Harwood Medical Centre, Bolton: patient reviews and CQC rating
Harwood Medical Centre is a GP practice in Bolton with 12,183 registered patients (September 2026). In the 2026 GP Patient Survey, 72% 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 December 2019. It has 4.6 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs, or 2,637 patients per GP.
Latest data: September 2026. Patient survey 2026; registered patients September 2026; appointments to August 2026.
What patients say about Harwood Medical Centre
Its best result against England is the share who said they were treated with care and concern: 89%, against 86% across England. Its weakest is the share who found it easy to contact the practice through its website: 40%, below the England figure of 58%. Of the 11 results in the table, 0 are above England and 2 below by more than the survey's margin of error, and 9 within it.
On overall experience it is 37th of the 48 practices in Bolton with 50 or more responses. 53% found it easy to get through by phone (England: 57%). The overall experience result is 2 points higher than in 2025 (70%). 126 patients answered the survey (response rate 32%).
| Survey question | Harwood Medical Centre | Greater Manchester | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overall experience good | 72% | 79% | 77% |
| Easy to contact by phone | 53% | 63% | 57% |
| Easy to contact via the website | 40% | 61% | 58% |
| Easy to contact via the NHS App | 49% | 58% | 54% |
| Reception team helpful | 87% | 86% | 85% |
| Last contact good | 74% | 76% | 73% |
| Wait for appointment about right | 58% | 71% | 69% |
| Listened to well | 86% | 88% | 87% |
| Treated with care and concern | 89% | 87% | 86% |
| Confidence and trust in the clinician | 94% | 93% | 93% |
| Needs met | 86% | 91% | 90% |
CQC's overall rating for Harwood Medical Centre is Good, published in December 2019. All 5 key questions are rated Good. It held the same rating in the report before (August 2017).
| Key question | Rating |
|---|---|
| Safe | Good |
| Well-led | Good |
| Caring | Good |
| Responsive | Good |
| Effective | Good |
12,183 patients were registered at Harwood Medical Centre in September 2026, up 0.6% on a year earlier (England: down 1.1%).
24% of its patients are aged 65 or over, against 19% across England. With 4.6 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs, there are 2,637 patients per GP, more than the England figure of 2,171 and Greater Manchester's 2,055. The practice also has 5.6 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 | 4.6 | 11.2 |
| August 2024 | 4.8 | 13.4 |
| August 2025 | 4.7 | 11.8 |
| August 2026 | 4.6 | 12.4 |
From June 2026 to August 2026 the practice recorded 6,126 appointments a month, or 503 per 1,000 registered patients (England: 510). 82% were face to face (England: 63%). 44% took place on the day they were booked and 4% more than 28 days after booking (England: 45% and 5%).
38% were with a GP rather than another member of the practice team. 6% of booked patients did not attend.
| Measure | Harwood Medical Centre | Greater Manchester | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Appointments per 1,000 patients a month | 503 | 445 | 510 |
| Face to face | 82% | 66% | 63% |
| Same day as booked | 44% | 44% | 45% |
| More than 28 days after booking | 4% | 5% | 5% |
| Did not attend | 6% | 6% | 4% |
Compared with England, the practice has a higher share of patients on its registers for stroke or TIA (2.9% against 1.9%), chronic kidney disease (6.7% against 4.6%) and COPD (2.7% against 1.9%). It has a lower share for osteoporosis (0.3% against 1.2%) and a learning disability (0.3% against 0.6%). The practice's patients live in areas with an average deprivation score of 24.0 (England: 21.8; higher is more deprived).
Life expectancy for its patients' neighbourhoods is 82.9 years for women and 78.8 for men (England: 83.0 and 79.1).
| Condition register | Age group | Practice (2024/25) | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Depression | 18+ yrs | 19.4% | 14.3% |
| High blood pressure | All ages | 17.1% | 15.2% |
| Diabetes | 17+ yrs | 7.9% | 7.9% |
| Asthma | 6+ yrs | 7.0% | 6.6% |
| Chronic kidney disease | 18+ yrs | 6.7% | 4.6% |
| Cancer | All ages | 4.9% | 3.8% |
| Coronary heart disease | All ages | 3.5% | 3.0% |
| Atrial fibrillation | All ages | 3.0% | 2.2% |
| Stroke and TIA | All ages | 2.9% | 1.9% |
| COPD | All ages | 2.7% | 1.9% |
| Heart failure | All ages | 1.1% | 1.1% |
| Serious mental illness | All ages | 1.1% | 1.0% |
| Dementia | All ages | 0.8% | 0.8% |
| Rheumatoid arthritis | 16+ yrs | 0.8% | 0.8% |
| Epilepsy | 18+ yrs | 0.8% | 0.8% |
| Peripheral arterial disease | All ages | 0.7% | 0.6% |
| Palliative care | All ages | 0.5% | 0.6% |
| Learning disability | All ages | 0.3% | 0.6% |
| Osteoporosis | 50+ yrs | 0.3% | 1.2% |
| Screening coverage | Period | Practice | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bowel cancer screening (aged 60 to 74) | 2024/25 | 73.9% | 72.9% |
| Breast cancer screening (women aged 53 to 70) | 2024/25 | 75.1% | 72.2% |
| Cervical screening (women aged 25 to 49) | 2023/24 | 73.4% | 67.5% |
| Cervical screening (women aged 50 to 64) | 2023/24 | 72.8% | 74.9% |
Harwood Medical Centre, Hough Fold Way, Harwood, Bolton, BL2 3HQ. Phone: 01204 300033. Website: www.harwoodmedicalcentre.co.uk.
| Nearby practice | Distance | Overall experience good |
|---|---|---|
| The Oaks Family Practice | 1.3 km | 70% |
| Crompton View Surgery | 1.3 km | 98% |
| Mandalay Medical Centre | 2.4 km | 79% |
| Bromley Meadows Surgery | 2.4 km | 92% |
| Edgworth Medical Practice | 2.4 km | 95% |
- Bromley Meadows Surgery (92% overall experience good)
- Crompton View Surgery (98% overall experience good)
- Edgworth Medical Practice (95% overall experience good)
- Mandalay Medical Centre (79% overall experience good)
- The Oaks Family Practice (70% overall experience good)
How do patients rate Harwood Medical Centre?
In the 2026 GP Patient Survey, 72% of patients described their overall experience of Harwood Medical Centre as good, against 77% across England. 53% found it easy to get through by phone.
How many patients are registered at Harwood Medical Centre?
12,183 patients were registered in September 2026, up 0.6% on a year earlier.
What is Harwood Medical Centre's CQC rating?
Good overall, published in December 2019.
How many GPs does Harwood Medical Centre have?
4.6 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs (10 qualified GPs by headcount), which is 2,637 patients per GP against 2,171 across England.
Are appointments at Harwood Medical Centre face to face?
82% of appointments from June 2026 to August 2026 were face to face, against 63% across England.
What is Harwood Medical Centre's phone number?
01204 300033.