The Robert Darbishire Practice, Manchester: patient reviews and CQC rating
The Robert Darbishire Practice is a GP practice in Manchester with 33,031 registered patients (September 2026). In the 2026 GP Patient Survey, 73% 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 March 2017. It has 16.9 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs, or 1,952 patients per GP.
Latest data: September 2026. Patient survey 2026; registered patients September 2026; appointments to August 2026.
What patients say about The Robert Darbishire Practice
Its best result against England is the share who found it easy to contact the practice through its website: 67%, against 58% across England. Its weakest is the share who had confidence and trust in the healthcare professional they saw: 81%, below the England figure of 93%. 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 114th of the 149 practices in Manchester with 50 or more responses. 54% found it easy to get through by phone (England: 57%). The overall experience result is 7 points lower than in 2025 (80%). 60 patients answered the survey (response rate 5%).
| Survey question | The Robert Darbishire Practice | Greater Manchester | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overall experience good | 73% | 79% | 77% |
| Easy to contact by phone | 54% | 63% | 57% |
| Easy to contact via the website | 67% | 61% | 58% |
| Easy to contact via the NHS App | 55% | 58% | 54% |
| Reception team helpful | 78% | 86% | 85% |
| Last contact good | 79% | 76% | 73% |
| Wait for appointment about right | 71% | 71% | 69% |
| Listened to well | 90% | 88% | 87% |
| Treated with care and concern | 89% | 87% | 86% |
| Confidence and trust in the clinician | 81% | 93% | 93% |
| Needs met | 88% | 91% | 90% |
In the Friends and Family Test for July 2026, 89% of 623 responses rated the practice good or very good (England: 92%).
CQC's overall rating for The Robert Darbishire Practice is Good, published in March 2017. All 5 key questions are rated Good.
| Key question | Rating |
|---|---|
| Safe | Good |
| Well-led | Good |
| Caring | Good |
| Responsive | Good |
| Effective | Good |
33,031 patients were registered at The Robert Darbishire Practice in September 2026, up 0.8% on a year earlier (England: down 1.1%).
3% of its patients are aged 65 or over, against 19% across England. With 16.9 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs, there are 1,952 patients per GP, fewer than the England figure of 2,171 and Greater Manchester's 2,055. The practice also has 10.4 nurses and 19.5 other clinical staff such as pharmacists and physiotherapists (full-time equivalent).
| Year | Qualified GPs (FTE) | All GPs incl. trainees (FTE) |
|---|---|---|
| August 2023 | 11.4 | 14.2 |
| August 2024 | 12.6 | 14.8 |
| August 2025 | 16.0 | 19.0 |
| August 2026 | 16.9 | 21.2 |
From June 2026 to August 2026 the practice recorded 13,127 appointments a month, or 397 per 1,000 registered patients (England: 510). 33% were face to face (England: 63%). 74% took place on the day they were booked and 0% more than 28 days after booking (England: 45% and 5%).
46% were with a GP rather than another member of the practice team. 6% of booked patients did not attend.
| Measure | The Robert Darbishire Practice | Greater Manchester | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Appointments per 1,000 patients a month | 397 | 445 | 510 |
| Face to face | 33% | 66% | 63% |
| Same day as booked | 74% | 44% | 45% |
| More than 28 days after booking | 0% | 5% | 5% |
| Did not attend | 6% | 6% | 4% |
Compared with England, the practice has a lower share of patients for dementia (0.1% against 0.8%), atrial fibrillation (0.3% against 2.2%) and cancer (0.6% against 3.8%). The practice's patients live in areas with an average deprivation score of 34.5 (England: 21.8; higher is more deprived). Life expectancy for its patients' neighbourhoods is 79.8 years for women and 75.1 for men (England: 83.0 and 79.1).
| Condition register | Age group | Practice (2024/25) | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Depression | 18+ yrs | 6.5% | 14.3% |
| High blood pressure | All ages | 3.8% | 15.2% |
| Asthma | 6+ yrs | 3.6% | 6.6% |
| Diabetes | 17+ yrs | 3.4% | 7.9% |
| Osteoporosis | 50+ yrs | 1.1% | 1.2% |
| Chronic kidney disease | 18+ yrs | 0.9% | 4.6% |
| Coronary heart disease | All ages | 0.8% | 3.0% |
| Serious mental illness | All ages | 0.7% | 1.0% |
| Cancer | All ages | 0.6% | 3.8% |
| COPD | All ages | 0.5% | 1.9% |
| Learning disability | All ages | 0.5% | 0.6% |
| Stroke and TIA | All ages | 0.4% | 1.9% |
| Epilepsy | 18+ yrs | 0.4% | 0.8% |
| Atrial fibrillation | All ages | 0.3% | 2.2% |
| Heart failure | All ages | 0.3% | 1.1% |
| Peripheral arterial disease | All ages | 0.2% | 0.6% |
| Rheumatoid arthritis | 16+ yrs | 0.1% | 0.8% |
| Palliative care | All ages | 0.1% | 0.6% |
| Dementia | All ages | 0.1% | 0.8% |
| Screening coverage | Period | Practice | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bowel cancer screening (aged 60 to 74) | 2024/25 | 54.6% | 72.9% |
| Breast cancer screening (women aged 53 to 70) | 2024/25 | 48.4% | 72.2% |
| Cervical screening (women aged 25 to 49) | 2023/24 | 31.3% | 67.5% |
| Cervical screening (women aged 50 to 64) | 2023/24 | 60.3% | 74.9% |
The Robert Darbishire Practice, Rusholme Health Centre, Walmer Street, Rusholme, Manchester, M14 5NP. Phone: 0161 225 6699.
| Nearby practice | Distance | Overall experience good |
|---|---|---|
| Wilmslow Road Surgery | 0.4 km | 81% |
| Surrey Lodge Group Practice | 0.6 km | 81% |
| Ailsa Craig Medical Centre | 1.2 km | 74% |
| New Bank Health Centre | 1.6 km | 72% |
| Dr Pirzada Anwer and Dr Asif Javid | 1.6 km | 69% |
- The Whitswood Practice (86% overall experience good)
How do patients rate The Robert Darbishire Practice?
In the 2026 GP Patient Survey, 73% of patients described their overall experience of The Robert Darbishire Practice as good, against 77% across England. 54% found it easy to get through by phone.
How many patients are registered at The Robert Darbishire Practice?
33,031 patients were registered in September 2026, up 0.8% on a year earlier.
What is The Robert Darbishire Practice's CQC rating?
Good overall, published in March 2017.
How many GPs does The Robert Darbishire Practice have?
16.9 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs (26 qualified GPs by headcount), which is 1,952 patients per GP against 2,171 across England.
Are appointments at The Robert Darbishire Practice face to face?
33% of appointments from June 2026 to August 2026 were face to face, against 63% across England.
What is The Robert Darbishire Practice's phone number?
0161 225 6699.