Irwell Medical Practice, Bacup: patient reviews and CQC rating
Irwell Medical Practice is a GP practice in Bacup with 15,433 registered patients (September 2026). In the 2026 GP Patient Survey, 80% of its patients described their overall experience as good, against 77% across England (Lancashire and South Cumbria: 78%). The Care Quality Commission rates it Outstanding overall, in a report published in January 2018. It has 10.8 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs, or 1,434 patients per GP.
Latest data: September 2026. Patient survey 2026; registered patients September 2026; appointments to August 2026.
What patients say about Irwell Medical Practice
Its best result against England is the share who found it easy to contact the practice through its website: 83%, above the England figure of 58%. Its weakest is the share who said the wait for their last appointment was about right: 54%, below the England figure of 69%. Of the 11 results in the table, 3 are above England and 1 below by more than the survey's margin of error, and 7 within it.
70% found it easy to get through by phone (England: 57%). The overall experience result is 7 points lower than in 2025 (87%). 105 patients answered the survey (response rate 24%).
| Survey question | Irwell Medical Practice | Lancashire and South Cumbria | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overall experience good | 80% | 78% | 77% |
| Easy to contact by phone | 70% | 61% | 57% |
| Easy to contact via the website | 83% | 55% | 58% |
| Easy to contact via the NHS App | 61% | 57% | 54% |
| Reception team helpful | 87% | 86% | 85% |
| Last contact good | 83% | 74% | 73% |
| Wait for appointment about right | 54% | 70% | 69% |
| Listened to well | 87% | 88% | 87% |
| Treated with care and concern | 87% | 87% | 86% |
| Confidence and trust in the clinician | 94% | 93% | 93% |
| Needs met | 94% | 91% | 90% |
CQC's overall rating for Irwell Medical Practice is Outstanding, published in January 2018. 3 key questions are rated differently: Safe Good, Responsive Good and Effective Good. Its previous overall rating was Good (March 2016).
| Key question | Rating |
|---|---|
| Safe | Good |
| Well-led | Outstanding |
| Caring | Outstanding |
| Responsive | Good |
| Effective | Good |
15,433 patients were registered at Irwell Medical Practice in September 2026, up 0.8% on a year earlier (England: down 1.1%).
19% of its patients are aged 65 or over, against 19% across England. With 10.8 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs, there are 1,434 patients per GP, fewer than the England figure of 2,171 and Lancashire and South Cumbria's 2,288. The practice also has 3.6 nurses and 3.1 other clinical staff such as pharmacists and physiotherapists (full-time equivalent).
| Year | Qualified GPs (FTE) | All GPs incl. trainees (FTE) |
|---|---|---|
| August 2023 | 8.3 | 12.8 |
| August 2024 | 10.4 | 15.5 |
| August 2025 | 10.4 | 14.0 |
| August 2026 | 10.8 | 14.4 |
From June 2026 to August 2026 the practice recorded 7,893 appointments a month, or 511 per 1,000 registered patients (England: 510). 55% were face to face (England: 63%). 41% took place on the day they were booked and 9% more than 28 days after booking (England: 45% and 5%).
42% were with a GP rather than another member of the practice team. 6% of booked patients did not attend.
| Measure | Irwell Medical Practice | Lancashire and South Cumbria | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Appointments per 1,000 patients a month | 511 | 471 | 510 |
| Face to face | 55% | 70% | 63% |
| Same day as booked | 41% | 42% | 45% |
| More than 28 days after booking | 9% | 6% | 5% |
| Did not attend | 6% | 5% | 4% |
Compared with England, the practice has a higher share of patients on its registers for palliative or supportive care needs (1.2% against 0.6%), peripheral arterial disease (1.1% against 0.6%) and COPD (3.3% against 1.9%). The practice's patients live in areas with an average deprivation score of 32.9 (England: 21.8; higher is more deprived). Life expectancy for its patients' neighbourhoods is 81.4 years for women and 75.9 for men (England: 83.0 and 79.1).
| Condition register | Age group | Practice (2024/25) | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Depression | 18+ yrs | 24.8% | 14.3% |
| High blood pressure | All ages | 19.7% | 15.2% |
| Asthma | 6+ yrs | 9.1% | 6.6% |
| Diabetes | 17+ yrs | 8.3% | 7.9% |
| Chronic kidney disease | 18+ yrs | 4.4% | 4.6% |
| Cancer | All ages | 3.8% | 3.8% |
| Coronary heart disease | All ages | 3.6% | 3.0% |
| COPD | All ages | 3.3% | 1.9% |
| Atrial fibrillation | All ages | 2.4% | 2.2% |
| Stroke and TIA | All ages | 2.3% | 1.9% |
| Epilepsy | 18+ yrs | 1.3% | 0.8% |
| Palliative care | All ages | 1.2% | 0.6% |
| Peripheral arterial disease | All ages | 1.1% | 0.6% |
| Heart failure | All ages | 1.0% | 1.1% |
| Serious mental illness | All ages | 1.0% | 1.0% |
| Osteoporosis | 50+ yrs | 1.0% | 1.2% |
| Rheumatoid arthritis | 16+ yrs | 0.9% | 0.8% |
| Learning disability | All ages | 0.9% | 0.6% |
| Dementia | All ages | 0.8% | 0.8% |
| Screening coverage | Period | Practice | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bowel cancer screening (aged 60 to 74) | 2024/25 | 72.2% | 72.9% |
| Breast cancer screening (women aged 53 to 70) | 2024/25 | 73.1% | 72.2% |
| Cervical screening (women aged 25 to 49) | 2023/24 | 78.1% | 67.5% |
| Cervical screening (women aged 50 to 64) | 2023/24 | 75.5% | 74.9% |
Irwell Medical Practice, Irwell Mill, Rochdale Road, Bacup, OL13 9NR. Phone: 01706 253422.
| Nearby practice | Distance | Overall experience good |
|---|---|---|
| Waterfoot Medical Practice | 3.6 km | 81% |
| The Medical Centre | 4.6 km | 79% |
| Ilex View Medical Practice | 5.4 km | 82% |
| Fairmore Medical Practice | 5.4 km | 74% |
| St James' Medical Centre | 6.1 km | 82% |
- The Medical Centre (79% overall experience good)
- Waterfoot Medical Practice (81% overall experience good)
How do patients rate Irwell Medical Practice?
In the 2026 GP Patient Survey, 80% of patients described their overall experience of Irwell Medical Practice as good, against 77% across England. 70% found it easy to get through by phone.
How many patients are registered at Irwell Medical Practice?
15,433 patients were registered in September 2026, up 0.8% on a year earlier.
What is Irwell Medical Practice's CQC rating?
Outstanding overall, published in January 2018.
How many GPs does Irwell Medical Practice have?
10.8 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs (14 qualified GPs by headcount), which is 1,434 patients per GP against 2,171 across England.
Are appointments at Irwell Medical Practice face to face?
55% of appointments from June 2026 to August 2026 were face to face, against 63% across England.
What is Irwell Medical Practice's phone number?
01706 253422.