Gera GP Access Score — Methodology

Why we built this

GP access is a key concern for anyone choosing where to rent in England. Neither the NHS nor the CQC publishes a single combined "GP access score" per local authority. We join their two OGL datasets to produce one comparable number so renters can evaluate GP access alongside house prices, schools, and crime.

Data sources

Formula (step by step)

Step 1 — ICB-level GP Appointment Access Score (GGAS)

raw_ICB = sameDayPct + f2fPct − dnaPct

GGAS = (raw_ICB − min_raw) / (max_raw − min_raw) × 100

where min_raw = 90.39 (lowest ICB raw composite)
      max_raw = 108.29 (highest ICB raw composite)
      GGAS ∈ [0, 100]

Step 2 — CQC normalisation

cqcNorm = (cqcPct − 69.6) / (100 − 69.6) × 100

where cqcPct = % GP practices rated Good or Outstanding in the LA
      69.6 = national minimum (Luton, June 2026 CQC snapshot)
      100 = national maximum (multiple LAs with 100%)
      cqcNorm ∈ [0, 100]

Step 3 — Weighted composite

ggaRaw = 0.7 × GGAS_ICB + 0.3 × cqcNorm   [0–100]

GGA/10 = ggaRaw / 10   (rounded to 1 d.p.)   [0–10]

The 70/30 weight split reflects that appointment availability (wait time, same-day access, mode) is a stronger day-to-day indicator of access than inspection quality, but CQC quality provides an independent check of clinical standards.

ICB→LA crosswalk

NHS Digital publishes GP appointment data at the Integrated Care Board (ICB) level. Each English LA inherits the GGAS of the ICB whose geographic footprint it falls within. The 35 ICBs cover all 123 LAs in this dataset; no LA is unmatched. ICB geography reference:NHS England — Integrated Care Boards.

Where a single ICB spans multiple LAs (e.g., Greater Manchester ICB covers Bolton, Bury, Manchester, Oldham, Rochdale, Salford, Stockport, Tameside, Trafford, and Wigan), each LA receives the same ICB-level GGAS but is differentiated by its own CQC GP quality score. This is documented on every leaf page and in the GGA definition above.

Worked example — Leeds

Licence and attribution

All source data is published under the Open Government Licence v3.0 (OGL). The OGL permits free reuse, including for commercial purposes, provided attribution is given.

Coverage and limitations

• Coverage: 123 English LAs for which both CQC GP quality data and ICB appointment access data are available. Welsh, Scottish and Northern Irish LAs are not covered (separate NHS systems).
• ICB granularity: GGAS is an ICB-level figure applied to all LAs within that ICB. Within-ICB variation cannot be captured without sub-ICB published data.
• Cadence: NHS appointment data is monthly; CQC ratings are a rolling snapshot. Gera refreshes the GGA score quarterly and re-dates both sources in lockstep.
• Not a clinical measure: GGA is an access and quality indicator, not a clinical outcomes score. It reflects publicly available administrative data, not patient health outcomes.