The Elms Medical Centre, Chester: patient reviews and CQC rating
The Elms Medical Centre is a GP practice in Chester with 9,838 registered patients (September 2026). In the 2026 GP Patient Survey, 84% 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 February 2016. It has 5.7 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs, or 1,732 patients per GP.
Latest data: September 2026. Patient survey 2026; registered patients September 2026; appointments to August 2026.
What patients say about The Elms Medical Centre
Its best result against England is the share who found it easy to contact the practice through its website: 81%, above the England figure of 58%. Its weakest is the share who found the reception and administrative team helpful: 85%, against 85% across England. Of the 11 results in the table, 6 are above England and 0 below by more than the survey's margin of error, and 5 within it.
On overall experience it is 6th of the 13 practices in Chester with 50 or more responses. 67% found it easy to get through by phone (England: 57%). The overall experience result is unchanged from 2025 (84%). 106 patients answered the survey (response rate 27%).
| Survey question | The Elms Medical Centre | Cheshire and Merseyside | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overall experience good | 84% | 78% | 77% |
| Easy to contact by phone | 67% | 57% | 57% |
| Easy to contact via the website | 81% | 55% | 58% |
| Easy to contact via the NHS App | 66% | 53% | 54% |
| Reception team helpful | 85% | 86% | 85% |
| Last contact good | 82% | 73% | 73% |
| Wait for appointment about right | 78% | 73% | 69% |
| Listened to well | 93% | 89% | 87% |
| Treated with care and concern | 94% | 87% | 86% |
| Confidence and trust in the clinician | 99% | 93% | 93% |
| Needs met | 96% | 91% | 90% |
In the Friends and Family Test for July 2026, 93% of 28 responses rated the practice good or very good (England: 92%).
CQC's overall rating for The Elms Medical Centre is Good, published in February 2016. All 5 key questions are rated Good.
| Key question | Rating |
|---|---|
| Safe | Good |
| Well-led | Good |
| Caring | Good |
| Responsive | Good |
| Effective | Good |
9,838 patients were registered at The Elms Medical Centre in September 2026, down 0.8% on a year earlier (England: down 1.1%).
19% of its patients are aged 65 or over, against 19% across England. With 5.7 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs, there are 1,732 patients per GP, fewer than the England figure of 2,171 and Cheshire and Merseyside's 1,971. The practice also has 2.6 nurses and 1.8 other clinical staff such as pharmacists and physiotherapists (full-time equivalent).
| Year | Qualified GPs (FTE) | All GPs incl. trainees (FTE) |
|---|---|---|
| August 2023 | 5.7 | 7.8 |
| August 2024 | 5.7 | 8.9 |
| August 2025 | 5.7 | 7.6 |
| August 2026 | 5.7 | 7.6 |
From June 2026 to August 2026 the practice recorded 3,929 appointments a month, or 399 per 1,000 registered patients (England: 510). 77% were face to face (England: 63%). 28% took place on the day they were booked and 1% more than 28 days after booking (England: 45% and 5%).
48% were with a GP rather than another member of the practice team. 9% of booked patients did not attend.
| Measure | The Elms Medical Centre | Cheshire and Merseyside | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Appointments per 1,000 patients a month | 399 | 492 | 510 |
| Face to face | 77% | 60% | 63% |
| Same day as booked | 28% | 48% | 45% |
| More than 28 days after booking | 1% | 4% | 5% |
| Did not attend | 9% | 5% | 4% |
Compared with England, the practice has a higher share of patients on its registers for peripheral arterial disease (0.9% against 0.6%), serious mental illness (1.4% against 1.0%) and depression (18.8% against 14.3%). It has a lower share for palliative or supportive care needs (0.3% against 0.6%) and dementia (0.5% against 0.8%). 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 82.6 years for women and 77.3 for men (England: 83.0 and 79.1).
| Condition register | Age group | Practice (2024/25) | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Depression | 18+ yrs | 18.8% | 14.3% |
| High blood pressure | All ages | 15.8% | 15.2% |
| Asthma | 6+ yrs | 7.2% | 6.6% |
| Diabetes | 17+ yrs | 6.9% | 7.9% |
| Cancer | All ages | 4.3% | 3.8% |
| Chronic kidney disease | 18+ yrs | 4.0% | 4.6% |
| Coronary heart disease | All ages | 3.3% | 3.0% |
| Atrial fibrillation | All ages | 2.6% | 2.2% |
| COPD | All ages | 2.2% | 1.9% |
| Stroke and TIA | All ages | 1.7% | 1.9% |
| Osteoporosis | 50+ yrs | 1.7% | 1.2% |
| Rheumatoid arthritis | 16+ yrs | 1.4% | 0.8% |
| Serious mental illness | All ages | 1.4% | 1.0% |
| Heart failure | All ages | 1.3% | 1.1% |
| Peripheral arterial disease | All ages | 0.9% | 0.6% |
| Learning disability | All ages | 0.7% | 0.6% |
| Epilepsy | 18+ yrs | 0.7% | 0.8% |
| Dementia | All ages | 0.5% | 0.8% |
| Palliative care | All ages | 0.3% | 0.6% |
| Screening coverage | Period | Practice | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bowel cancer screening (aged 60 to 74) | 2024/25 | 74.2% | 72.9% |
| Breast cancer screening (women aged 53 to 70) | 2024/25 | 76.9% | 72.2% |
| Cervical screening (women aged 25 to 49) | 2023/24 | 70.2% | 67.5% |
| Cervical screening (women aged 50 to 64) | 2023/24 | 77.4% | 74.9% |
The Elms Medical Centre, Fountains Health, Delamere Street, Chester, CH1 4DS. Phone: 01244 351000. Website: www.elmsmedicalcentre.co.uk.
| Nearby practice | Distance | Overall experience good |
|---|---|---|
| Northgate Medical Centre | 0.0 km | 80% |
| Fountains Medical Practice | 0.0 km | 85% |
| Northgate Village Surgery | 0.0 km | 81% |
| St Werburgh’s Medical Practice for the Homeless | 0.2 km | 100% |
| Drs Shergill, Fisher, Buck & Cooney | 0.2 km | 72% |
- Drs Shergill, Fisher, Buck & Cooney (72% overall experience good)
- Fountains Medical Practice (85% overall experience good)
- Northgate Medical Centre (80% overall experience good)
- Northgate Village Surgery (81% overall experience good)
- St Werburgh’s Medical Practice for the Homeless (100% overall experience good)
How do patients rate The Elms Medical Centre?
In the 2026 GP Patient Survey, 84% of patients described their overall experience of The Elms Medical Centre as good, against 77% across England. 67% found it easy to get through by phone.
How many patients are registered at The Elms Medical Centre?
9,838 patients were registered in September 2026, down 0.8% on a year earlier.
What is The Elms Medical Centre's CQC rating?
Good overall, published in February 2016.
How many GPs does The Elms Medical Centre have?
5.7 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs (7 qualified GPs by headcount), which is 1,732 patients per GP against 2,171 across England.
Are appointments at The Elms Medical Centre face to face?
77% of appointments from June 2026 to August 2026 were face to face, against 63% across England.
What is The Elms Medical Centre's phone number?
01244 351000.