Thornton Practice, Liverpool: patient reviews and CQC rating
Thornton Practice is a GP practice in Liverpool with 7,952 registered patients (September 2026). In the 2026 GP Patient Survey, 48% of its patients described their overall experience as good, below the England figure of 77% (Cheshire and Merseyside: 78%). The Care Quality Commission rates it Good overall, in a report published in November 2018. It has 2.3 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs, or 3,409 patients per GP.
Latest data: September 2026. Patient survey 2026; registered patients September 2026; appointments to August 2026.
What patients say about Thornton Practice
Its result closest to England is the share who said their needs were met at their last appointment: 83%, below the England figure of 90%. Its weakest is the share who found it easy to contact the practice through its website: 8%, below the England figure of 58%. Of the 11 results in the table, 0 are above England and 11 below by more than the survey's margin of error.
On overall experience it is 119th of the 121 practices in Liverpool with 50 or more responses. 18% found it easy to get through by phone (England: 57%). The overall experience result is unchanged from 2025 (48%). 222 patients answered the survey (response rate 31%).
| Survey question | Thornton Practice | Cheshire and Merseyside | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overall experience good | 48% | 78% | 77% |
| Easy to contact by phone | 18% | 57% | 57% |
| Easy to contact via the website | 8% | 55% | 58% |
| Easy to contact via the NHS App | 28% | 53% | 54% |
| Reception team helpful | 67% | 86% | 85% |
| Last contact good | 38% | 73% | 73% |
| Wait for appointment about right | 48% | 73% | 69% |
| Listened to well | 76% | 89% | 87% |
| Treated with care and concern | 78% | 87% | 86% |
| Confidence and trust in the clinician | 83% | 93% | 93% |
| Needs met | 83% | 91% | 90% |
In the Friends and Family Test for July 2026, 95% of 121 responses rated the practice good or very good (England: 92%).
CQC's overall rating for Thornton Practice is Good, published in November 2018. All 5 key questions are rated Good.
| Key question | Rating |
|---|---|
| Safe | Good |
| Well-led | Good |
| Caring | Good |
| Responsive | Good |
| Effective | Good |
7,952 patients were registered at Thornton Practice in September 2026, down 1.5% on a year earlier (England: down 1.1%).
23% of its patients are aged 65 or over, against 19% across England. With 2.3 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs, there are 3,409 patients per GP, more than the England figure of 2,171 and Cheshire and Merseyside's 1,971. The practice also has 2.1 nurses and 1.1 other clinical staff such as pharmacists and physiotherapists (full-time equivalent).
| Year | Qualified GPs (FTE) | All GPs incl. trainees (FTE) |
|---|---|---|
| August 2023 | 0.5 | 0.5 |
| August 2024 | 0.6 | 0.6 |
| August 2025 | 1.7 | 1.7 |
| August 2026 | 2.3 | 2.3 |
From June 2026 to August 2026 the practice recorded 3,159 appointments a month, or 397 per 1,000 registered patients (England: 510). 43% were face to face (England: 63%). 23% took place on the day they were booked and 3% more than 28 days after booking (England: 45% and 5%).
65% were with a GP rather than another member of the practice team. 6% of booked patients did not attend.
| Measure | Thornton Practice | Cheshire and Merseyside | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Appointments per 1,000 patients a month | 397 | 492 | 510 |
| Face to face | 43% | 60% | 63% |
| Same day as booked | 23% | 48% | 45% |
| More than 28 days after booking | 3% | 4% | 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 (1.4% against 0.6%), osteoporosis (2.3% against 1.2%) and peripheral arterial disease (1.0% against 0.6%). The practice's patients live in areas with an average deprivation score of 21.5 (England: 21.8; higher is more deprived). Life expectancy for its patients' neighbourhoods is 82.6 years for women and 78.9 for men (England: 83.0 and 79.1).
| Condition register | Age group | Practice (2024/25) | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| High blood pressure | All ages | 18.2% | 15.2% |
| Depression | 18+ yrs | 17.1% | 14.3% |
| Chronic kidney disease | 18+ yrs | 7.1% | 4.6% |
| Diabetes | 17+ yrs | 7.0% | 7.9% |
| Asthma | 6+ yrs | 6.2% | 6.6% |
| Cancer | All ages | 5.0% | 3.8% |
| Coronary heart disease | All ages | 4.5% | 3.0% |
| Atrial fibrillation | All ages | 2.8% | 2.2% |
| COPD | All ages | 2.5% | 1.9% |
| Osteoporosis | 50+ yrs | 2.3% | 1.2% |
| Stroke and TIA | All ages | 2.2% | 1.9% |
| Heart failure | All ages | 1.7% | 1.1% |
| Serious mental illness | All ages | 1.6% | 1.0% |
| Palliative care | All ages | 1.4% | 0.6% |
| Dementia | All ages | 1.2% | 0.8% |
| Epilepsy | 18+ yrs | 1.0% | 0.8% |
| Peripheral arterial disease | All ages | 1.0% | 0.6% |
| Rheumatoid arthritis | 16+ yrs | 0.9% | 0.8% |
| Learning disability | All ages | 0.5% | 0.6% |
| Screening coverage | Period | Practice | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bowel cancer screening (aged 60 to 74) | 2024/25 | 70.8% | 72.9% |
| Breast cancer screening (women aged 53 to 70) | 2024/25 | 73.1% | 72.2% |
| Cervical screening (women aged 25 to 49) | 2023/24 | 64.2% | 67.5% |
| Cervical screening (women aged 50 to 64) | 2023/24 | 67.2% | 74.9% |
Thornton Practice, Thornton Family Health Clinic, Bretlands Road, Liverpool, L23 1TQ. Phone: 0151 247 6365.
| Nearby practice | Distance | Overall experience good |
|---|---|---|
| Ford Medical Practice | 1.8 km | 59% |
| Glovers Lane Surgery | 2.0 km | 61% |
| Drs Misra and Bird Surgery | 2.0 km | 93% |
| Dr Berni | 2.3 km | 86% |
| Kingsway Surgery | 2.3 km | 83% |
How do patients rate Thornton Practice?
In the 2026 GP Patient Survey, 48% of patients described their overall experience of Thornton Practice as good, below the England figure of 77%. 18% found it easy to get through by phone.
How many patients are registered at Thornton Practice?
7,952 patients were registered in September 2026, down 1.5% on a year earlier.
What is Thornton Practice's CQC rating?
Good overall, published in November 2018.
How many GPs does Thornton Practice have?
2.3 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs (5 qualified GPs by headcount), which is 3,409 patients per GP against 2,171 across England.
Are appointments at Thornton Practice face to face?
43% of appointments from June 2026 to August 2026 were face to face, against 63% across England.
What is Thornton Practice's phone number?
0151 247 6365.