benchmark. In practice, many GP practices in England have ratios well above 2,000:1. A lower ratio generally means shorter waiting times and longer consultations, though many other factors also play a role. On GPFinder, you can filter and sort by this ratio to find practices that are less stretched.

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 a basic search tool with practice contact details and some general information. GPFinder goes further by integrating five different data sources into one view: CQC ratings with full breakdowns, GP Patient Survey results, workforce statistics, patient-to-GP ratios, and the ability to compare multiple practices side by side. We also offer advanced filtering by rating, wait times, and patient acceptance status.