Darwen Healthlink, Darwen Health Centre, Darwen: patient reviews and CQC rating
Darwen Healthlink, Darwen Health Centre is a GP practice in Darwen with 15,128 registered patients (September 2026). In the 2026 GP Patient Survey, 79% of its patients described their overall experience as good, against 77% across England (Lancashire and South Cumbria: 78%). The Care Quality Commission rates it Good overall, in a report published in May 2018. It has 4.7 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs, or 3,198 patients per GP.
Latest data: September 2026. Patient survey 2026; registered patients September 2026; appointments to August 2026.
What patients say about Darwen Healthlink, Darwen Health Centre
Its best result against England is the share who said the healthcare professional was good at listening to them: 93%, against 87% across England. Its weakest is the share who said the wait for their last appointment was about right: 55%, below the England figure of 69%. Of the 11 results in the table, 0 are above England and 1 below by more than the survey's margin of error, and 10 within it.
On overall experience it is 4th of the 4 practices in Darwen with 50 or more responses. 58% found it easy to get through by phone (England: 57%). The overall experience result is 7 points higher than in 2025 (72%). 94 patients answered the survey (response rate 20%).
| Survey question | Darwen Healthlink, Darwen Health Centre | Lancashire and South Cumbria | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overall experience good | 79% | 78% | 77% |
| Easy to contact by phone | 58% | 61% | 57% |
| Easy to contact via the website | 54% | 55% | 58% |
| Easy to contact via the NHS App | 59% | 57% | 54% |
| Reception team helpful | 85% | 86% | 85% |
| Last contact good | 76% | 74% | 73% |
| Wait for appointment about right | 55% | 70% | 69% |
| Listened to well | 93% | 88% | 87% |
| Treated with care and concern | 90% | 87% | 86% |
| Confidence and trust in the clinician | 95% | 93% | 93% |
| Needs met | 92% | 91% | 90% |
In the Friends and Family Test for July 2026, 88% of 49 responses rated the practice good or very good (England: 92%).
CQC's overall rating for Darwen Healthlink, Darwen Health Centre is Good, published in May 2018. All 5 key questions are rated Good. It held the same rating in the report before (May 2017).
| Key question | Rating |
|---|---|
| Safe | Good |
| Well-led | Good |
| Caring | Good |
| Responsive | Good |
| Effective | Good |
15,128 patients were registered at Darwen Healthlink, Darwen Health Centre in September 2026, down 2.1% on a year earlier (England: down 1.1%).
20% of its patients are aged 65 or over, against 19% across England. With 4.7 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs, there are 3,198 patients per GP, more than the England figure of 2,171 and Lancashire and South Cumbria's 2,288. The practice also has 1.8 nurses and 6.2 other clinical staff such as pharmacists and physiotherapists (full-time equivalent).
| Year | Qualified GPs (FTE) | All GPs incl. trainees (FTE) |
|---|---|---|
| August 2023 | 5.4 | 6.9 |
| August 2024 | 4.1 | 4.7 |
| August 2025 | 5.2 | 7.7 |
| August 2026 | 4.7 | 7.5 |
From June 2026 to August 2026 the practice recorded 6,244 appointments a month, or 413 per 1,000 registered patients (England: 510). 81% were face to face (England: 63%). 52% took place on the day they were booked and 1% more than 28 days after booking (England: 45% and 5%).
54% were with a GP rather than another member of the practice team. 6% of booked patients did not attend.
| Measure | Darwen Healthlink, Darwen Health Centre | Lancashire and South Cumbria | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Appointments per 1,000 patients a month | 413 | 471 | 510 |
| Face to face | 81% | 70% | 63% |
| Same day as booked | 52% | 42% | 45% |
| More than 28 days after booking | 1% | 6% | 5% |
| Did not attend | 6% | 5% | 4% |
Compared with England, the practice has a higher share of patients on its registers for palliative or supportive care needs (0.9% against 0.6%), depression (21.0% against 14.3%) and coronary heart disease (3.8% against 3.0%). It has a lower share for osteoporosis (0.4% against 1.2%). The practice's patients live in areas with an average deprivation score of 30.8 (England: 21.8; higher is more deprived).
Life expectancy for its patients' neighbourhoods is 80.8 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 | 21.0% | 14.3% |
| High blood pressure | All ages | 18.6% | 15.2% |
| Diabetes | 17+ yrs | 8.1% | 7.9% |
| Asthma | 6+ yrs | 7.4% | 6.6% |
| Cancer | All ages | 4.2% | 3.8% |
| Chronic kidney disease | 18+ yrs | 3.8% | 4.6% |
| Coronary heart disease | All ages | 3.8% | 3.0% |
| COPD | All ages | 2.4% | 1.9% |
| Atrial fibrillation | All ages | 2.2% | 2.2% |
| Stroke and TIA | All ages | 1.9% | 1.9% |
| Serious mental illness | All ages | 1.2% | 1.0% |
| Heart failure | All ages | 1.0% | 1.1% |
| Epilepsy | 18+ yrs | 1.0% | 0.8% |
| Palliative care | All ages | 0.9% | 0.6% |
| Rheumatoid arthritis | 16+ yrs | 0.8% | 0.8% |
| Peripheral arterial disease | All ages | 0.7% | 0.6% |
| Dementia | All ages | 0.7% | 0.8% |
| Learning disability | All ages | 0.4% | 0.6% |
| Osteoporosis | 50+ yrs | 0.4% | 1.2% |
| Screening coverage | Period | Practice | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bowel cancer screening (aged 60 to 74) | 2024/25 | 69.2% | 72.9% |
| Breast cancer screening (women aged 53 to 70) | 2024/25 | 72.7% | 72.2% |
| Cervical screening (women aged 25 to 49) | 2023/24 | 70.0% | 67.5% |
| Cervical screening (women aged 50 to 64) | 2023/24 | 72.5% | 74.9% |
Darwen Healthlink, Darwen Health Centre, New Darwen Health Centre, James Street West, Darwen, BB3 1PY. Phone: 01254 226600.
| Nearby practice | Distance | Overall experience good |
|---|---|---|
| Dr M Ninan and partners | 0.0 km | 89% |
| Dr AK Gupta's Practice | 0.6 km | 87% |
| Hollins Grove Surgery | 1.1 km | 90% |
| Roman Road Health Centre | 3.6 km | 84% |
| Bentham Road Health Centre | 4.5 km | 73% |
- Dr AK Gupta's Practice (87% overall experience good)
- Dr M Ninan and partners (89% overall experience good)
How do patients rate Darwen Healthlink, Darwen Health Centre?
In the 2026 GP Patient Survey, 79% of patients described their overall experience of Darwen Healthlink, Darwen Health Centre as good, against 77% across England. 58% found it easy to get through by phone.
How many patients are registered at Darwen Healthlink, Darwen Health Centre?
15,128 patients were registered in September 2026, down 2.1% on a year earlier.
What is Darwen Healthlink, Darwen Health Centre's CQC rating?
Good overall, published in May 2018.
How many GPs does Darwen Healthlink, Darwen Health Centre have?
4.7 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs (6 qualified GPs by headcount), which is 3,198 patients per GP against 2,171 across England.
Are appointments at Darwen Healthlink, Darwen Health Centre face to face?
81% of appointments from June 2026 to August 2026 were face to face, against 63% across England.
What is Darwen Healthlink, Darwen Health Centre's phone number?
01254 226600.