Dalefield Surgery, Bolton: patient reviews and CQC rating
Dalefield Surgery is a GP practice in Bolton with 7,764 registered patients (September 2026). In the 2026 GP Patient Survey, 78% of its patients described their overall experience as good, against 77% across England (Greater Manchester: 79%). The Care Quality Commission rates it Good overall, in a report published in August 2018. It has 2.5 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs, or 3,131 patients per GP.
Latest data: September 2026. Patient survey 2026; registered patients September 2026; appointments to August 2026.
What patients say about Dalefield Surgery
Its best result against England is the share who found it easy to contact the practice using the NHS App: 61%, against 54% across England. Its weakest is the share who said the wait for their last appointment was about right: 60%, below the England figure of 69%. 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 30th of the 48 practices in Bolton with 50 or more responses. 48% found it easy to get through by phone (England: 57%). The overall experience result is 5 points higher than in 2025 (73%). 113 patients answered the survey (response rate 20%).
| Survey question | Dalefield Surgery | Greater Manchester | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overall experience good | 78% | 79% | 77% |
| Easy to contact by phone | 48% | 63% | 57% |
| Easy to contact via the website | 61% | 61% | 58% |
| Easy to contact via the NHS App | 61% | 58% | 54% |
| Reception team helpful | 85% | 86% | 85% |
| Last contact good | 73% | 76% | 73% |
| Wait for appointment about right | 60% | 71% | 69% |
| Listened to well | 87% | 88% | 87% |
| Treated with care and concern | 83% | 87% | 86% |
| Confidence and trust in the clinician | 95% | 93% | 93% |
| Needs met | 90% | 91% | 90% |
In the Friends and Family Test for July 2026, 92% of 50 responses rated the practice good or very good (England: 92%).
CQC's overall rating for Dalefield Surgery is Good, published in August 2018. All 5 key questions are rated Good. It held the same rating in the report before (February 2015).
| Key question | Rating |
|---|---|
| Safe | Good |
| Well-led | Good |
| Caring | Good |
| Responsive | Good |
| Effective | Good |
7,764 patients were registered at Dalefield Surgery in September 2026, down 4.5% on a year earlier (England: down 1.1%).
15% of its patients are aged 65 or over, against 19% across England. With 2.5 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs, there are 3,131 patients per GP, more than the England figure of 2,171 and Greater Manchester's 2,055. The practice also has 1.2 nurses and 2.6 other clinical staff such as pharmacists and physiotherapists (full-time equivalent).
| Year | Qualified GPs (FTE) | All GPs incl. trainees (FTE) |
|---|---|---|
| August 2023 | 2.8 | 2.8 |
| August 2024 | 2.9 | 2.9 |
| August 2025 | 3.1 | 4.2 |
| August 2026 | 2.5 | 3.5 |
From June 2026 to August 2026 the practice recorded 3,455 appointments a month, or 445 per 1,000 registered patients (England: 510). 69% were face to face (England: 63%). 36% took place on the day they were booked and 9% more than 28 days after booking (England: 45% and 5%).
43% were with a GP rather than another member of the practice team. 12% of booked patients did not attend.
| Measure | Dalefield Surgery | Greater Manchester | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Appointments per 1,000 patients a month | 445 | 445 | 510 |
| Face to face | 69% | 66% | 63% |
| Same day as booked | 36% | 44% | 45% |
| More than 28 days after booking | 9% | 5% | 5% |
| Did not attend | 12% | 6% | 4% |
Compared with England, the practice has a higher share of patients on its registers for COPD (2.6% against 1.9%), depression (18.8% against 14.3%) and chronic kidney disease (5.8% against 4.6%). It has a lower share for heart failure (0.6% against 1.1%), atrial fibrillation (1.6% against 2.2%) and cancer (3.0% against 3.8%). The practice's patients live in areas with an average deprivation score of 40.8 (England: 21.8; higher is more deprived).
Life expectancy for its patients' neighbourhoods is 80.9 years for women and 75.1 for men (England: 83.0 and 79.1).
| Condition register | Age group | Practice (2024/25) | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Depression | 18+ yrs | 18.8% | 14.3% |
| High blood pressure | All ages | 13.1% | 15.2% |
| Diabetes | 17+ yrs | 9.2% | 7.9% |
| Asthma | 6+ yrs | 6.5% | 6.6% |
| Chronic kidney disease | 18+ yrs | 5.8% | 4.6% |
| Cancer | All ages | 3.0% | 3.8% |
| Coronary heart disease | All ages | 2.6% | 3.0% |
| COPD | All ages | 2.6% | 1.9% |
| Osteoporosis | 50+ yrs | 1.7% | 1.2% |
| Atrial fibrillation | All ages | 1.6% | 2.2% |
| Stroke and TIA | All ages | 1.5% | 1.9% |
| Serious mental illness | All ages | 1.0% | 1.0% |
| Epilepsy | 18+ yrs | 0.9% | 0.8% |
| Rheumatoid arthritis | 16+ yrs | 0.6% | 0.8% |
| Heart failure | All ages | 0.6% | 1.1% |
| Dementia | All ages | 0.5% | 0.8% |
| Learning disability | All ages | 0.5% | 0.6% |
| Peripheral arterial disease | All ages | 0.5% | 0.6% |
| Palliative care | All ages | 0.4% | 0.6% |
| Screening coverage | Period | Practice | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bowel cancer screening (aged 60 to 74) | 2024/25 | 64.5% | 72.9% |
| Breast cancer screening (women aged 53 to 70) | 2024/25 | 61.9% | 72.2% |
| Cervical screening (women aged 25 to 49) | 2023/24 | 57.2% | 67.5% |
| Cervical screening (women aged 50 to 64) | 2023/24 | 66.7% | 74.9% |
Dalefield Surgery, Avondale Health Centre, Avondale Street, Bolton, BL1 4JP. Phone: 01204 462880. Website: www.dalefieldsurgery.nhs.uk.
| Nearby practice | Distance | Overall experience good |
|---|---|---|
| Cornerstone Surgery | 0.4 km | 86% |
| Dr Karim & Dr James-Authe | 0.7 km | 75% |
| Spring House Surgery | 0.8 km | 81% |
| Heaton Medical Centre | 1.2 km | 79% |
| Halliwell Surgery 3 | 1.3 km | 81% |
- Cornerstone Surgery (86% overall experience good)
- Dr Karim & Dr James-Authe (75% overall experience good)
- Heaton Medical Centre (79% overall experience good)
- Spring House Surgery (81% overall experience good)
How do patients rate Dalefield Surgery?
In the 2026 GP Patient Survey, 78% of patients described their overall experience of Dalefield Surgery as good, against 77% across England. 48% found it easy to get through by phone.
How many patients are registered at Dalefield Surgery?
7,764 patients were registered in September 2026, down 4.5% on a year earlier.
What is Dalefield Surgery's CQC rating?
Good overall, published in August 2018.
How many GPs does Dalefield Surgery have?
2.5 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs (4 qualified GPs by headcount), which is 3,131 patients per GP against 2,171 across England.
Are appointments at Dalefield Surgery face to face?
69% of appointments from June 2026 to August 2026 were face to face, against 63% across England.
What is Dalefield Surgery's phone number?
01204 462880.