The Whitswood Practice, Manchester: patient reviews and CQC rating
The Whitswood Practice is a GP practice in Manchester with 5,093 registered patients (September 2026). In the 2026 GP Patient Survey, 86% of its patients described their overall experience as good, above the England figure of 77% (Greater Manchester: 79%). The Care Quality Commission rates it Good overall, in a report published in March 2017. It has 3.1 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs, or 1,626 patients per GP.
Latest data: September 2026. Patient survey 2026; registered patients September 2026; appointments to August 2026.
What patients say about The Whitswood Practice
Its best result against England is the share who found it easy to contact the practice through its website: 82%, above the England figure of 58%. Its result closest to England is the share who said their needs were met at their last appointment: 91%, against 90% across England. Of the 11 results in the table, 7 are above England and 0 below by more than the survey's margin of error, and 4 within it.
On overall experience it is 41st of the 149 practices in Manchester with 50 or more responses. 78% found it easy to get through by phone (England: 57%). The overall experience result is 4 points higher than in 2025 (82%). 93 patients answered the survey (response rate 9%).
| Survey question | The Whitswood Practice | Greater Manchester | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overall experience good | 86% | 79% | 77% |
| Easy to contact by phone | 78% | 63% | 57% |
| Easy to contact via the website | 82% | 61% | 58% |
| Easy to contact via the NHS App | 73% | 58% | 54% |
| Reception team helpful | 90% | 86% | 85% |
| Last contact good | 83% | 76% | 73% |
| Wait for appointment about right | 91% | 71% | 69% |
| Listened to well | 96% | 88% | 87% |
| Treated with care and concern | 91% | 87% | 86% |
| Confidence and trust in the clinician | 94% | 93% | 93% |
| Needs met | 91% | 91% | 90% |
In the Friends and Family Test for July 2026, 92% of 165 responses rated the practice good or very good (England: 92%).
CQC's overall rating for The Whitswood 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 |
5,093 patients were registered at The Whitswood Practice in September 2026, down 2.9% on a year earlier (England: down 1.1%).
7% of its patients are aged 65 or over, against 19% across England. With 3.1 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs, there are 1,626 patients per GP, fewer than the England figure of 2,171 and Greater Manchester's 2,055. The practice also has 1.7 nurses and 1.7 other clinical staff such as pharmacists and physiotherapists (full-time equivalent).
| Year | Qualified GPs (FTE) | All GPs incl. trainees (FTE) |
|---|---|---|
| August 2023 | 2.1 | 2.1 |
| August 2024 | 2.1 | 3.2 |
| August 2025 | 2.7 | 4.8 |
| August 2026 | 3.1 | 5.3 |
From June 2026 to August 2026 the practice recorded 3,410 appointments a month, or 670 per 1,000 registered patients (England: 510). 32% were face to face (England: 63%). 65% took place on the day they were booked and 1% more than 28 days after booking (England: 45% and 5%).
39% were with a GP rather than another member of the practice team. 6% of booked patients did not attend.
| Measure | The Whitswood Practice | Greater Manchester | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Appointments per 1,000 patients a month | 670 | 445 | 510 |
| Face to face | 32% | 66% | 63% |
| Same day as booked | 65% | 44% | 45% |
| More than 28 days after booking | 1% | 5% | 5% |
| Did not attend | 6% | 6% | 4% |
Compared with England, the practice has a higher share of patients on its registers for serious mental illness (1.6% against 1.0%). It has a lower share for atrial fibrillation (0.5% against 2.2%), cancer (1.1% against 3.8%) and heart failure (0.3% against 1.1%). The practice's patients live in areas with an average deprivation score of 43.9 (England: 21.8; higher is more deprived).
Life expectancy for its patients' neighbourhoods is 80.2 years for women and 72.6 for men (England: 83.0 and 79.1).
| Condition register | Age group | Practice (2024/25) | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Depression | 18+ yrs | 10.6% | 14.3% |
| High blood pressure | All ages | 8.9% | 15.2% |
| Diabetes | 17+ yrs | 8.0% | 7.9% |
| Asthma | 6+ yrs | 6.2% | 6.6% |
| Chronic kidney disease | 18+ yrs | 3.4% | 4.6% |
| Serious mental illness | All ages | 1.6% | 1.0% |
| Coronary heart disease | All ages | 1.5% | 3.0% |
| COPD | All ages | 1.1% | 1.9% |
| Cancer | All ages | 1.1% | 3.8% |
| Learning disability | All ages | 0.7% | 0.6% |
| Stroke and TIA | All ages | 0.6% | 1.9% |
| Epilepsy | 18+ yrs | 0.6% | 0.8% |
| Atrial fibrillation | All ages | 0.5% | 2.2% |
| Dementia | All ages | 0.4% | 0.8% |
| Osteoporosis | 50+ yrs | 0.4% | 1.2% |
| Heart failure | All ages | 0.3% | 1.1% |
| Rheumatoid arthritis | 16+ yrs | 0.3% | 0.8% |
| Peripheral arterial disease | All ages | 0.3% | 0.6% |
| Palliative care | All ages | 0.2% | 0.6% |
| Screening coverage | Period | Practice | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bowel cancer screening (aged 60 to 74) | 2024/25 | 55.0% | 72.9% |
| Breast cancer screening (women aged 53 to 70) | 2024/25 | 55.6% | 72.2% |
| Cervical screening (women aged 25 to 49) | 2023/24 | 55.7% | 67.5% |
| Cervical screening (women aged 50 to 64) | 2023/24 | 67.2% | 74.9% |
The Whitswood Practice, Alexandra Park Health Centre, 2 Whitswood Close, Manchester, M16 7AP. Phone: 0161 226 3620.
| Nearby practice | Distance | Overall experience good |
|---|---|---|
| The Range Medical Centre | 0.5 km | 76% |
| Limelight Health and Well-being Hub | 0.8 km | 74% |
| Ashville Surgery | 1.0 km | 85% |
| The Arch Medical Practice | 1.4 km | 76% |
| The Alexandra Practice | 1.4 km | 92% |
- The Robert Darbishire Practice (73% overall experience good)
How do patients rate The Whitswood Practice?
In the 2026 GP Patient Survey, 86% of patients described their overall experience of The Whitswood Practice as good, above the England figure of 77%. 78% found it easy to get through by phone.
How many patients are registered at The Whitswood Practice?
5,093 patients were registered in September 2026, down 2.9% on a year earlier.
What is The Whitswood Practice's CQC rating?
Good overall, published in March 2017.
How many GPs does The Whitswood Practice have?
3.1 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs (5 qualified GPs by headcount), which is 1,626 patients per GP against 2,171 across England.
Are appointments at The Whitswood Practice face to face?
32% of appointments from June 2026 to August 2026 were face to face, against 63% across England.
What is The Whitswood Practice's phone number?
0161 226 3620.