Burnside Surgery, Bolton: patient reviews and CQC rating
Burnside Surgery is a GP practice in Bolton with 4,320 registered patients (September 2026). In the 2026 GP Patient Survey, 86% of its patients described their overall experience as good, above the England figure of 77% (Greater Manchester: 79%). The Care Quality Commission rates it Good overall, in a report published in November 2018. It has 3.6 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs, or 1,200 patients per GP.
Latest data: September 2026. Patient survey 2026; registered patients September 2026; appointments to August 2026.
What patients say about Burnside Surgery
Its best result against England is the share who found it easy to contact the practice through its website: 87%, above the England figure of 58%. Its weakest is the share who said their needs were met at their last appointment: 89%, against 90% across England. Of the 11 results in the table, 6 are above England and 0 below by more than the survey's margin of error, and 5 within it.
On overall experience it is 12th of the 48 practices in Bolton with 50 or more responses. 75% found it easy to get through by phone (England: 57%). The overall experience result is 3 points higher than in 2025 (83%). 124 patients answered the survey (response rate 22%).
| Survey question | Burnside Surgery | Greater Manchester | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overall experience good | 86% | 79% | 77% |
| Easy to contact by phone | 75% | 63% | 57% |
| Easy to contact via the website | 87% | 61% | 58% |
| Easy to contact via the NHS App | 62% | 58% | 54% |
| Reception team helpful | 96% | 86% | 85% |
| Last contact good | 87% | 76% | 73% |
| Wait for appointment about right | 80% | 71% | 69% |
| Listened to well | 90% | 88% | 87% |
| Treated with care and concern | 91% | 87% | 86% |
| Confidence and trust in the clinician | 93% | 93% | 93% |
| Needs met | 89% | 91% | 90% |
In the Friends and Family Test for July 2026, 96% of 141 responses rated the practice good or very good (England: 92%).
CQC's overall rating for Burnside Surgery is Good, published in November 2018. All 5 key questions are rated Good. It held the same rating in the report before (December 2015).
| Key question | Rating |
|---|---|
| Safe | Good |
| Well-led | Good |
| Caring | Good |
| Responsive | Good |
| Effective | Good |
4,320 patients were registered at Burnside Surgery in September 2026, down 4.0% on a year earlier (England: down 1.1%).
19% of its patients are aged 65 or over, against 19% across England. With 3.6 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs, there are 1,200 patients per GP, fewer than the England figure of 2,171 and Greater Manchester's 2,055. The practice also has 0.8 nurses (full-time equivalent).
| Year | Qualified GPs (FTE) | All GPs incl. trainees (FTE) |
|---|---|---|
| August 2023 | 3.6 | 7.7 |
| August 2024 | 3.6 | 8.3 |
| August 2025 | 3.6 | 5.5 |
| August 2026 | 3.6 | 7.2 |
From June 2026 to August 2026 the practice recorded 1,964 appointments a month, or 455 per 1,000 registered patients (England: 510). 62% were face to face (England: 63%). 48% took place on the day they were booked and 13% more than 28 days after booking (England: 45% and 5%).
58% were with a GP rather than another member of the practice team. 4% of booked patients did not attend.
| Measure | Burnside Surgery | Greater Manchester | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Appointments per 1,000 patients a month | 455 | 445 | 510 |
| Face to face | 62% | 66% | 63% |
| Same day as booked | 48% | 44% | 45% |
| More than 28 days after booking | 13% | 5% | 5% |
| Did not attend | 4% | 6% | 4% |
Compared with England, the practice has a higher share of patients on its registers for diabetes (10.5% against 7.9%). It has a lower share for osteoporosis (0.3% against 1.2%), palliative or supportive care needs (0.2% against 0.6%) and dementia (0.3% against 0.8%). The practice's patients live in areas with an average deprivation score of 28.3 (England: 21.8; higher is more deprived).
Life expectancy for its patients' neighbourhoods is 81.3 years for women and 76.8 for men (England: 83.0 and 79.1).
| Condition register | Age group | Practice (2024/25) | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Depression | 18+ yrs | 14.2% | 14.3% |
| High blood pressure | All ages | 13.7% | 15.2% |
| Diabetes | 17+ yrs | 10.5% | 7.9% |
| Asthma | 6+ yrs | 7.1% | 6.6% |
| Chronic kidney disease | 18+ yrs | 4.5% | 4.6% |
| Cancer | All ages | 3.3% | 3.8% |
| Coronary heart disease | All ages | 2.8% | 3.0% |
| COPD | All ages | 2.0% | 1.9% |
| Atrial fibrillation | All ages | 2.0% | 2.2% |
| Stroke and TIA | All ages | 1.9% | 1.9% |
| Serious mental illness | All ages | 1.3% | 1.0% |
| Rheumatoid arthritis | 16+ yrs | 0.8% | 0.8% |
| Epilepsy | 18+ yrs | 0.6% | 0.8% |
| Heart failure | All ages | 0.6% | 1.1% |
| Learning disability | All ages | 0.6% | 0.6% |
| Peripheral arterial disease | All ages | 0.4% | 0.6% |
| Dementia | All ages | 0.3% | 0.8% |
| Osteoporosis | 50+ yrs | 0.3% | 1.2% |
| Palliative care | All ages | 0.2% | 0.6% |
| Screening coverage | Period | Practice | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bowel cancer screening (aged 60 to 74) | 2024/25 | 68.7% | 72.9% |
| Breast cancer screening (women aged 53 to 70) | 2024/25 | 69.9% | 72.2% |
| Cervical screening (women aged 25 to 49) | 2023/24 | 61.3% | 67.5% |
| Cervical screening (women aged 50 to 64) | 2023/24 | 68.8% | 74.9% |
Burnside Surgery, Navigation Park, Waters Meeting Road, Bolton, BL1 8TT. Phone: 01204 462930.
| Nearby practice | Distance | Overall experience good |
|---|---|---|
| Dr Nasima Sidda | 0.0 km | 72% |
| Bolton Community Practice CIC | 0.0 km | 71% |
| Halliwell Surgery 3 | 0.4 km | 81% |
| Dr Hendy & Rizwan | 0.4 km | 85% |
| Halliwell Surgery 2 | 0.4 km | 87% |
- Dr Hendy & Rizwan (85% overall experience good)
- Dr Nasima Sidda (72% overall experience good)
- Halliwell Surgery 2 (87% overall experience good)
- Halliwell Surgery 3 (81% overall experience good)
- Lever Chambers 1 (81% overall experience good)
How do patients rate Burnside Surgery?
In the 2026 GP Patient Survey, 86% of patients described their overall experience of Burnside Surgery as good, above the England figure of 77%. 75% found it easy to get through by phone.
How many patients are registered at Burnside Surgery?
4,320 patients were registered in September 2026, down 4.0% on a year earlier.
What is Burnside Surgery's CQC rating?
Good overall, published in November 2018.
How many GPs does Burnside Surgery have?
3.6 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs (3 qualified GPs by headcount), which is 1,200 patients per GP against 2,171 across England.
Are appointments at Burnside Surgery face to face?
62% of appointments from June 2026 to August 2026 were face to face, against 63% across England.
What is Burnside Surgery's phone number?
01204 462930.