The Cornerstone Practice, Blackburn: patient reviews and CQC rating
The Cornerstone Practice is a GP practice in Blackburn with 19,120 registered patients (September 2026). In the 2026 GP Patient Survey, 78% 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 October 2019. It has 10.6 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs, or 1,800 patients per GP.
Latest data: September 2026. Patient survey 2026; registered patients September 2026; appointments to August 2026.
What patients say about The Cornerstone Practice
Its best result against England is the share who found the reception and administrative team helpful: 89%, against 85% across England. Its weakest is the share who found it easy to contact the practice using the NHS App: 33%, below the England figure of 54%. 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 6th of the 20 practices in Blackburn with 50 or more responses. 42% found it easy to get through by phone (England: 57%). The overall experience result is 1 point lower than in 2025 (79%). 108 patients answered the survey (response rate 18%).
| Survey question | The Cornerstone Practice | Lancashire and South Cumbria | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overall experience good | 78% | 78% | 77% |
| Easy to contact by phone | 42% | 61% | 57% |
| Easy to contact via the website | 41% | 55% | 58% |
| Easy to contact via the NHS App | 33% | 57% | 54% |
| Reception team helpful | 89% | 86% | 85% |
| Last contact good | 59% | 74% | 73% |
| Wait for appointment about right | 58% | 70% | 69% |
| Listened to well | 86% | 88% | 87% |
| Treated with care and concern | 89% | 87% | 86% |
| Confidence and trust in the clinician | 96% | 93% | 93% |
| Needs met | 88% | 91% | 90% |
In the Friends and Family Test for July 2026, 88% of 311 responses rated the practice good or very good (England: 92%).
CQC's overall rating for The Cornerstone Practice is Good, published in October 2019. All 5 key questions are rated Good. Its previous overall rating was Requires Improvement (February 2019).
| Key question | Rating |
|---|---|
| Safe | Good |
| Well-led | Good |
| Caring | Good |
| Responsive | Good |
| Effective | Good |
19,120 patients were registered at The Cornerstone Practice in September 2026, down 2.3% on a year earlier (England: down 1.1%).
12% of its patients are aged 65 or over, against 19% across England. With 10.6 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs, there are 1,800 patients per GP, fewer than the England figure of 2,171 and Lancashire and South Cumbria's 2,288. The practice also has 8.1 nurses and 5.3 other clinical staff such as pharmacists and physiotherapists (full-time equivalent).
| Year | Qualified GPs (FTE) | All GPs incl. trainees (FTE) |
|---|---|---|
| August 2023 | 6.4 | 11.6 |
| August 2024 | 7.9 | 10.5 |
| August 2025 | 8.4 | 13.5 |
| August 2026 | 10.6 | 14.7 |
From June 2026 to August 2026 the practice recorded 6,980 appointments a month, or 365 per 1,000 registered patients (England: 510). 70% were face to face (England: 63%). 40% took place on the day they were booked and 2% more than 28 days after booking (England: 45% and 5%).
51% were with a GP rather than another member of the practice team. 9% of booked patients did not attend.
| Measure | The Cornerstone Practice | Lancashire and South Cumbria | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Appointments per 1,000 patients a month | 365 | 471 | 510 |
| Face to face | 70% | 70% | 63% |
| Same day as booked | 40% | 42% | 45% |
| More than 28 days after booking | 2% | 6% | 5% |
| Did not attend | 9% | 5% | 4% |
Compared with England, the practice has a higher share of patients on its registers for depression (25.9% against 14.3%), peripheral arterial disease (0.8% against 0.6%) and serious mental illness (1.5% against 1.0%). It has a lower share for palliative or supportive care needs (0.2% against 0.6%), dementia (0.4% against 0.8%) and chronic kidney disease (2.4% against 4.6%). The practice's patients live in areas with an average deprivation score of 41.8 (England: 21.8; higher is more deprived).
Life expectancy for its patients' neighbourhoods is 79.4 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 | 25.9% | 14.3% |
| High blood pressure | All ages | 14.4% | 15.2% |
| Asthma | 6+ yrs | 8.9% | 6.6% |
| Diabetes | 17+ yrs | 8.7% | 7.9% |
| Coronary heart disease | All ages | 2.8% | 3.0% |
| Cancer | All ages | 2.7% | 3.8% |
| COPD | All ages | 2.5% | 1.9% |
| Chronic kidney disease | 18+ yrs | 2.4% | 4.6% |
| Stroke and TIA | All ages | 1.8% | 1.9% |
| Serious mental illness | All ages | 1.5% | 1.0% |
| Atrial fibrillation | All ages | 1.4% | 2.2% |
| Osteoporosis | 50+ yrs | 1.0% | 1.2% |
| Epilepsy | 18+ yrs | 1.0% | 0.8% |
| Peripheral arterial disease | All ages | 0.8% | 0.6% |
| Learning disability | All ages | 0.8% | 0.6% |
| Heart failure | All ages | 0.8% | 1.1% |
| Rheumatoid arthritis | 16+ yrs | 0.7% | 0.8% |
| Dementia | All ages | 0.4% | 0.8% |
| Palliative care | All ages | 0.2% | 0.6% |
| Screening coverage | Period | Practice | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bowel cancer screening (aged 60 to 74) | 2024/25 | 59.7% | 72.9% |
| Breast cancer screening (women aged 53 to 70) | 2024/25 | 63.0% | 72.2% |
| Cervical screening (women aged 25 to 49) | 2023/24 | 54.3% | 67.5% |
| Cervical screening (women aged 50 to 64) | 2023/24 | 63.7% | 74.9% |
The Cornerstone Practice, Shadsworth Surgery, Shadsworth Road, Blackburn, BB1 2HR. Phone: 01254 665664. Website: www.cornerstonepractice.com.
| Nearby practice | Distance | Overall experience good |
|---|---|---|
| Audley Health Centre | 0.9 km | 65% |
| Pringle Street Surgery | 1.0 km | 76% |
| William Hopwood Surgery | 1.1 km | 73% |
| St Georges Surgery | 1.5 km | 75% |
| Roman Road Health Centre | 1.8 km | 84% |
- Audley Health Centre (65% overall experience good)
- Bentham Road Health Centre (73% overall experience good)
- Pringle Street Surgery (76% overall experience good)
- Roman Road Health Centre (84% overall experience good)
- St Georges Surgery (75% overall experience good)
- William Hopwood Surgery (73% overall experience good)
How do patients rate The Cornerstone Practice?
In the 2026 GP Patient Survey, 78% of patients described their overall experience of The Cornerstone Practice as good, against 77% across England. 42% found it easy to get through by phone.
How many patients are registered at The Cornerstone Practice?
19,120 patients were registered in September 2026, down 2.3% on a year earlier.
What is The Cornerstone Practice's CQC rating?
Good overall, published in October 2019.
How many GPs does The Cornerstone Practice have?
10.6 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs (21 qualified GPs by headcount), which is 1,800 patients per GP against 2,171 across England.
Are appointments at The Cornerstone Practice face to face?
70% of appointments from June 2026 to August 2026 were face to face, against 63% across England.
What is The Cornerstone Practice's phone number?
01254 665664.