Heaton Medical Centre, Bolton: patient reviews and CQC rating
Heaton Medical Centre is a GP practice in Bolton with 10,611 registered patients (September 2026). In the 2026 GP Patient Survey, 79% 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 November 2016. It has 5.4 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs, or 1,975 patients per GP.
Latest data: September 2026. Patient survey 2026; registered patients September 2026; appointments to August 2026.
What patients say about Heaton Medical Centre
Its best result against England is the share who said the wait for their last appointment was about right: 76%, against 69% across England. Its weakest is the share who found it easy to contact the practice using the NHS App: 48%, against 54% across England. With 116 responses, none of its 11 results differs from England by more than the survey's margin of error.
On overall experience it is 25th of the 48 practices in Bolton with 50 or more responses. 58% found it easy to get through by phone (England: 57%). The overall experience result is 5 points higher than in 2025 (74%). 116 patients answered the survey (response rate 28%).
| Survey question | Heaton Medical Centre | Greater Manchester | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overall experience good | 79% | 79% | 77% |
| Easy to contact by phone | 58% | 63% | 57% |
| Easy to contact via the website | 57% | 61% | 58% |
| Easy to contact via the NHS App | 48% | 58% | 54% |
| Reception team helpful | 82% | 86% | 85% |
| Last contact good | 76% | 76% | 73% |
| Wait for appointment about right | 76% | 71% | 69% |
| Listened to well | 87% | 88% | 87% |
| Treated with care and concern | 86% | 87% | 86% |
| Confidence and trust in the clinician | 91% | 93% | 93% |
| Needs met | 91% | 91% | 90% |
In the Friends and Family Test for July 2026, 90% of 50 responses rated the practice good or very good (England: 92%).
CQC's overall rating for Heaton Medical Centre is Good, published in November 2016. 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 |
10,611 patients were registered at Heaton Medical Centre in September 2026, down 1.1% on a year earlier (England: down 1.1%).
21% of its patients are aged 65 or over, against 19% across England. With 5.4 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs, there are 1,975 patients per GP, close to the England figure of 2,171 and Greater Manchester's 2,055. The practice also has 3.8 nurses and 2.7 other clinical staff such as pharmacists and physiotherapists (full-time equivalent).
| Year | Qualified GPs (FTE) | All GPs incl. trainees (FTE) |
|---|---|---|
| August 2023 | 6.8 | 11.5 |
| August 2024 | 7.0 | 11.8 |
| August 2025 | 6.2 | 11.6 |
| August 2026 | 5.4 | 11.2 |
From June 2026 to August 2026 the practice recorded 4,765 appointments a month, or 449 per 1,000 registered patients (England: 510). 70% were face to face (England: 63%). 39% took place on the day they were booked and 6% more than 28 days after booking (England: 45% and 5%).
39% were with a GP rather than another member of the practice team. 4% of booked patients did not attend.
| Measure | Heaton Medical Centre | Greater Manchester | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Appointments per 1,000 patients a month | 449 | 445 | 510 |
| Face to face | 70% | 66% | 63% |
| Same day as booked | 39% | 44% | 45% |
| More than 28 days after booking | 6% | 5% | 5% |
| Did not attend | 4% | 6% | 4% |
Compared with England, the practice has a higher share of patients on its registers for chronic kidney disease (6.1% against 4.6%). It has a lower share for osteoporosis (0.5% against 1.2%), palliative or supportive care needs (0.3% against 0.6%) and a learning disability (0.3% against 0.6%). The practice's patients live in areas with an average deprivation score of 20.6 (England: 21.8; higher is more deprived).
Life expectancy for its patients' neighbourhoods is 82.8 years for women and 78.1 for men (England: 83.0 and 79.1).
| Condition register | Age group | Practice (2024/25) | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Depression | 18+ yrs | 16.5% | 14.3% |
| High blood pressure | All ages | 14.9% | 15.2% |
| Diabetes | 17+ yrs | 7.7% | 7.9% |
| Asthma | 6+ yrs | 7.4% | 6.6% |
| Chronic kidney disease | 18+ yrs | 6.1% | 4.6% |
| Cancer | All ages | 3.9% | 3.8% |
| Coronary heart disease | All ages | 3.0% | 3.0% |
| Atrial fibrillation | All ages | 2.5% | 2.2% |
| Stroke and TIA | All ages | 2.2% | 1.9% |
| COPD | All ages | 2.0% | 1.9% |
| Dementia | All ages | 0.9% | 0.8% |
| Serious mental illness | All ages | 0.9% | 1.0% |
| Rheumatoid arthritis | 16+ yrs | 0.9% | 0.8% |
| Epilepsy | 18+ yrs | 0.9% | 0.8% |
| Heart failure | All ages | 0.8% | 1.1% |
| Peripheral arterial disease | All ages | 0.5% | 0.6% |
| Osteoporosis | 50+ yrs | 0.5% | 1.2% |
| Learning disability | All ages | 0.3% | 0.6% |
| Palliative care | All ages | 0.3% | 0.6% |
| Screening coverage | Period | Practice | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bowel cancer screening (aged 60 to 74) | 2024/25 | 75.0% | 72.9% |
| Breast cancer screening (women aged 53 to 70) | 2024/25 | 79.1% | 72.2% |
| Cervical screening (women aged 25 to 49) | 2023/24 | 74.5% | 67.5% |
| Cervical screening (women aged 50 to 64) | 2023/24 | 79.0% | 74.9% |
Heaton Medical Centre, 2 Lucy Street, Bolton, BL1 5PU. Phone: 01204 843677. Website: www.boltongp.co.uk.
| Nearby practice | Distance | Overall experience good |
|---|---|---|
| Spring House Surgery | 0.4 km | 81% |
| Cornerstone Surgery | 0.8 km | 86% |
| Dalefield Surgery | 1.2 km | 78% |
| Dr Karim & Dr James-Authe | 1.3 km | 75% |
| Dr Samir Naseef | 2.2 km | 86% |
- Cornerstone Surgery (86% overall experience good)
- Dalefield Surgery (78% overall experience good)
- Dr Karim & Dr James-Authe (75% overall experience good)
- Spring House Surgery (81% overall experience good)
How do patients rate Heaton Medical Centre?
In the 2026 GP Patient Survey, 79% of patients described their overall experience of Heaton Medical Centre as good, against 77% across England. 58% found it easy to get through by phone.
How many patients are registered at Heaton Medical Centre?
10,611 patients were registered in September 2026, down 1.1% on a year earlier.
What is Heaton Medical Centre's CQC rating?
Good overall, published in November 2016.
How many GPs does Heaton Medical Centre have?
5.4 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs (7 qualified GPs by headcount), which is 1,975 patients per GP against 2,171 across England.
Are appointments at Heaton Medical Centre face to face?
70% of appointments from June 2026 to August 2026 were face to face, against 63% across England.
What is Heaton Medical Centre's phone number?
01204 843677.