The Dunstan Partnership, Bolton: patient reviews and CQC rating
The Dunstan Partnership is a GP practice in Bolton with 10,046 registered patients (September 2026). In the 2026 GP Patient Survey, 83% 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 2022. It has 4.7 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs, or 2,134 patients per GP.
Latest data: September 2026. Patient survey 2026; registered patients September 2026; appointments to August 2026.
What patients say about The Dunstan Partnership
Its best result against England is the share who found the reception and administrative team helpful: 92%, above the England figure of 85%. Its weakest is the share who found it easy to get through to the practice by phone: 52%, against 57% across England. Of the 11 results in the table, 1 is above England and 0 below by more than the survey's margin of error, and 10 within it.
On overall experience it is 17th of the 48 practices in Bolton with 50 or more responses. 52% found it easy to get through by phone (England: 57%). The overall experience result is 1 point lower than in 2025 (84%). 116 patients answered the survey (response rate 25%).
| Survey question | The Dunstan Partnership | Greater Manchester | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overall experience good | 83% | 79% | 77% |
| Easy to contact by phone | 52% | 63% | 57% |
| Easy to contact via the website | 61% | 61% | 58% |
| Easy to contact via the NHS App | 50% | 58% | 54% |
| Reception team helpful | 92% | 86% | 85% |
| Last contact good | 76% | 76% | 73% |
| Wait for appointment about right | 76% | 71% | 69% |
| Listened to well | 93% | 88% | 87% |
| Treated with care and concern | 90% | 87% | 86% |
| Confidence and trust in the clinician | 94% | 93% | 93% |
| Needs met | 90% | 91% | 90% |
In the Friends and Family Test for July 2026, 94% of 264 responses rated the practice good or very good (England: 92%).
CQC's overall rating for The Dunstan Partnership is Good, published in August 2022. All 5 key questions are rated Good. It held the same rating in the report before (January 2019).
| Key question | Rating |
|---|---|
| Safe | Good |
| Well-led | Good |
| Caring | Good |
| Responsive | Good |
| Effective | Good |
10,046 patients were registered at The Dunstan Partnership in September 2026, down 2.0% on a year earlier (England: down 1.1%).
21% of its patients are aged 65 or over, against 19% across England. With 4.7 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs, there are 2,134 patients per GP, close to the England figure of 2,171 and Greater Manchester's 2,055. The practice also has 3.7 nurses and 2.5 other clinical staff such as pharmacists and physiotherapists (full-time equivalent).
| Year | Qualified GPs (FTE) | All GPs incl. trainees (FTE) |
|---|---|---|
| August 2023 | 4.5 | 6.2 |
| August 2024 | 4.1 | 4.9 |
| August 2025 | 4.5 | 4.5 |
| August 2026 | 4.7 | 5.8 |
From June 2026 to August 2026 the practice recorded 5,179 appointments a month, or 515 per 1,000 registered patients (England: 510). 63% were face to face (England: 63%). 41% took place on the day they were booked and 4% more than 28 days after booking (England: 45% and 5%).
41% were with a GP rather than another member of the practice team. 10% of booked patients did not attend.
| Measure | The Dunstan Partnership | Greater Manchester | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Appointments per 1,000 patients a month | 515 | 445 | 510 |
| Face to face | 63% | 66% | 63% |
| Same day as booked | 41% | 44% | 45% |
| More than 28 days after booking | 4% | 5% | 5% |
| Did not attend | 10% | 6% | 4% |
Compared with England, the practice has a higher share of patients on its registers for dementia (1.8% against 0.8%), COPD (4.3% against 1.9%) and depression (28.9% against 14.3%). The practice's patients live in areas with an average deprivation score of 37.8 (England: 21.8; higher is more deprived). Life expectancy for its patients' neighbourhoods is 81.2 years for women and 75.9 for men (England: 83.0 and 79.1).
| Condition register | Age group | Practice (2024/25) | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Depression | 18+ yrs | 28.9% | 14.3% |
| High blood pressure | All ages | 18.7% | 15.2% |
| Diabetes | 17+ yrs | 10.3% | 7.9% |
| Asthma | 6+ yrs | 8.0% | 6.6% |
| Chronic kidney disease | 18+ yrs | 7.6% | 4.6% |
| COPD | All ages | 4.3% | 1.9% |
| Cancer | All ages | 3.9% | 3.8% |
| Coronary heart disease | All ages | 3.4% | 3.0% |
| Stroke and TIA | All ages | 3.0% | 1.9% |
| Atrial fibrillation | All ages | 2.1% | 2.2% |
| Osteoporosis | 50+ yrs | 1.9% | 1.2% |
| Dementia | All ages | 1.8% | 0.8% |
| Serious mental illness | All ages | 1.5% | 1.0% |
| Heart failure | All ages | 1.3% | 1.1% |
| Epilepsy | 18+ yrs | 1.3% | 0.8% |
| Peripheral arterial disease | All ages | 0.9% | 0.6% |
| Rheumatoid arthritis | 16+ yrs | 0.8% | 0.8% |
| Learning disability | All ages | 0.6% | 0.6% |
| Palliative care | All ages | 0.4% | 0.6% |
| Screening coverage | Period | Practice | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bowel cancer screening (aged 60 to 74) | 2024/25 | 72.9% | 72.9% |
| Breast cancer screening (women aged 53 to 70) | 2024/25 | 74.4% | 72.2% |
| Cervical screening (women aged 25 to 49) | 2023/24 | 70.9% | 67.5% |
| Cervical screening (women aged 50 to 64) | 2023/24 | 77.7% | 74.9% |
The Dunstan Partnership, Breightmet Health Centre,, Breightmet Fold Lane, Breightmet,, Bolton, BL2 6NT. Phone: 01204 463777. Website: www.thedunstanpartnership.co.uk.
| Nearby practice | Distance | Overall experience good |
|---|---|---|
| The Alastair Ross Medical Practice | 0.0 km | 67% |
| Tonge Fold Health Centre | 1.5 km | 88% |
| Bradford Street Surgery | 2.3 km | 89% |
| Little Lever Health Centre 2 | 2.4 km | 74% |
| Dr Hallikeri and Partners, Little Lever Health Centre 1 | 2.4 km | 85% |
- Dr Hallikeri and Partners, Little Lever Health Centre 1 (85% overall experience good)
- Little Lever Health Centre 2 (74% overall experience good)
- Springview Medical Centre (78% overall experience good)
- The Alastair Ross Medical Practice (67% overall experience good)
- Tonge Fold Health Centre (88% overall experience good)
How do patients rate The Dunstan Partnership?
In the 2026 GP Patient Survey, 83% of patients described their overall experience of The Dunstan Partnership as good, against 77% across England. 52% found it easy to get through by phone.
How many patients are registered at The Dunstan Partnership?
10,046 patients were registered in September 2026, down 2.0% on a year earlier.
What is The Dunstan Partnership's CQC rating?
Good overall, published in August 2022.
How many GPs does The Dunstan Partnership have?
4.7 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs (9 qualified GPs by headcount), which is 2,134 patients per GP against 2,171 across England.
Are appointments at The Dunstan Partnership face to face?
63% of appointments from June 2026 to August 2026 were face to face, against 63% across England.
What is The Dunstan Partnership's phone number?
01204 463777.