Little Harwood Health Centre, Blackburn: patient reviews and CQC rating
Little Harwood Health Centre is a GP practice in Blackburn with 12,228 registered patients (September 2026). In the 2026 GP Patient Survey, 72% 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 January 2017. It has 4.0 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs, or 3,032 patients per GP.
Latest data: September 2026. Patient survey 2026; registered patients September 2026; appointments to August 2026.
What patients say about Little Harwood Health Centre
Its best result against England is the share who had confidence and trust in the healthcare professional they saw: 95%, against 93% across England. Its weakest is the share who found it easy to contact the practice through its website: 26%, below the England figure of 58%. Of the 11 results in the table, 0 are above England and 4 below by more than the survey's margin of error, and 7 within it.
On overall experience it is 13th 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 unchanged from 2025 (72%). 111 patients answered the survey (response rate 23%).
| Survey question | Little Harwood Health Centre | Lancashire and South Cumbria | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overall experience good | 72% | 78% | 77% |
| Easy to contact by phone | 40% | 61% | 57% |
| Easy to contact via the website | 26% | 55% | 58% |
| Easy to contact via the NHS App | 45% | 57% | 54% |
| Reception team helpful | 68% | 86% | 85% |
| Last contact good | 60% | 74% | 73% |
| Wait for appointment about right | 66% | 70% | 69% |
| Listened to well | 85% | 88% | 87% |
| Treated with care and concern | 83% | 87% | 86% |
| Confidence and trust in the clinician | 95% | 93% | 93% |
| Needs met | 91% | 91% | 90% |
In the Friends and Family Test for July 2026, 88% of 50 responses rated the practice good or very good (England: 92%).
CQC's overall rating for Little Harwood Health Centre is Good, published in January 2017. All 5 key questions are rated Good.
| Key question | Rating |
|---|---|
| Safe | Good |
| Well-led | Good |
| Caring | Good |
| Responsive | Good |
| Effective | Good |
12,228 patients were registered at Little Harwood Health Centre in September 2026, down 0.7% on a year earlier (England: down 1.1%).
17% of its patients are aged 65 or over, against 19% across England. With 4.0 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs, there are 3,032 patients per GP, more than the England figure of 2,171 and Lancashire and South Cumbria's 2,288. The practice also has 2.1 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 | 4.0 | 6.0 |
| August 2024 | 4.0 | 6.2 |
| August 2025 | 4.0 | 6.6 |
| August 2026 | 4.0 | 4.7 |
From June 2026 to August 2026 the practice recorded 5,766 appointments a month, or 472 per 1,000 registered patients (England: 510). 80% were face to face (England: 63%). 48% took place on the day they were booked and 3% more than 28 days after booking (England: 45% and 5%).
45% were with a GP rather than another member of the practice team. 7% of booked patients did not attend.
| Measure | Little Harwood Health Centre | Lancashire and South Cumbria | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Appointments per 1,000 patients a month | 472 | 471 | 510 |
| Face to face | 80% | 70% | 63% |
| Same day as booked | 48% | 42% | 45% |
| More than 28 days after booking | 3% | 6% | 5% |
| Did not attend | 7% | 5% | 4% |
Compared with England, the practice has a higher share of patients on its registers for peripheral arterial disease (0.9% against 0.6%), a learning disability (0.9% against 0.6%) and diabetes (11.7% against 7.9%). The practice's patients live in areas with an average deprivation score of 33.0 (England: 21.8; higher is more deprived). Life expectancy for its patients' neighbourhoods is 80.9 years for women and 76.2 for men (England: 83.0 and 79.1).
| Condition register | Age group | Practice (2024/25) | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| High blood pressure | All ages | 16.3% | 15.2% |
| Depression | 18+ yrs | 14.6% | 14.3% |
| Diabetes | 17+ yrs | 11.7% | 7.9% |
| Asthma | 6+ yrs | 7.8% | 6.6% |
| Chronic kidney disease | 18+ yrs | 4.2% | 4.6% |
| Coronary heart disease | All ages | 3.9% | 3.0% |
| Cancer | All ages | 3.5% | 3.8% |
| COPD | All ages | 2.1% | 1.9% |
| Atrial fibrillation | All ages | 2.0% | 2.2% |
| Stroke and TIA | All ages | 1.9% | 1.9% |
| Serious mental illness | All ages | 1.5% | 1.0% |
| Osteoporosis | 50+ yrs | 1.3% | 1.2% |
| Heart failure | All ages | 1.1% | 1.1% |
| Learning disability | All ages | 0.9% | 0.6% |
| Peripheral arterial disease | All ages | 0.9% | 0.6% |
| Epilepsy | 18+ yrs | 0.8% | 0.8% |
| Rheumatoid arthritis | 16+ yrs | 0.8% | 0.8% |
| Dementia | All ages | 0.6% | 0.8% |
| Palliative care | All ages | 0.5% | 0.6% |
| Screening coverage | Period | Practice | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bowel cancer screening (aged 60 to 74) | 2024/25 | 65.8% | 72.9% |
| Breast cancer screening (women aged 53 to 70) | 2024/25 | 69.4% | 72.2% |
| Cervical screening (women aged 25 to 49) | 2023/24 | 53.5% | 67.5% |
| Cervical screening (women aged 50 to 64) | 2023/24 | 69.2% | 74.9% |
Little Harwood Health Centre, Plane Tree Road, Little Harwood, Blackburn, BB1 6PH. Phone: 01254 915005.
| Nearby practice | Distance | Overall experience good |
|---|---|---|
| Shifa Surgery | 0.6 km | 65% |
| Blakewater Healthcare | 0.8 km | 70% |
| Dr RC Rautray's Practice | 0.9 km | 54% |
| Olive Medical Practice | 1.3 km | 63% |
| William Hopwood Surgery | 1.4 km | 73% |
- Limefield and Cherry Tree Surgeries (79% overall experience good)
- Oakenhurst Medical Practice (84% overall experience good)
- Redlam Surgery (83% overall experience good)
- The Family Practice (58% overall experience good)
- Witton Medical Centre (91% overall experience good)
How do patients rate Little Harwood Health Centre?
In the 2026 GP Patient Survey, 72% of patients described their overall experience of Little Harwood Health Centre as good, against 77% across England. 40% found it easy to get through by phone.
How many patients are registered at Little Harwood Health Centre?
12,228 patients were registered in September 2026, down 0.7% on a year earlier.
What is Little Harwood Health Centre's CQC rating?
Good overall, published in January 2017.
How many GPs does Little Harwood Health Centre have?
4.0 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs (8 qualified GPs by headcount), which is 3,032 patients per GP against 2,171 across England.
Are appointments at Little Harwood Health Centre face to face?
80% of appointments from June 2026 to August 2026 were face to face, against 63% across England.
What is Little Harwood Health Centre's phone number?
01254 915005.