Garnet Fold Practice, Bolton: patient reviews and CQC rating
Garnet Fold Practice is a GP practice in Bolton with 8,027 registered patients (September 2026). In the 2026 GP Patient Survey, 87% 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 December 2018. It has 2.4 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs, or 3,345 patients per GP.
Latest data: September 2026. Patient survey 2026; registered patients September 2026; appointments to August 2026.
What patients say about Garnet Fold Practice
Its best result against England is the share who found it easy to get through to the practice by phone: 85%, above the England figure of 57%. Its weakest is the share who found it easy to contact the practice through its website: 57%, against 58% 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 9th of the 48 practices in Bolton with 50 or more responses. 85% found it easy to get through by phone (England: 57%). The overall experience result is 4 points lower than in 2025 (91%). 107 patients answered the survey (response rate 22%).
| Survey question | Garnet Fold Practice | Greater Manchester | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overall experience good | 87% | 79% | 77% |
| Easy to contact by phone | 85% | 63% | 57% |
| Easy to contact via the website | 57% | 61% | 58% |
| Easy to contact via the NHS App | 81% | 58% | 54% |
| Reception team helpful | 95% | 86% | 85% |
| Last contact good | 90% | 76% | 73% |
| Wait for appointment about right | 92% | 71% | 69% |
| Listened to well | 89% | 88% | 87% |
| Treated with care and concern | 88% | 87% | 86% |
| Confidence and trust in the clinician | 94% | 93% | 93% |
| Needs met | 95% | 91% | 90% |
In the Friends and Family Test for July 2026, 97% of 205 responses rated the practice good or very good (England: 92%).
CQC's overall rating for Garnet Fold Practice is Good, published in December 2018. All 5 key questions are rated Good. It held the same rating in the report before (November 2015).
| Key question | Rating |
|---|---|
| Safe | Good |
| Well-led | Good |
| Caring | Good |
| Responsive | Good |
| Effective | Good |
8,027 patients were registered at Garnet Fold Practice in September 2026, up 3.3% on a year earlier (England: down 1.1%).
19% of its patients are aged 65 or over, against 19% across England. With 2.4 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs, there are 3,345 patients per GP, more than the England figure of 2,171 and Greater Manchester's 2,055. The practice also has 1.1 nurses and 0.5 other clinical staff such as pharmacists and physiotherapists (full-time equivalent).
| Year | Qualified GPs (FTE) | All GPs incl. trainees (FTE) |
|---|---|---|
| August 2023 | 4.1 | 9.3 |
| August 2024 | 4.1 | 8.8 |
| August 2025 | 2.4 | 9.0 |
| August 2026 | 2.4 | 7.3 |
From June 2026 to August 2026 the practice recorded 4,204 appointments a month, or 524 per 1,000 registered patients (England: 510). 60% were face to face (England: 63%). 65% took place on the day they were booked and 3% more than 28 days after booking (England: 45% and 5%).
53% were with a GP rather than another member of the practice team. 4% of booked patients did not attend.
| Measure | Garnet Fold Practice | Greater Manchester | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Appointments per 1,000 patients a month | 524 | 445 | 510 |
| Face to face | 60% | 66% | 63% |
| Same day as booked | 65% | 44% | 45% |
| More than 28 days after booking | 3% | 5% | 5% |
| Did not attend | 4% | 6% | 4% |
Compared with England, the practice has a higher share of patients on its registers for peripheral arterial disease (0.9% against 0.6%), chronic kidney disease (6.8% against 4.6%) and diabetes (10.3% against 7.9%). It has a lower share for osteoporosis (0.3% against 1.2%) and palliative or supportive care needs (0.3% against 0.6%). The practice's patients live in areas with an average deprivation score of 32.9 (England: 21.8; higher is more deprived).
Life expectancy for its patients' neighbourhoods is 80.9 years for women and 77.1 for men (England: 83.0 and 79.1).
| Condition register | Age group | Practice (2024/25) | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| High blood pressure | All ages | 16.6% | 15.2% |
| Depression | 18+ yrs | 14.8% | 14.3% |
| Diabetes | 17+ yrs | 10.3% | 7.9% |
| Asthma | 6+ yrs | 7.2% | 6.6% |
| Chronic kidney disease | 18+ yrs | 6.8% | 4.6% |
| Coronary heart disease | All ages | 3.6% | 3.0% |
| Cancer | All ages | 3.4% | 3.8% |
| Stroke and TIA | All ages | 2.3% | 1.9% |
| Atrial fibrillation | All ages | 2.1% | 2.2% |
| COPD | All ages | 2.1% | 1.9% |
| Serious mental illness | All ages | 1.0% | 1.0% |
| Peripheral arterial disease | All ages | 0.9% | 0.6% |
| Heart failure | All ages | 0.9% | 1.1% |
| Rheumatoid arthritis | 16+ yrs | 0.9% | 0.8% |
| Learning disability | All ages | 0.7% | 0.6% |
| Epilepsy | 18+ yrs | 0.7% | 0.8% |
| Dementia | All ages | 0.6% | 0.8% |
| Osteoporosis | 50+ yrs | 0.3% | 1.2% |
| Palliative care | All ages | 0.3% | 0.6% |
| Screening coverage | Period | Practice | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bowel cancer screening (aged 60 to 74) | 2024/25 | 71.2% | 72.9% |
| Breast cancer screening (women aged 53 to 70) | 2024/25 | 71.8% | 72.2% |
| Cervical screening (women aged 25 to 49) | 2023/24 | 64.6% | 67.5% |
| Cervical screening (women aged 50 to 64) | 2023/24 | 73.5% | 74.9% |
Garnet Fold Practice, 374-376 St Helens Road, Bolton, BL3 3RR. Phone: 01204 665588.
| Nearby practice | Distance | Overall experience good |
|---|---|---|
| Shanti Medical Centre | 0.6 km | 69% |
| Dr Mahadeva Selvarajan | 1.0 km | 61% |
| Dr Samir Naseef | 1.1 km | 86% |
| Swan Lane Medical Centre | 1.3 km | 81% |
| Dr S Naseef | 1.7 km | 93% |
- Dr Mirza and Partners (87% overall experience good)
- Shanti Medical Centre (69% overall experience good)
- Swan Lane Medical Centre (81% overall experience good)
How do patients rate Garnet Fold Practice?
In the 2026 GP Patient Survey, 87% of patients described their overall experience of Garnet Fold Practice as good, above the England figure of 77%. 85% found it easy to get through by phone.
How many patients are registered at Garnet Fold Practice?
8,027 patients were registered in September 2026, up 3.3% on a year earlier.
What is Garnet Fold Practice's CQC rating?
Good overall, published in December 2018.
How many GPs does Garnet Fold Practice have?
2.4 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs (3 qualified GPs by headcount), which is 3,345 patients per GP against 2,171 across England.
Are appointments at Garnet Fold Practice face to face?
60% of appointments from June 2026 to August 2026 were face to face, against 63% across England.
What is Garnet Fold Practice's phone number?
01204 665588.