Fernclough Surgery, Machester: patient reviews and CQC rating
Fernclough Surgery is a GP practice in Machester with 1,953 registered patients (September 2026). In the 2026 GP Patient Survey, 85% of its patients described their overall experience as good, against 77% across England (Greater Manchester: 79%). The Care Quality Commission rates it Good overall, in a report published in June 2017. It has 0.5 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs, or 3,662 patients per GP.
Latest data: September 2026. Patient survey 2026; registered patients September 2026; appointments to August 2026.
What patients say about Fernclough Surgery
Its best result against England is the share who found it easy to get through to the practice by phone: 84%, above the England figure of 57%. Its weakest is the share who said they were treated with care and concern: 84%, against 86% 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.
84% found it easy to get through by phone (England: 57%). The overall experience result is 5 points higher than in 2025 (80%). 100 patients answered the survey (response rate 12%).
| Survey question | Fernclough Surgery | Greater Manchester | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overall experience good | 85% | 79% | 77% |
| Easy to contact by phone | 84% | 63% | 57% |
| Easy to contact via the website | 84% | 61% | 58% |
| Easy to contact via the NHS App | 66% | 58% | 54% |
| Reception team helpful | 94% | 86% | 85% |
| Last contact good | 87% | 76% | 73% |
| Wait for appointment about right | 69% | 71% | 69% |
| Listened to well | 88% | 88% | 87% |
| Treated with care and concern | 84% | 87% | 86% |
| Confidence and trust in the clinician | 95% | 93% | 93% |
| Needs met | 95% | 91% | 90% |
In the Friends and Family Test for July 2026, 97% of 29 responses rated the practice good or very good (England: 92%).
CQC's overall rating for Fernclough Surgery is Good, published in June 2017. All 5 key questions are rated Good.
| Key question | Rating |
|---|---|
| Safe | Good |
| Well-led | Good |
| Caring | Good |
| Responsive | Good |
| Effective | Good |
1,953 patients were registered at Fernclough Surgery in September 2026, down 3.0% on a year earlier (England: down 1.1%).
9% of its patients are aged 65 or over, against 19% across England. With 0.5 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs, there are 3,662 patients per GP, more than the England figure of 2,171 and Greater Manchester's 2,055. The practice also has 0.7 nurses and 0.4 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 | 0.5 | 0.5 |
| August 2025 | 0.5 | 0.5 |
| August 2026 | 0.5 | 0.5 |
From June 2026 to August 2026 the practice recorded 646 appointments a month, or 331 per 1,000 registered patients (England: 510). 82% were face to face (England: 63%). 34% took place on the day they were booked and 2% more than 28 days after booking (England: 45% and 5%).
58% were with a GP rather than another member of the practice team. 9% of booked patients did not attend.
| Measure | Fernclough Surgery | Greater Manchester | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Appointments per 1,000 patients a month | 331 | 445 | 510 |
| Face to face | 82% | 66% | 63% |
| Same day as booked | 34% | 44% | 45% |
| More than 28 days after booking | 2% | 5% | 5% |
| Did not attend | 9% | 6% | 4% |
Compared with England, the practice has a higher share of patients on its registers for serious mental illness (2.6% against 1.0%), peripheral arterial disease (1.1% against 0.6%) and epilepsy (1.5% against 0.8%). It has a lower share for cancer (2.3% against 3.8%). The practice's patients live in areas with an average deprivation score of 61.6 (England: 21.8; higher is more deprived).
Life expectancy for its patients' neighbourhoods is 77.3 years for women and 72.2 for men (England: 83.0 and 79.1).
| Condition register | Age group | Practice (2024/25) | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Depression | 18+ yrs | 16.5% | 14.3% |
| High blood pressure | All ages | 13.8% | 15.2% |
| Diabetes | 17+ yrs | 9.3% | 7.9% |
| Asthma | 6+ yrs | 6.3% | 6.6% |
| Chronic kidney disease | 18+ yrs | 4.1% | 4.6% |
| COPD | All ages | 2.8% | 1.9% |
| Coronary heart disease | All ages | 2.6% | 3.0% |
| Serious mental illness | All ages | 2.6% | 1.0% |
| Cancer | All ages | 2.3% | 3.8% |
| Stroke and TIA | All ages | 1.7% | 1.9% |
| Epilepsy | 18+ yrs | 1.5% | 0.8% |
| Atrial fibrillation | All ages | 1.4% | 2.2% |
| Peripheral arterial disease | All ages | 1.1% | 0.6% |
| Learning disability | All ages | 1.0% | 0.6% |
| Dementia | All ages | 0.9% | 0.8% |
| Heart failure | All ages | 0.8% | 1.1% |
| Palliative care | All ages | 0.7% | 0.6% |
| Rheumatoid arthritis | 16+ yrs | 0.6% | 0.8% |
| Osteoporosis | 50+ yrs | 0.4% | 1.2% |
| Screening coverage | Period | Practice | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bowel cancer screening (aged 60 to 74) | 2024/25 | 53.8% | 72.9% |
| Breast cancer screening (women aged 53 to 70) | 2024/25 | 45.8% | 72.2% |
| Cervical screening (women aged 25 to 49) | 2023/24 | 68.1% | 67.5% |
| Cervical screening (women aged 50 to 64) | 2023/24 | 72.7% | 74.9% |
Fernclough Surgery, Unit 1, Tavistock Square, Harpurhey, Machester, M9 5RD. Phone: 0161 205 1638.
| Nearby practice | Distance | Overall experience good |
|---|---|---|
| Conran Medical Centre | 0.6 km | 75% |
| Willowbank Surgery | 0.7 km | 76% |
| Church View Medical Centre | 0.7 km | 87% |
| Valentine Medical Centre | 1.1 km | 84% |
| Whitley Road Medical Centre | 1.3 km | 86% |
- Beacon Medical Centre (87% overall experience good)
- Charlestown Medical Practice (71% overall experience good)
- Church View Medical Centre (87% overall experience good)
- Conran Medical Centre (75% overall experience good)
- Dam Head Medical Centre (76% overall experience good)
- The Avenue Medical Centre (72% overall experience good)
- Valentine Medical Centre (84% overall experience good)
- Willowbank Surgery (76% overall experience good)
How do patients rate Fernclough Surgery?
In the 2026 GP Patient Survey, 85% of patients described their overall experience of Fernclough Surgery as good, against 77% across England. 84% found it easy to get through by phone.
How many patients are registered at Fernclough Surgery?
1,953 patients were registered in September 2026, down 3.0% on a year earlier.
What is Fernclough Surgery's CQC rating?
Good overall, published in June 2017.
How many GPs does Fernclough Surgery have?
0.5 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs (1 qualified GP by headcount), which is 3,662 patients per GP against 2,171 across England.
Are appointments at Fernclough Surgery face to face?
82% of appointments from June 2026 to August 2026 were face to face, against 63% across England.
What is Fernclough Surgery's phone number?
0161 205 1638.