The Sides Medical Practice, Manchester: patient reviews and CQC rating
The Sides Medical Practice is a GP practice in Manchester with 14,169 registered patients (September 2026). In the 2026 GP Patient Survey, 84% 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 September 2017. It has 8.0 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs, or 1,772 patients per GP.
Latest data: September 2026. Patient survey 2026; registered patients September 2026; appointments to August 2026.
What patients say about The Sides Medical Practice
Its best result against England is the share who found it easy to contact the practice through its website: 75%, above the England figure of 58%. Its weakest is the share who found it easy to get through to the practice by phone: 51%, against 57% 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.
On overall experience it is 48th of the 149 practices in Manchester with 50 or more responses. 51% found it easy to get through by phone (England: 57%). The overall experience result is 1 point lower than in 2025 (85%). 107 patients answered the survey (response rate 24%).
| Survey question | The Sides Medical Practice | Greater Manchester | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overall experience good | 84% | 79% | 77% |
| Easy to contact by phone | 51% | 63% | 57% |
| Easy to contact via the website | 75% | 61% | 58% |
| Easy to contact via the NHS App | 62% | 58% | 54% |
| Reception team helpful | 92% | 86% | 85% |
| Last contact good | 79% | 76% | 73% |
| Wait for appointment about right | 78% | 71% | 69% |
| Listened to well | 94% | 88% | 87% |
| Treated with care and concern | 95% | 87% | 86% |
| Confidence and trust in the clinician | 96% | 93% | 93% |
| Needs met | 93% | 91% | 90% |
In the Friends and Family Test for July 2026, 95% of 194 responses rated the practice good or very good (England: 92%).
CQC's overall rating for The Sides Medical Practice is Good, published in September 2017. All 5 key questions are rated Good. It held the same rating in the report before (September 2016).
| Key question | Rating |
|---|---|
| Safe | Good |
| Well-led | Good |
| Caring | Good |
| Responsive | Good |
| Effective | Good |
14,169 patients were registered at The Sides Medical Practice in September 2026, up 2.4% on a year earlier (England: down 1.1%).
22% of its patients are aged 65 or over, against 19% across England. With 8.0 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs, there are 1,772 patients per GP, fewer than the England figure of 2,171 and Greater Manchester's 2,055. The practice also has 2.4 nurses and 6.6 other clinical staff such as pharmacists and physiotherapists (full-time equivalent).
| Year | Qualified GPs (FTE) | All GPs incl. trainees (FTE) |
|---|---|---|
| August 2023 | 6.5 | 10.1 |
| August 2024 | 6.4 | 11.0 |
| August 2025 | 6.7 | 11.8 |
| August 2026 | 8.0 | 11.6 |
From June 2026 to August 2026 the practice recorded 8,912 appointments a month, or 629 per 1,000 registered patients (England: 510). 36% were face to face (England: 63%). 64% 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. 4% of booked patients did not attend.
| Measure | The Sides Medical Practice | Greater Manchester | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Appointments per 1,000 patients a month | 629 | 445 | 510 |
| Face to face | 36% | 66% | 63% |
| Same day as booked | 64% | 44% | 45% |
| More than 28 days after booking | 3% | 5% | 5% |
| Did not attend | 4% | 6% | 4% |
Compared with England, the practice has a higher share of patients on its registers for atrial fibrillation (3.4% against 2.2%), cancer (5.3% against 3.8%) and stroke or TIA (2.5% against 1.9%). It has a lower share for palliative or supportive care needs (0.2% against 0.6%), osteoporosis (0.8% against 1.2%) and serious mental illness (0.7% against 1.0%). The practice's patients live in areas with an average deprivation score of 12.5 (England: 21.8; higher is more deprived).
Life expectancy for its patients' neighbourhoods is 83.2 years for women and 79.6 for men (England: 83.0 and 79.1).
| Condition register | Age group | Practice (2024/25) | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| High blood pressure | All ages | 19.7% | 15.2% |
| Depression | 18+ yrs | 13.2% | 14.3% |
| Diabetes | 17+ yrs | 7.3% | 7.9% |
| Asthma | 6+ yrs | 6.5% | 6.6% |
| Cancer | All ages | 5.3% | 3.8% |
| Chronic kidney disease | 18+ yrs | 5.1% | 4.6% |
| Atrial fibrillation | All ages | 3.4% | 2.2% |
| Coronary heart disease | All ages | 3.3% | 3.0% |
| Stroke and TIA | All ages | 2.5% | 1.9% |
| COPD | All ages | 1.5% | 1.9% |
| Heart failure | All ages | 1.3% | 1.1% |
| Rheumatoid arthritis | 16+ yrs | 1.0% | 0.8% |
| Epilepsy | 18+ yrs | 0.8% | 0.8% |
| Osteoporosis | 50+ yrs | 0.8% | 1.2% |
| Serious mental illness | All ages | 0.7% | 1.0% |
| Dementia | All ages | 0.6% | 0.8% |
| Peripheral arterial disease | All ages | 0.6% | 0.6% |
| Learning disability | All ages | 0.6% | 0.6% |
| Palliative care | All ages | 0.2% | 0.6% |
| Screening coverage | Period | Practice | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bowel cancer screening (aged 60 to 74) | 2024/25 | 78.7% | 72.9% |
| Breast cancer screening (women aged 53 to 70) | 2024/25 | 81.3% | 72.2% |
| Cervical screening (women aged 25 to 49) | 2023/24 | 79.7% | 67.5% |
| Cervical screening (women aged 50 to 64) | 2023/24 | 81.3% | 74.9% |
The Sides Medical Practice, The Sides Medical Centre, Moorside Road, Swinton, Manchester, M27 0EW. Phone: 0161 794 1604. Website: www.sidesmedicalcentre.co.uk.
| Nearby practice | Distance | Overall experience good |
|---|---|---|
| The Poplars Medical Centre | 1.0 km | 84% |
| The Lakes Medical Practice | 1.4 km | 88% |
| Drs Joseph Borg-Costanzi/Ian Gilani/Brian Rhodes | 1.6 km | 72% |
| Silverdale Medical Practice | 2.1 km | 87% |
| Dr Venkatachalum Raj | 2.3 km | 88% |
- Silverdale Medical Practice (87% overall experience good)
- The Lakes Medical Practice (88% overall experience good)
- The Poplars Medical Centre (84% overall experience good)
How do patients rate The Sides Medical Practice?
In the 2026 GP Patient Survey, 84% of patients described their overall experience of The Sides Medical Practice as good, against 77% across England. 51% found it easy to get through by phone.
How many patients are registered at The Sides Medical Practice?
14,169 patients were registered in September 2026, up 2.4% on a year earlier.
What is The Sides Medical Practice's CQC rating?
Good overall, published in September 2017.
How many GPs does The Sides Medical Practice have?
8.0 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs (11 qualified GPs by headcount), which is 1,772 patients per GP against 2,171 across England.
Are appointments at The Sides Medical Practice face to face?
36% of appointments from June 2026 to August 2026 were face to face, against 63% across England.
What is The Sides Medical Practice's phone number?
0161 794 1604.