Heath Lane Medical Centre, Chester: patient reviews and CQC rating
Heath Lane Medical Centre is a GP practice in Chester with 7,479 registered patients (September 2026). In the 2026 GP Patient Survey, 69% of its patients described their overall experience as good, against 77% across England (Cheshire and Merseyside: 78%). The Care Quality Commission rates it Good overall, in a report published in June 2016. It has 1.9 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs, or 4,007 patients per GP.
Latest data: September 2026. Patient survey 2026; registered patients September 2026; appointments to August 2026.
What patients say about Heath Lane Medical Centre
Its best result against England is the share who said their needs were met at their last appointment: 97%, above the England figure of 90%. Its weakest is the share who found it easy to contact the practice through its website: 27%, below the England figure of 58%. Of the 11 results in the table, 1 is above England and 2 below by more than the survey's margin of error, and 8 within it.
On overall experience it is 12th of the 13 practices in Chester with 50 or more responses. 54% found it easy to get through by phone (England: 57%). The overall experience result is 12 points lower than in 2025 (81%). 96 patients answered the survey (response rate 31%).
| Survey question | Heath Lane Medical Centre | Cheshire and Merseyside | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overall experience good | 69% | 78% | 77% |
| Easy to contact by phone | 54% | 57% | 57% |
| Easy to contact via the website | 27% | 55% | 58% |
| Easy to contact via the NHS App | 42% | 53% | 54% |
| Reception team helpful | 83% | 86% | 85% |
| Last contact good | 62% | 73% | 73% |
| Wait for appointment about right | 70% | 73% | 69% |
| Listened to well | 90% | 89% | 87% |
| Treated with care and concern | 87% | 87% | 86% |
| Confidence and trust in the clinician | 91% | 93% | 93% |
| Needs met | 97% | 91% | 90% |
CQC's overall rating for Heath Lane Medical Centre is Good, published in June 2016. All 5 key questions are rated Good.
| Key question | Rating |
|---|---|
| Safe | Good |
| Well-led | Good |
| Caring | Good |
| Responsive | Good |
| Effective | Good |
7,479 patients were registered at Heath Lane Medical Centre in September 2026, down 1.8% on a year earlier (England: down 1.1%).
23% of its patients are aged 65 or over, against 19% across England. With 1.9 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs, there are 4,007 patients per GP, more than the England figure of 2,171 and Cheshire and Merseyside's 1,971. The practice also has 4.5 nurses and 2.4 other clinical staff such as pharmacists and physiotherapists (full-time equivalent).
| Year | Qualified GPs (FTE) | All GPs incl. trainees (FTE) |
|---|---|---|
| August 2023 | 1.9 | 1.9 |
| August 2024 | 1.9 | 1.9 |
| August 2025 | 1.9 | 1.9 |
| August 2026 | 1.9 | 1.9 |
From June 2026 to August 2026 the practice recorded 3,123 appointments a month, or 418 per 1,000 registered patients (England: 510). 56% were face to face (England: 63%). 37% took place on the day they were booked and 3% more than 28 days after booking (England: 45% and 5%).
43% were with a GP rather than another member of the practice team. 4% of booked patients did not attend.
| Measure | Heath Lane Medical Centre | Cheshire and Merseyside | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Appointments per 1,000 patients a month | 418 | 492 | 510 |
| Face to face | 56% | 60% | 63% |
| Same day as booked | 37% | 48% | 45% |
| More than 28 days after booking | 3% | 4% | 5% |
| Did not attend | 4% | 5% | 4% |
Compared with England, the practice has a higher share of patients on its registers for atrial fibrillation (2.9% against 2.2%). It has a lower share for palliative or supportive care needs (0.3% against 0.6%), a learning disability (0.3% against 0.6%) and chronic kidney disease (2.9% against 4.6%). The practice's patients live in areas with an average deprivation score of 8.8 (England: 21.8; higher is more deprived).
Life expectancy for its patients' neighbourhoods is 84.2 years for women and 80.8 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 | 16.2% | 14.3% |
| Asthma | 6+ yrs | 7.4% | 6.6% |
| Diabetes | 17+ yrs | 6.0% | 7.9% |
| Cancer | All ages | 4.3% | 3.8% |
| Coronary heart disease | All ages | 3.4% | 3.0% |
| Chronic kidney disease | 18+ yrs | 2.9% | 4.6% |
| Atrial fibrillation | All ages | 2.9% | 2.2% |
| Stroke and TIA | All ages | 1.8% | 1.9% |
| COPD | All ages | 1.3% | 1.9% |
| Heart failure | All ages | 1.0% | 1.1% |
| Rheumatoid arthritis | 16+ yrs | 0.9% | 0.8% |
| Osteoporosis | 50+ yrs | 0.8% | 1.2% |
| Serious mental illness | All ages | 0.8% | 1.0% |
| Peripheral arterial disease | All ages | 0.7% | 0.6% |
| Dementia | All ages | 0.7% | 0.8% |
| Epilepsy | 18+ yrs | 0.7% | 0.8% |
| 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 | 79.0% | 72.9% |
| Breast cancer screening (women aged 53 to 70) | 2024/25 | 82.6% | 72.2% |
| Cervical screening (women aged 25 to 49) | 2023/24 | 78.7% | 67.5% |
| Cervical screening (women aged 50 to 64) | 2023/24 | 81.3% | 74.9% |
Heath Lane Medical Centre, Heath Lane, Great Boughton, Chester, CH3 5UJ. Phone: 0844 477 3304. Website: www.heathlanemedicalcentre.co.uk.
| Nearby practice | Distance | Overall experience good |
|---|---|---|
| Boughton Medical Group | 0.9 km | 91% |
| Park Medical Centre | 1.6 km | 75% |
| The Handbridge Medical Centre | 1.8 km | 82% |
| St Werburgh’s Medical Practice for the Homeless | 1.9 km | 100% |
| The Elms Medical Centre | 2.1 km | 84% |
- Boughton Medical Group (91% overall experience good)
- Park Medical Centre (75% overall experience good)
- Upton Village Surgery (86% overall experience good)
How do patients rate Heath Lane Medical Centre?
In the 2026 GP Patient Survey, 69% of patients described their overall experience of Heath Lane Medical Centre as good, against 77% across England. 54% found it easy to get through by phone.
How many patients are registered at Heath Lane Medical Centre?
7,479 patients were registered in September 2026, down 1.8% on a year earlier.
What is Heath Lane Medical Centre's CQC rating?
Good overall, published in June 2016.
How many GPs does Heath Lane Medical Centre have?
1.9 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs (3 qualified GPs by headcount), which is 4,007 patients per GP against 2,171 across England.
Are appointments at Heath Lane Medical Centre face to face?
56% of appointments from June 2026 to August 2026 were face to face, against 63% across England.
What is Heath Lane Medical Centre's phone number?
0844 477 3304.