Waterloo Medical Centre, Ashton-under-lyne: patient reviews and CQC rating
Waterloo Medical Centre is a GP practice in Ashton-under-lyne with 3,867 registered patients (September 2026). In the 2026 GP Patient Survey, 72% of its patients described their overall experience as good, against 77% across England (Greater Manchester: 79%). The Care Quality Commission rates it Inadequate overall, in a report published in August 2023. It has 2.1 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs, or 1,836 patients per GP.
Latest data: September 2026. Patient survey 2026; registered patients September 2026; appointments to August 2026.
What patients say about Waterloo Medical Centre
Its best result against England is the share who found it easy to get through to the practice by phone: 70%, above the England figure of 57%. Its weakest is the share who found it easy to contact the practice through its website: 32%, below the England figure of 58%. Of the 11 results in the table, 1 is above England and 4 below by more than the survey's margin of error, and 6 within it.
On overall experience it is 7th of the 11 practices in Ashton Under Lyne with 50 or more responses. 70% found it easy to get through by phone (England: 57%). The overall experience result is 11 points lower than in 2025 (83%). 96 patients answered the survey (response rate 18%).
| Survey question | Waterloo Medical Centre | Greater Manchester | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overall experience good | 72% | 79% | 77% |
| Easy to contact by phone | 70% | 63% | 57% |
| Easy to contact via the website | 32% | 61% | 58% |
| Easy to contact via the NHS App | 48% | 58% | 54% |
| Reception team helpful | 85% | 86% | 85% |
| Last contact good | 79% | 76% | 73% |
| Wait for appointment about right | 61% | 71% | 69% |
| Listened to well | 80% | 88% | 87% |
| Treated with care and concern | 78% | 87% | 86% |
| Confidence and trust in the clinician | 86% | 93% | 93% |
| Needs met | 88% | 91% | 90% |
In the Friends and Family Test for July 2026, 96% of 108 responses rated the practice good or very good (England: 92%).
CQC's overall rating for Waterloo Medical Centre is Inadequate, published in August 2023. 2 key questions are rated differently: Caring Good and Responsive Requires Improvement. Its previous overall rating was Good (December 2020).
| Key question | Rating |
|---|---|
| Safe | Inadequate |
| Well-led | Inadequate |
| Caring | Good |
| Responsive | Requires Improvement |
| Effective | Inadequate |
3,867 patients were registered at Waterloo Medical Centre in September 2026, up 5.9% on a year earlier (England: down 1.1%).
15% of its patients are aged 65 or over, against 19% across England. With 2.1 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs, there are 1,836 patients per GP, fewer than the England figure of 2,171 and Greater Manchester's 2,055. The practice also has 0.5 nurses and 0.3 other clinical staff such as pharmacists and physiotherapists (full-time equivalent).
| Year | Qualified GPs (FTE) | All GPs incl. trainees (FTE) |
|---|---|---|
| August 2023 | 2.1 | 2.1 |
| August 2024 | 2.1 | 2.1 |
| August 2025 | 2.1 | 2.1 |
| August 2026 | 2.1 | 2.1 |
From June 2026 to August 2026 the practice recorded 1,372 appointments a month, or 355 per 1,000 registered patients (England: 510). 84% were face to face (England: 63%). 23% took place on the day they were booked and 5% more than 28 days after booking (England: 45% and 5%).
50% were with a GP rather than another member of the practice team. 11% of booked patients did not attend.
| Measure | Waterloo Medical Centre | Greater Manchester | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Appointments per 1,000 patients a month | 355 | 445 | 510 |
| Face to face | 84% | 66% | 63% |
| Same day as booked | 23% | 44% | 45% |
| More than 28 days after booking | 5% | 5% | 5% |
| Did not attend | 11% | 6% | 4% |
Compared with England, the practice has a higher share of patients on its registers for depression (21.9% against 14.3%) and diabetes (9.6% against 7.9%). It has a lower share for osteoporosis (0.2% against 1.2%), dementia (0.3% against 0.8%) and atrial fibrillation (1.2% against 2.2%). The practice's patients live in areas with an average deprivation score of 32.6 (England: 21.8; higher is more deprived).
Life expectancy for its patients' neighbourhoods is 79.7 years for women and 74.7 for men (England: 83.0 and 79.1).
| Condition register | Age group | Practice (2024/25) | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Depression | 18+ yrs | 21.9% | 14.3% |
| High blood pressure | All ages | 17.6% | 15.2% |
| Diabetes | 17+ yrs | 9.6% | 7.9% |
| Asthma | 6+ yrs | 7.4% | 6.6% |
| Chronic kidney disease | 18+ yrs | 4.3% | 4.6% |
| Coronary heart disease | All ages | 2.9% | 3.0% |
| Cancer | All ages | 2.7% | 3.8% |
| COPD | All ages | 2.5% | 1.9% |
| Stroke and TIA | All ages | 1.5% | 1.9% |
| Atrial fibrillation | All ages | 1.2% | 2.2% |
| Epilepsy | 18+ yrs | 1.0% | 0.8% |
| Rheumatoid arthritis | 16+ yrs | 0.8% | 0.8% |
| Heart failure | All ages | 0.7% | 1.1% |
| Serious mental illness | All ages | 0.6% | 1.0% |
| Learning disability | All ages | 0.5% | 0.6% |
| Palliative care | All ages | 0.5% | 0.6% |
| Peripheral arterial disease | All ages | 0.4% | 0.6% |
| Dementia | All ages | 0.3% | 0.8% |
| Osteoporosis | 50+ yrs | 0.2% | 1.2% |
| Screening coverage | Period | Practice | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bowel cancer screening (aged 60 to 74) | 2024/25 | 70.3% | 72.9% |
| Breast cancer screening (women aged 53 to 70) | 2024/25 | 72.1% | 72.2% |
| Cervical screening (women aged 25 to 49) | 2023/24 | 75.2% | 67.5% |
| Cervical screening (women aged 50 to 64) | 2023/24 | 78.4% | 74.9% |
Waterloo Medical Centre, 1 Dunkerley Street, Ashton-under-lyne, OL7 9EJ. Phone: 0161 330 7087.
| Nearby practice | Distance | Overall experience good |
|---|---|---|
| Ashton Medical Group | 1.4 km | 69% |
| Albion Medical Practice | 1.4 km | 52% |
| Ashton GP Service | 1.5 km | 63% |
| Stamford House Medical Centre | 1.8 km | 85% |
| Gordon Street Medical Centre | 1.8 km | 50% |
- Albion Medical Practice (52% overall experience good)
- Ashton GP Service (63% overall experience good)
- Ashton Medical Group (69% overall experience good)
- Gordon Street Medical Centre (50% overall experience good)
- HT Practice (77% overall experience good)
- Stamford House Medical Centre (85% overall experience good)
- West End Medical Centre (81% overall experience good)
How do patients rate Waterloo Medical Centre?
In the 2026 GP Patient Survey, 72% of patients described their overall experience of Waterloo Medical Centre as good, against 77% across England. 70% found it easy to get through by phone.
How many patients are registered at Waterloo Medical Centre?
3,867 patients were registered in September 2026, up 5.9% on a year earlier.
What is Waterloo Medical Centre's CQC rating?
Inadequate overall, published in August 2023.
How many GPs does Waterloo Medical Centre have?
2.1 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs (2 qualified GPs by headcount), which is 1,836 patients per GP against 2,171 across England.
Are appointments at Waterloo Medical Centre face to face?
84% of appointments from June 2026 to August 2026 were face to face, against 63% across England.
What is Waterloo Medical Centre's phone number?
0161 330 7087.