The Handbridge Medical Centre, Chester: patient reviews and CQC rating
The Handbridge Medical Centre is a GP practice in Chester with 7,867 registered patients (September 2026). In the 2026 GP Patient Survey, 82% of its patients described their overall experience as good, against 77% across England (Cheshire and Merseyside: 78%). The Care Quality Commission rates it Requires Improvement overall, in a report published in November 2023. It has 3.0 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs, or 2,599 patients per GP.
Latest data: September 2026. Patient survey 2026; registered patients September 2026; appointments to August 2026.
What patients say about The Handbridge Medical Centre
Its best result against England is the share who said the wait for their last appointment was about right: 83%, above the England figure of 69%. Its weakest is the share who found it easy to contact the practice through its website: 49%, against 58% across England. Of the 11 results in the table, 4 are above England and 0 below by more than the survey's margin of error, and 7 within it.
On overall experience it is 7th of the 13 practices in Chester with 50 or more responses. 60% found it easy to get through by phone (England: 57%). The overall experience result is 2 points higher than in 2025 (80%). 120 patients answered the survey (response rate 34%).
| Survey question | The Handbridge Medical Centre | Cheshire and Merseyside | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overall experience good | 82% | 78% | 77% |
| Easy to contact by phone | 60% | 57% | 57% |
| Easy to contact via the website | 49% | 55% | 58% |
| Easy to contact via the NHS App | 50% | 53% | 54% |
| Reception team helpful | 89% | 86% | 85% |
| Last contact good | 77% | 73% | 73% |
| Wait for appointment about right | 83% | 73% | 69% |
| Listened to well | 93% | 89% | 87% |
| Treated with care and concern | 92% | 87% | 86% |
| Confidence and trust in the clinician | 94% | 93% | 93% |
| Needs met | 97% | 91% | 90% |
In the Friends and Family Test for July 2026, 94% of 373 responses rated the practice good or very good (England: 92%).
CQC's overall rating for The Handbridge Medical Centre is Requires Improvement, published in November 2023. 3 key questions are rated differently: Caring Good, Responsive Good and Effective Good. It held the same rating in the report before (November 2022).
| Key question | Rating |
|---|---|
| Safe | Requires Improvement |
| Well-led | Requires Improvement |
| Caring | Good |
| Responsive | Good |
| Effective | Good |
7,867 patients were registered at The Handbridge Medical Centre in September 2026, down 2.1% on a year earlier (England: down 1.1%).
21% of its patients are aged 65 or over, against 19% across England. With 3.0 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs, there are 2,599 patients per GP, more than the England figure of 2,171 and Cheshire and Merseyside's 1,971. The practice also has 1.4 nurses and 0.9 other clinical staff such as pharmacists and physiotherapists (full-time equivalent).
| Year | Qualified GPs (FTE) | All GPs incl. trainees (FTE) |
|---|---|---|
| August 2023 | 3.0 | 4.1 |
| August 2024 | 3.0 | 4.9 |
| August 2025 | 3.0 | 4.7 |
| August 2026 | 3.0 | 5.8 |
From June 2026 to August 2026 the practice recorded 2,717 appointments a month, or 345 per 1,000 registered patients (England: 510). 80% were face to face (England: 63%). 41% took place on the day they were booked and 14% more than 28 days after booking (England: 45% and 5%).
34% were with a GP rather than another member of the practice team. 5% of booked patients did not attend.
| Measure | The Handbridge Medical Centre | Cheshire and Merseyside | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Appointments per 1,000 patients a month | 345 | 492 | 510 |
| Face to face | 80% | 60% | 63% |
| Same day as booked | 41% | 48% | 45% |
| More than 28 days after booking | 14% | 4% | 5% |
| Did not attend | 5% | 5% | 4% |
Compared with England, the practice has a higher share of patients on its registers for cancer (4.7% against 3.8%). It has a lower share for a learning disability (0.2% against 0.6%), palliative or supportive care needs (0.2% against 0.6%) and COPD (1.0% against 1.9%). The practice's patients live in areas with an average deprivation score of 11.6 (England: 21.8; higher is more deprived).
Life expectancy for its patients' neighbourhoods is 85.9 years for women and 81.0 for men (England: 83.0 and 79.1).
| Condition register | Age group | Practice (2024/25) | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Depression | 18+ yrs | 14.3% | 14.3% |
| High blood pressure | All ages | 12.9% | 15.2% |
| Asthma | 6+ yrs | 6.7% | 6.6% |
| Diabetes | 17+ yrs | 4.8% | 7.9% |
| Cancer | All ages | 4.7% | 3.8% |
| Coronary heart disease | All ages | 2.7% | 3.0% |
| Chronic kidney disease | 18+ yrs | 2.5% | 4.6% |
| Atrial fibrillation | All ages | 2.4% | 2.2% |
| Stroke and TIA | All ages | 1.8% | 1.9% |
| Osteoporosis | 50+ yrs | 1.2% | 1.2% |
| COPD | All ages | 1.0% | 1.9% |
| Rheumatoid arthritis | 16+ yrs | 0.9% | 0.8% |
| Heart failure | All ages | 0.9% | 1.1% |
| Dementia | All ages | 0.7% | 0.8% |
| Serious mental illness | All ages | 0.7% | 1.0% |
| Epilepsy | 18+ yrs | 0.5% | 0.8% |
| Peripheral arterial disease | All ages | 0.3% | 0.6% |
| Palliative care | All ages | 0.2% | 0.6% |
| Learning disability | All ages | 0.2% | 0.6% |
| Screening coverage | Period | Practice | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bowel cancer screening (aged 60 to 74) | 2024/25 | 80.2% | 72.9% |
| Breast cancer screening (women aged 53 to 70) | 2024/25 | 80.2% | 72.2% |
| Cervical screening (women aged 25 to 49) | 2023/24 | 74.2% | 67.5% |
| Cervical screening (women aged 50 to 64) | 2023/24 | 79.9% | 74.9% |
The Handbridge Medical Centre, Greenway Street, Chester, CH4 7JS. Phone: 01244 680169. Website: www.handbridgemedcentre.co.uk.
| Nearby practice | Distance | Overall experience good |
|---|---|---|
| City Walls and Saughall Medical Centres | 1.0 km | 68% |
| St Werburgh’s Medical Practice for the Homeless | 1.2 km | 100% |
| The Elms Medical Centre | 1.3 km | 84% |
| Northgate Medical Centre | 1.3 km | 80% |
| Fountains Medical Practice | 1.3 km | 85% |
- City Walls and Saughall Medical Centres (68% overall experience good)
- Drs Anderson and Khine (86% overall experience good)
- Western Ave Medical Centre (93% overall experience good)
How do patients rate The Handbridge Medical Centre?
In the 2026 GP Patient Survey, 82% of patients described their overall experience of The Handbridge Medical Centre as good, against 77% across England. 60% found it easy to get through by phone.
How many patients are registered at The Handbridge Medical Centre?
7,867 patients were registered in September 2026, down 2.1% on a year earlier.
What is The Handbridge Medical Centre's CQC rating?
Requires Improvement overall, published in November 2023.
How many GPs does The Handbridge Medical Centre have?
3.0 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs (4 qualified GPs by headcount), which is 2,599 patients per GP against 2,171 across England.
Are appointments at The Handbridge Medical Centre face to face?
80% of appointments from June 2026 to August 2026 were face to face, against 63% across England.
What is The Handbridge Medical Centre's phone number?
01244 680169.