Dam Head Medical Centre, Manchester: patient reviews and CQC rating
Dam Head Medical Centre is a GP practice in Manchester with 2,686 registered patients (September 2026). In the 2026 GP Patient Survey, 76% 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 January 2017. It has 0.1 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs, or 50,363 patients per GP.
Latest data: September 2026. Patient survey 2026; registered patients September 2026; appointments to August 2026.
What patients say about Dam Head Medical Centre
Its best result against England is the share who found it easy to get through to the practice by phone: 65%, against 57% across England. Its weakest is the share who found it easy to contact the practice using the NHS App: 46%, against 54% across England. With 115 responses, none of its 11 results differs from England by more than the survey's margin of error.
On overall experience it is 98th of the 149 practices in Manchester with 50 or more responses. 65% found it easy to get through by phone (England: 57%). The overall experience result is 13 points lower than in 2025 (89%). 115 patients answered the survey (response rate 15%).
| Survey question | Dam Head Medical Centre | Greater Manchester | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overall experience good | 76% | 79% | 77% |
| Easy to contact by phone | 65% | 63% | 57% |
| Easy to contact via the website | 50% | 61% | 58% |
| Easy to contact via the NHS App | 46% | 58% | 54% |
| Reception team helpful | 90% | 86% | 85% |
| Last contact good | 73% | 76% | 73% |
| Wait for appointment about right | 74% | 71% | 69% |
| Listened to well | 85% | 88% | 87% |
| Treated with care and concern | 90% | 87% | 86% |
| Confidence and trust in the clinician | 90% | 93% | 93% |
| Needs met | 88% | 91% | 90% |
In the Friends and Family Test for July 2026, 94% of 144 responses rated the practice good or very good (England: 92%).
CQC's overall rating for Dam Head Medical Centre is Good, published in January 2017. All 5 key questions are rated Good. It held the same rating in the report before (March 2016).
| Key question | Rating |
|---|---|
| Safe | Good |
| Well-led | Good |
| Caring | Good |
| Responsive | Good |
| Effective | Good |
2,686 patients were registered at Dam Head Medical Centre in September 2026, down 5.1% on a year earlier (England: down 1.1%).
10% of its patients are aged 65 or over, against 19% across England. With 0.1 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs, there are 50,363 patients per GP, more than the England figure of 2,171 and Greater Manchester's 2,055. The practice also has 0.8 other clinical staff such as pharmacists and physiotherapists (full-time equivalent).
| Year | Qualified GPs (FTE) | All GPs incl. trainees (FTE) |
|---|---|---|
| August 2023 | 1.1 | 1.1 |
| August 2024 | 1.1 | 1.1 |
| August 2025 | 0.1 | 0.1 |
| August 2026 | 0.1 | 0.1 |
From June 2026 to August 2026 the practice recorded 1,142 appointments a month, or 425 per 1,000 registered patients (England: 510). 50% were face to face (England: 63%). 39% took place on the day they were booked and 7% more than 28 days after booking (England: 45% and 5%).
55% were with a GP rather than another member of the practice team. 8% of booked patients did not attend.
| Measure | Dam Head Medical Centre | Greater Manchester | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Appointments per 1,000 patients a month | 425 | 445 | 510 |
| Face to face | 50% | 66% | 63% |
| Same day as booked | 39% | 44% | 45% |
| More than 28 days after booking | 7% | 5% | 5% |
| Did not attend | 8% | 6% | 4% |
Compared with England, the practice has a lower share of patients for cancer (2.0% against 3.8%), atrial fibrillation (1.2% against 2.2%) and high blood pressure (11.3% against 15.2%). The practice's patients live in areas with an average deprivation score of 46.2 (England: 21.8; higher is more deprived). Life expectancy for its patients' neighbourhoods is 78.2 years for women and 74.8 for men (England: 83.0 and 79.1).
| Condition register | Age group | Practice (2024/25) | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| High blood pressure | All ages | 11.3% | 15.2% |
| Depression | 18+ yrs | 11.2% | 14.3% |
| Diabetes | 17+ yrs | 7.9% | 7.9% |
| Asthma | 6+ yrs | 5.7% | 6.6% |
| Chronic kidney disease | 18+ yrs | 4.6% | 4.6% |
| COPD | All ages | 2.5% | 1.9% |
| Coronary heart disease | All ages | 2.4% | 3.0% |
| Cancer | All ages | 2.0% | 3.8% |
| Stroke and TIA | All ages | 1.5% | 1.9% |
| Serious mental illness | All ages | 1.4% | 1.0% |
| Atrial fibrillation | All ages | 1.2% | 2.2% |
| Heart failure | All ages | 0.8% | 1.1% |
| Dementia | All ages | 0.8% | 0.8% |
| Learning disability | All ages | 0.8% | 0.6% |
| Epilepsy | 18+ yrs | 0.6% | 0.8% |
| Peripheral arterial disease | All ages | 0.6% | 0.6% |
| Rheumatoid arthritis | 16+ yrs | 0.6% | 0.8% |
| Palliative care | All ages | 0.2% | 0.6% |
| Osteoporosis | 50+ yrs | 0.1% | 1.2% |
| Screening coverage | Period | Practice | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bowel cancer screening (aged 60 to 74) | 2024/25 | 61.3% | 72.9% |
| Breast cancer screening (women aged 53 to 70) | 2024/25 | 53.5% | 72.2% |
| Cervical screening (women aged 25 to 49) | 2023/24 | 65.7% | 67.5% |
| Cervical screening (women aged 50 to 64) | 2023/24 | 69.0% | 74.9% |
Dam Head Medical Centre, 1020 Rochdale Road, Manchester, M9 7HD. Phone: 0161 720 9744.
| Nearby practice | Distance | Overall experience good |
|---|---|---|
| The Neville Family Medical Centre | 0.7 km | 81% |
| The Avenue Medical Centre | 0.8 km | 72% |
| Beacon Medical Centre | 1.0 km | 87% |
| Valentine Medical Centre | 1.2 km | 84% |
| Crumpsall Medical Practice | 1.5 km | 74% |
- 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)
- Fernclough Surgery (85% 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 Dam Head Medical Centre?
In the 2026 GP Patient Survey, 76% of patients described their overall experience of Dam Head Medical Centre as good, against 77% across England. 65% found it easy to get through by phone.
How many patients are registered at Dam Head Medical Centre?
2,686 patients were registered in September 2026, down 5.1% on a year earlier.
What is Dam Head Medical Centre's CQC rating?
Good overall, published in January 2017.
How many GPs does Dam Head Medical Centre have?
0.1 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs (1 qualified GP by headcount), which is 50,363 patients per GP against 2,171 across England.
Are appointments at Dam Head Medical Centre face to face?
50% of appointments from June 2026 to August 2026 were face to face, against 63% across England.
What is Dam Head Medical Centre's phone number?
0161 720 9744.