Great Harwood Medical Group, Blackburn: patient reviews and CQC rating
Great Harwood Medical Group is a GP practice in Blackburn with 9,521 registered patients (September 2026). In the 2026 GP Patient Survey, 77% of its patients described their overall experience as good, against 77% across England (Lancashire and South Cumbria: 78%). The Care Quality Commission rates it Good overall, in a report published in September 2016. It has 4.1 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs, or 2,326 patients per GP.
Latest data: September 2026. Patient survey 2026; registered patients September 2026; appointments to August 2026.
What patients say about Great Harwood Medical Group
Its best result against England is the share who said their needs were met at their last appointment: 97%, above the England figure of 90%. Its weakest is the share who found it easy to get through to the practice by phone: 40%, below the England figure of 57%. Of the 11 results in the table, 1 is above England and 1 below by more than the survey's margin of error, and 9 within it.
On overall experience it is 7th of the 20 practices in Blackburn with 50 or more responses. 40% found it easy to get through by phone (England: 57%). The overall experience result is 8 points lower than in 2025 (85%). 104 patients answered the survey (response rate 27%).
| Survey question | Great Harwood Medical Group | Lancashire and South Cumbria | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overall experience good | 77% | 78% | 77% |
| Easy to contact by phone | 40% | 61% | 57% |
| Easy to contact via the website | 58% | 55% | 58% |
| Easy to contact via the NHS App | 57% | 57% | 54% |
| Reception team helpful | 87% | 86% | 85% |
| Last contact good | 77% | 74% | 73% |
| Wait for appointment about right | 68% | 70% | 69% |
| Listened to well | 86% | 88% | 87% |
| Treated with care and concern | 91% | 87% | 86% |
| Confidence and trust in the clinician | 95% | 93% | 93% |
| Needs met | 97% | 91% | 90% |
In the Friends and Family Test for July 2026, 83% of 225 responses rated the practice good or very good (England: 92%).
CQC's overall rating for Great Harwood Medical Group is Good, published in September 2016. All 5 key questions are rated Good.
| Key question | Rating |
|---|---|
| Safe | Good |
| Well-led | Good |
| Caring | Good |
| Responsive | Good |
| Effective | Good |
9,521 patients were registered at Great Harwood Medical Group in September 2026, up 4.7% on a year earlier (England: down 1.1%).
20% of its patients are aged 65 or over, against 19% across England. With 4.1 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs, there are 2,326 patients per GP, close to the England figure of 2,171 and Lancashire and South Cumbria's 2,288. The practice also has 1.1 nurses and 2.0 other clinical staff such as pharmacists and physiotherapists (full-time equivalent).
| Year | Qualified GPs (FTE) | All GPs incl. trainees (FTE) |
|---|---|---|
| August 2023 | 4.8 | 6.7 |
| August 2024 | 3.6 | 7.5 |
| August 2025 | 3.6 | 6.0 |
| August 2026 | 4.1 | 7.1 |
From June 2026 to August 2026 the practice recorded 5,254 appointments a month, or 552 per 1,000 registered patients (England: 510). 92% were face to face (England: 63%). 56% took place on the day they were booked and 0% more than 28 days after booking (England: 45% and 5%).
73% were with a GP rather than another member of the practice team. 4% of booked patients did not attend.
| Measure | Great Harwood Medical Group | Lancashire and South Cumbria | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Appointments per 1,000 patients a month | 552 | 471 | 510 |
| Face to face | 92% | 70% | 63% |
| Same day as booked | 56% | 42% | 45% |
| More than 28 days after booking | 0% | 6% | 5% |
| Did not attend | 4% | 5% | 4% |
Compared with England, the practice has a higher share of patients on its registers for peripheral arterial disease (1.0% against 0.6%), COPD (2.5% against 1.9%) and depression (18.0% against 14.3%). It has a lower share for palliative or supportive care needs (0.2% against 0.6%). The practice's patients live in areas with an average deprivation score of 29.7 (England: 21.8; higher is more deprived).
Life expectancy for its patients' neighbourhoods is 81.9 years for women and 76.9 for men (England: 83.0 and 79.1).
| Condition register | Age group | Practice (2024/25) | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| High blood pressure | All ages | 19.0% | 15.2% |
| Depression | 18+ yrs | 18.0% | 14.3% |
| Diabetes | 17+ yrs | 8.1% | 7.9% |
| Asthma | 6+ yrs | 6.6% | 6.6% |
| Chronic kidney disease | 18+ yrs | 5.7% | 4.6% |
| Cancer | All ages | 4.3% | 3.8% |
| Coronary heart disease | All ages | 3.7% | 3.0% |
| Atrial fibrillation | All ages | 2.6% | 2.2% |
| COPD | All ages | 2.5% | 1.9% |
| Stroke and TIA | All ages | 2.3% | 1.9% |
| Heart failure | All ages | 1.2% | 1.1% |
| Serious mental illness | All ages | 1.1% | 1.0% |
| Epilepsy | 18+ yrs | 1.0% | 0.8% |
| Peripheral arterial disease | All ages | 1.0% | 0.6% |
| Dementia | All ages | 0.8% | 0.8% |
| Learning disability | All ages | 0.8% | 0.6% |
| Rheumatoid arthritis | 16+ yrs | 0.7% | 0.8% |
| Osteoporosis | 50+ yrs | 0.7% | 1.2% |
| Palliative care | All ages | 0.2% | 0.6% |
| Screening coverage | Period | Practice | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bowel cancer screening (aged 60 to 74) | 2024/25 | 73.4% | 72.9% |
| Breast cancer screening (women aged 53 to 70) | 2024/25 | 73.9% | 72.2% |
| Cervical screening (women aged 25 to 49) | 2023/24 | 69.0% | 67.5% |
| Cervical screening (women aged 50 to 64) | 2023/24 | 73.6% | 74.9% |
Great Harwood Medical Group, Water Street, Great Harwood, Blackburn, BB6 7QR. Phone: 01254 457784. Website: www.ghmg.org.uk.
| Nearby practice | Distance | Overall experience good |
|---|---|---|
| The Clayton Medical Centre | 2.0 km | 65% |
| The Weavers Practice | 2.3 km | 59% |
| Sabden & Whalley Medical Group | 3.5 km | 88% |
| Richmond Medical | 4.2 km | 51% |
| Accrington Victoria GP Practice | 4.2 km | 61% |
- Dr Bhat's Surgery (79% overall experience good)
- Dr Gladstone Bello (64% overall experience good)
- King Street Medical Centre (66% overall experience good)
- The Clayton Medical Centre (65% overall experience good)
- The Weavers Practice (59% overall experience good)
How do patients rate Great Harwood Medical Group?
In the 2026 GP Patient Survey, 77% of patients described their overall experience of Great Harwood Medical Group as good, against 77% across England. 40% found it easy to get through by phone.
How many patients are registered at Great Harwood Medical Group?
9,521 patients were registered in September 2026, up 4.7% on a year earlier.
What is Great Harwood Medical Group's CQC rating?
Good overall, published in September 2016.
How many GPs does Great Harwood Medical Group have?
4.1 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs (7 qualified GPs by headcount), which is 2,326 patients per GP against 2,171 across England.
Are appointments at Great Harwood Medical Group face to face?
92% of appointments from June 2026 to August 2026 were face to face, against 63% across England.
What is Great Harwood Medical Group's phone number?
01254 457784.