Stable Fold Surgery, Bolton: patient reviews and CQC rating
Stable Fold Surgery is a GP practice in Bolton with 7,136 registered patients (September 2026). In the 2026 GP Patient Survey, 77% 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 May 2023. It has 2.7 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs, or 2,650 patients per GP.
Latest data: September 2026. Patient survey 2026; registered patients September 2026; appointments to August 2026.
What patients say about Stable Fold Surgery
Its best result against England is the share who said their needs were met at their last appointment: 96%, above the England figure of 90%. Its weakest is the share who found it easy to get through to the practice by phone: 45%, below the England figure of 57%. Of the 11 results in the table, 1 is above England and 1 below by more than the survey's margin of error, and 9 within it.
On overall experience it is 31st of the 48 practices in Bolton with 50 or more responses. 45% found it easy to get through by phone (England: 57%). The overall experience result is 10 points higher than in 2025 (67%). 101 patients answered the survey (response rate 28%).
| Survey question | Stable Fold Surgery | Greater Manchester | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overall experience good | 77% | 79% | 77% |
| Easy to contact by phone | 45% | 63% | 57% |
| Easy to contact via the website | 53% | 61% | 58% |
| Easy to contact via the NHS App | 45% | 58% | 54% |
| Reception team helpful | 88% | 86% | 85% |
| Last contact good | 66% | 76% | 73% |
| Wait for appointment about right | 69% | 71% | 69% |
| Listened to well | 87% | 88% | 87% |
| Treated with care and concern | 90% | 87% | 86% |
| Confidence and trust in the clinician | 98% | 93% | 93% |
| Needs met | 96% | 91% | 90% |
In the Friends and Family Test for July 2026, 94% of 109 responses rated the practice good or very good (England: 92%).
CQC's overall rating for Stable Fold Surgery is Good, published in May 2023. One key question is rated differently: Responsive Requires Improvement. It held the same rating in the report before (June 2021).
| Key question | Rating |
|---|---|
| Safe | Good |
| Well-led | Good |
| Caring | Good |
| Responsive | Requires Improvement |
| Effective | Good |
7,136 patients were registered at Stable Fold Surgery in September 2026, almost the same as a year earlier.
24% of its patients are aged 65 or over, against 19% across England. With 2.7 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs, there are 2,650 patients per GP, more than the England figure of 2,171 and Greater Manchester's 2,055. The practice also has 2.6 nurses (full-time equivalent).
| Year | Qualified GPs (FTE) | All GPs incl. trainees (FTE) |
|---|---|---|
| August 2023 | 3.1 | 4.0 |
| August 2024 | 3.3 | 4.2 |
| August 2025 | 3.3 | 4.4 |
| August 2026 | 2.7 | 2.7 |
From June 2026 to August 2026 the practice recorded 4,628 appointments a month, or 649 per 1,000 registered patients (England: 510). 51% were face to face (England: 63%). 61% took place on the day they were booked and 4% 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 | Stable Fold Surgery | Greater Manchester | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Appointments per 1,000 patients a month | 649 | 445 | 510 |
| Face to face | 51% | 66% | 63% |
| Same day as booked | 61% | 44% | 45% |
| More than 28 days after booking | 4% | 5% | 5% |
| Did not attend | 4% | 6% | 4% |
Compared with England, the practice has a higher share of patients on its registers for osteoporosis (2.8% against 1.2%) and COPD (2.4% against 1.9%). It has a lower share for palliative or supportive care needs (0.2% against 0.6%). The practice's patients live in areas with an average deprivation score of 19.0 (England: 21.8; higher is more deprived).
Life expectancy for its patients' neighbourhoods is 82.4 years for women and 78.1 for men (England: 83.0 and 79.1).
| Condition register | Age group | Practice (2024/25) | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| High blood pressure | All ages | 16.4% | 15.2% |
| Depression | 18+ yrs | 13.3% | 14.3% |
| Diabetes | 17+ yrs | 8.7% | 7.9% |
| Asthma | 6+ yrs | 7.5% | 6.6% |
| Cancer | All ages | 3.8% | 3.8% |
| Chronic kidney disease | 18+ yrs | 3.8% | 4.6% |
| Coronary heart disease | All ages | 3.0% | 3.0% |
| Osteoporosis | 50+ yrs | 2.8% | 1.2% |
| Atrial fibrillation | All ages | 2.6% | 2.2% |
| COPD | All ages | 2.4% | 1.9% |
| Stroke and TIA | All ages | 2.3% | 1.9% |
| Epilepsy | 18+ yrs | 0.9% | 0.8% |
| Serious mental illness | All ages | 0.9% | 1.0% |
| Rheumatoid arthritis | 16+ yrs | 0.9% | 0.8% |
| Dementia | All ages | 0.8% | 0.8% |
| Heart failure | All ages | 0.8% | 1.1% |
| Peripheral arterial disease | All ages | 0.6% | 0.6% |
| Learning disability | All ages | 0.5% | 0.6% |
| Palliative care | All ages | 0.2% | 0.6% |
| Screening coverage | Period | Practice | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bowel cancer screening (aged 60 to 74) | 2024/25 | 75.2% | 72.9% |
| Breast cancer screening (women aged 53 to 70) | 2024/25 | 76.8% | 72.2% |
| Cervical screening (women aged 25 to 49) | 2023/24 | 76.9% | 67.5% |
| Cervical screening (women aged 50 to 64) | 2023/24 | 78.8% | 74.9% |
Stable Fold Surgery, 119 Church Street, Westhoughton, Bolton, BL5 3SF. Phone: 01942 813678.
| Nearby practice | Distance | Overall experience good |
|---|---|---|
| Unsworth Group Practice | 1.0 km | 71% |
| Dr Vasanth and Partners | 3.1 km | 74% |
| Meadowview Surgery | 3.1 km | 92% |
| Pennygate Medical Centre | 3.8 km | 86% |
| Bee Fold Medical Centre | 3.8 km | 81% |
- Unsworth Group Practice (71% overall experience good)
How do patients rate Stable Fold Surgery?
In the 2026 GP Patient Survey, 77% of patients described their overall experience of Stable Fold Surgery as good, against 77% across England. 45% found it easy to get through by phone.
How many patients are registered at Stable Fold Surgery?
7,136 patients were registered in September 2026, down 0.1% on a year earlier.
What is Stable Fold Surgery's CQC rating?
Good overall, published in May 2023.
How many GPs does Stable Fold Surgery have?
2.7 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs (3 qualified GPs by headcount), which is 2,650 patients per GP against 2,171 across England.
Are appointments at Stable Fold Surgery face to face?
51% of appointments from June 2026 to August 2026 were face to face, against 63% across England.
What is Stable Fold Surgery's phone number?
01942 813678.