Shifa Surgery, Blackburn: patient reviews and CQC rating
Shifa Surgery is a GP practice in Blackburn with 11,444 registered patients (September 2026). In the 2026 GP Patient Survey, 65% of its patients described their overall experience as good, below the England figure of 77% (Lancashire and South Cumbria: 78%). The Care Quality Commission rates it Good overall, in a report published in May 2018. It has 0.7 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs, or 17,166 patients per GP.
Latest data: September 2026. Patient survey 2026; registered patients September 2026; appointments to August 2026.
What patients say about Shifa Surgery
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 said the wait for their last appointment was about right: 48%, below the England figure of 69%. Of the 11 results in the table, 0 are above England and 5 below by more than the survey's margin of error, and 6 within it.
On overall experience it is 16th of the 20 practices in Blackburn with 50 or more responses. 50% found it easy to get through by phone (England: 57%). The overall experience result is 1 point higher than in 2025 (64%). 61 patients answered the survey (response rate 6%).
| Survey question | Shifa Surgery | Lancashire and South Cumbria | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overall experience good | 65% | 78% | 77% |
| Easy to contact by phone | 50% | 61% | 57% |
| Easy to contact via the website | 38% | 55% | 58% |
| Easy to contact via the NHS App | 38% | 57% | 54% |
| Reception team helpful | 86% | 86% | 85% |
| Last contact good | 60% | 74% | 73% |
| Wait for appointment about right | 48% | 70% | 69% |
| Listened to well | 80% | 88% | 87% |
| Treated with care and concern | 74% | 87% | 86% |
| Confidence and trust in the clinician | 95% | 93% | 93% |
| Needs met | 86% | 91% | 90% |
In the Friends and Family Test for July 2026, 74% of 35 responses rated the practice good or very good (England: 92%).
CQC's overall rating for Shifa Surgery is Good, published in May 2018. All 5 key questions are rated Good. It held the same rating in the report before (September 2017).
| Key question | Rating |
|---|---|
| Safe | Good |
| Well-led | Good |
| Caring | Good |
| Responsive | Good |
| Effective | Good |
11,444 patients were registered at Shifa Surgery in September 2026, down 0.5% on a year earlier (England: down 1.1%).
9% of its patients are aged 65 or over, against 19% across England. With 0.7 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs, there are 17,166 patients per GP, more than the England figure of 2,171 and Lancashire and South Cumbria's 2,288. The practice also has 2.3 nurses and 1.1 other clinical staff such as pharmacists and physiotherapists (full-time equivalent).
| Year | Qualified GPs (FTE) | All GPs incl. trainees (FTE) |
|---|---|---|
| August 2023 | 0.7 | 4.9 |
| August 2024 | 0.7 | 3.7 |
| August 2025 | 0.7 | 3.7 |
| August 2026 | 0.7 | 4.2 |
From June 2026 to August 2026 the practice recorded 4,375 appointments a month, or 382 per 1,000 registered patients (England: 510). 82% were face to face (England: 63%). 35% took place on the day they were booked and 6% more than 28 days after booking (England: 45% and 5%).
35% were with a GP rather than another member of the practice team. 10% of booked patients did not attend.
| Measure | Shifa Surgery | Lancashire and South Cumbria | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Appointments per 1,000 patients a month | 382 | 471 | 510 |
| Face to face | 82% | 70% | 63% |
| Same day as booked | 35% | 42% | 45% |
| More than 28 days after booking | 6% | 6% | 5% |
| Did not attend | 10% | 5% | 4% |
Compared with England, the practice has a higher share of patients on its registers for diabetes (14.8% against 7.9%). It has a lower share for osteoporosis (0.2% against 1.2%), atrial fibrillation (0.4% against 2.2%) and cancer (1.2% against 3.8%). The practice's patients live in areas with an average deprivation score of 38.8 (England: 21.8; higher is more deprived).
Life expectancy for its patients' neighbourhoods is 80.0 years for women and 75.4 for men (England: 83.0 and 79.1).
| Condition register | Age group | Practice (2024/25) | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Diabetes | 17+ yrs | 14.8% | 7.9% |
| High blood pressure | All ages | 11.4% | 15.2% |
| Depression | 18+ yrs | 11.2% | 14.3% |
| Asthma | 6+ yrs | 7.0% | 6.6% |
| Coronary heart disease | All ages | 3.0% | 3.0% |
| Chronic kidney disease | 18+ yrs | 2.5% | 4.6% |
| Cancer | All ages | 1.2% | 3.8% |
| Serious mental illness | All ages | 1.1% | 1.0% |
| Stroke and TIA | All ages | 1.1% | 1.9% |
| COPD | All ages | 0.9% | 1.9% |
| Rheumatoid arthritis | 16+ yrs | 0.7% | 0.8% |
| Learning disability | All ages | 0.7% | 0.6% |
| Epilepsy | 18+ yrs | 0.6% | 0.8% |
| Palliative care | All ages | 0.6% | 0.6% |
| Heart failure | All ages | 0.5% | 1.1% |
| Atrial fibrillation | All ages | 0.4% | 2.2% |
| Dementia | All ages | 0.3% | 0.8% |
| Peripheral arterial disease | All ages | 0.3% | 0.6% |
| Osteoporosis | 50+ yrs | 0.2% | 1.2% |
| Screening coverage | Period | Practice | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bowel cancer screening (aged 60 to 74) | 2024/25 | 49.8% | 72.9% |
| Breast cancer screening (women aged 53 to 70) | 2024/25 | 56.3% | 72.2% |
| Cervical screening (women aged 25 to 49) | 2023/24 | 55.3% | 67.5% |
| Cervical screening (women aged 50 to 64) | 2023/24 | 70.3% | 74.9% |
Shifa Surgery, Bangor Street Health Resource Centre, Bangor Street, Blackburn, BB1 6DY. Phone: 01254 617440. Website: www.shifasurgery.co.uk.
| Nearby practice | Distance | Overall experience good |
|---|---|---|
| Dr RC Rautray's Practice | 0.5 km | 54% |
| Little Harwood Health Centre | 0.6 km | 72% |
| Olive Medical Practice | 0.8 km | 63% |
| Blakewater Healthcare | 0.9 km | 70% |
| Oakenhurst Medical Practice | 1.1 km | 84% |
- Blakewater Healthcare (70% overall experience good)
- Brownhill Surgery (75% overall experience good)
- Dr RC Rautray's Practice (54% overall experience good)
- Hollins Grove Surgery (90% overall experience good)
- Olive Medical Practice (63% overall experience good)
How do patients rate Shifa Surgery?
In the 2026 GP Patient Survey, 65% of patients described their overall experience of Shifa Surgery as good, below the England figure of 77%. 50% found it easy to get through by phone.
How many patients are registered at Shifa Surgery?
11,444 patients were registered in September 2026, down 0.5% on a year earlier.
What is Shifa Surgery's CQC rating?
Good overall, published in May 2018.
How many GPs does Shifa Surgery have?
0.7 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs (1 qualified GP by headcount), which is 17,166 patients per GP against 2,171 across England.
Are appointments at Shifa Surgery face to face?
82% of appointments from June 2026 to August 2026 were face to face, against 63% across England.
What is Shifa Surgery's phone number?
01254 617440.