Waterloo Medical Centre, Blackpool: patient reviews and CQC rating
Waterloo Medical Centre is a GP practice in Blackpool with 12,567 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 March 2019. It has 5.1 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs, or 2,454 patients per GP.
Latest data: September 2026. Patient survey 2026; registered patients September 2026; appointments to August 2026.
What patients say about Waterloo Medical Centre
Its best result against England is the share who found it easy to contact the practice using the NHS App: 63%, against 54% across England. Its weakest is the share who found it easy to get through to the practice by phone: 48%, against 57% across England. Of the 11 results in the table, 0 are above England and 1 below by more than the survey's margin of error, and 10 within it.
On overall experience it is 7th of the 15 practices in Blackpool with 50 or more responses. 48% found it easy to get through by phone (England: 57%). The overall experience result is 12 points lower than in 2025 (89%). 93 patients answered the survey (response rate 19%).
| Survey question | Waterloo Medical Centre | Lancashire and South Cumbria | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overall experience good | 77% | 78% | 77% |
| Easy to contact by phone | 48% | 61% | 57% |
| Easy to contact via the website | 52% | 55% | 58% |
| Easy to contact via the NHS App | 63% | 57% | 54% |
| Reception team helpful | 88% | 86% | 85% |
| Last contact good | 70% | 74% | 73% |
| Wait for appointment about right | 62% | 70% | 69% |
| Listened to well | 83% | 88% | 87% |
| Treated with care and concern | 83% | 87% | 86% |
| Confidence and trust in the clinician | 86% | 93% | 93% |
| Needs met | 86% | 91% | 90% |
In the Friends and Family Test for July 2026, 95% of 83 responses rated the practice good or very good (England: 92%).
CQC's overall rating for Waterloo Medical Centre is Good, published in March 2019. All 5 key questions are rated Good. It held the same rating in the report before (March 2019).
| Key question | Rating |
|---|---|
| Safe | Good |
| Well-led | Good |
| Caring | Good |
| Responsive | Good |
| Effective | Good |
12,567 patients were registered at Waterloo Medical Centre in September 2026, up 1.0% on a year earlier (England: down 1.1%).
17% of its patients are aged 65 or over, against 19% across England. With 5.1 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs, there are 2,454 patients per GP, more than the England figure of 2,171 and Lancashire and South Cumbria's 2,288. The practice also has 2.4 nurses (full-time equivalent).
| Year | Qualified GPs (FTE) | All GPs incl. trainees (FTE) |
|---|---|---|
| August 2023 | 5.1 | 8.1 |
| August 2024 | 5.1 | 6.8 |
| August 2025 | 5.1 | 7.9 |
| August 2026 | 5.1 | 8.7 |
From June 2026 to August 2026 the practice recorded 5,954 appointments a month, or 474 per 1,000 registered patients (England: 510). 85% were face to face (England: 63%). 43% took place on the day they were booked and 6% more than 28 days after booking (England: 45% and 5%).
57% were with a GP rather than another member of the practice team. 7% of booked patients did not attend.
| Measure | Waterloo Medical Centre | Lancashire and South Cumbria | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Appointments per 1,000 patients a month | 474 | 471 | 510 |
| Face to face | 85% | 70% | 63% |
| Same day as booked | 43% | 42% | 45% |
| More than 28 days after booking | 6% | 6% | 5% |
| Did not attend | 7% | 5% | 4% |
Compared with England, the practice has a higher share of patients on its registers for COPD (3.9% against 1.9%), serious mental illness (2.0% against 1.0%) and epilepsy (1.3% against 0.8%). The practice's patients live in areas with an average deprivation score of 51.4 (England: 21.8; higher is more deprived). Life expectancy for its patients' neighbourhoods is 78.1 years for women and 73.1 for men (England: 83.0 and 79.1).
| Condition register | Age group | Practice (2024/25) | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Depression | 18+ yrs | 21.4% | 14.3% |
| High blood pressure | All ages | 16.4% | 15.2% |
| Diabetes | 17+ yrs | 9.7% | 7.9% |
| Asthma | 6+ yrs | 7.6% | 6.6% |
| Chronic kidney disease | 18+ yrs | 4.5% | 4.6% |
| Coronary heart disease | All ages | 3.9% | 3.0% |
| COPD | All ages | 3.9% | 1.9% |
| Cancer | All ages | 3.4% | 3.8% |
| Stroke and TIA | All ages | 2.4% | 1.9% |
| Atrial fibrillation | All ages | 2.1% | 2.2% |
| Serious mental illness | All ages | 2.0% | 1.0% |
| Heart failure | All ages | 1.5% | 1.1% |
| Epilepsy | 18+ yrs | 1.3% | 0.8% |
| Osteoporosis | 50+ yrs | 1.2% | 1.2% |
| Rheumatoid arthritis | 16+ yrs | 0.9% | 0.8% |
| Peripheral arterial disease | All ages | 0.8% | 0.6% |
| Learning disability | All ages | 0.8% | 0.6% |
| Dementia | All ages | 0.7% | 0.8% |
| Palliative care | All ages | 0.6% | 0.6% |
| Screening coverage | Period | Practice | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bowel cancer screening (aged 60 to 74) | 2024/25 | 60.2% | 72.9% |
| Breast cancer screening (women aged 53 to 70) | 2024/25 | 62.5% | 72.2% |
| Cervical screening (women aged 25 to 49) | 2023/24 | 61.2% | 67.5% |
| Cervical screening (women aged 50 to 64) | 2023/24 | 66.4% | 74.9% |
Waterloo Medical Centre, 178 Waterloo Road, Blackpool, FY4 3AD. Phone: 01253 344219.
| Nearby practice | Distance | Overall experience good |
|---|---|---|
| Bloomfield Medical Centre | 0.5 km | 74% |
| Arnold Medical Centre | 1.1 km | 90% |
| Marton Medical Practice | 1.5 km | 71% |
| Abbey-Dale Medical Centre | 1.7 km | 86% |
| South King Street Medical Centre | 1.9 km | 84% |
- Bloomfield Medical Centre (74% overall experience good)
How do patients rate Waterloo Medical Centre?
In the 2026 GP Patient Survey, 77% of patients described their overall experience of Waterloo Medical Centre as good, against 77% across England. 48% found it easy to get through by phone.
How many patients are registered at Waterloo Medical Centre?
12,567 patients were registered in September 2026, up 1.0% on a year earlier.
What is Waterloo Medical Centre's CQC rating?
Good overall, published in March 2019.
How many GPs does Waterloo Medical Centre have?
5.1 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs (6 qualified GPs by headcount), which is 2,454 patients per GP against 2,171 across England.
Are appointments at Waterloo Medical Centre face to face?
85% of appointments from June 2026 to August 2026 were face to face, against 63% across England.
What is Waterloo Medical Centre's phone number?
01253 344219.