Whittaker Lane Medical Centre, Manchester: patient reviews and CQC rating
Whittaker Lane Medical Centre is a GP practice in Manchester with 7,420 registered patients (September 2026). In the 2026 GP Patient Survey, 59% of its patients described their overall experience as good, below the England figure of 77% (Greater Manchester: 79%). The Care Quality Commission rates it Good overall, in a report published in December 2018. It has 3.9 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs, or 1,912 patients per GP.
Latest data: September 2026. Patient survey 2026; registered patients September 2026; appointments to August 2026.
What patients say about Whittaker Lane Medical Centre
Its best result against England is the share who found it easy to contact the practice using the NHS App: 57%, against 54% across England. Its weakest is the share who found it easy to get through to the practice by phone: 28%, below the England figure of 57%. Of the 11 results in the table, 0 are above England and 6 below by more than the survey's margin of error, and 5 within it.
On overall experience it is 149th of the 149 practices in Manchester with 50 or more responses. 28% found it easy to get through by phone (England: 57%). The overall experience result is 14 points lower than in 2025 (73%). 105 patients answered the survey (response rate 26%).
| Survey question | Whittaker Lane Medical Centre | Greater Manchester | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overall experience good | 59% | 79% | 77% |
| Easy to contact by phone | 28% | 63% | 57% |
| Easy to contact via the website | 33% | 61% | 58% |
| Easy to contact via the NHS App | 57% | 58% | 54% |
| Reception team helpful | 74% | 86% | 85% |
| Last contact good | 56% | 76% | 73% |
| Wait for appointment about right | 65% | 71% | 69% |
| Listened to well | 82% | 88% | 87% |
| Treated with care and concern | 80% | 87% | 86% |
| Confidence and trust in the clinician | 86% | 93% | 93% |
| Needs met | 86% | 91% | 90% |
In the Friends and Family Test for July 2026, 90% of 92 responses rated the practice good or very good (England: 92%).
CQC's overall rating for Whittaker Lane Medical Centre is Good, published in December 2018. All 5 key questions are rated Good. It held the same rating in the report before (July 2016).
| Key question | Rating |
|---|---|
| Safe | Good |
| Well-led | Good |
| Caring | Good |
| Responsive | Good |
| Effective | Good |
7,420 patients were registered at Whittaker Lane Medical Centre in September 2026, down 1.7% on a year earlier (England: down 1.1%).
16% of its patients are aged 65 or over, against 19% across England. With 3.9 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs, there are 1,912 patients per GP, fewer than the England figure of 2,171 and Greater Manchester's 2,055. The practice also has 1.0 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 | 3.9 | 6.7 |
| August 2024 | 4.5 | 7.5 |
| August 2025 | 4.5 | 4.5 |
| August 2026 | 3.9 | 4.7 |
From June 2026 to August 2026 the practice recorded 2,038 appointments a month, or 275 per 1,000 registered patients (England: 510). 60% were face to face (England: 63%). 37% took place on the day they were booked and 2% more than 28 days after booking (England: 45% and 5%).
36% were with a GP rather than another member of the practice team. 4% of booked patients did not attend.
| Measure | Whittaker Lane Medical Centre | Greater Manchester | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Appointments per 1,000 patients a month | 275 | 445 | 510 |
| Face to face | 60% | 66% | 63% |
| Same day as booked | 37% | 44% | 45% |
| More than 28 days after booking | 2% | 5% | 5% |
| Did not attend | 4% | 6% | 4% |
Compared with England, the practice has a higher share of patients on its registers for serious mental illness (1.5% against 1.0%). It has a lower share for high blood pressure (11.4% against 15.2%). The practice's patients live in areas with an average deprivation score of 22.1 (England: 21.8; higher is more deprived).
Life expectancy for its patients' neighbourhoods is 82.4 years for women and 77.9 for men (England: 83.0 and 79.1).
| Condition register | Age group | Practice (2024/25) | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Depression | 18+ yrs | 16.4% | 14.3% |
| High blood pressure | All ages | 11.4% | 15.2% |
| Asthma | 6+ yrs | 7.0% | 6.6% |
| Diabetes | 17+ yrs | 6.9% | 7.9% |
| Chronic kidney disease | 18+ yrs | 5.1% | 4.6% |
| Cancer | All ages | 3.3% | 3.8% |
| Coronary heart disease | All ages | 3.3% | 3.0% |
| COPD | All ages | 2.2% | 1.9% |
| Atrial fibrillation | All ages | 2.1% | 2.2% |
| Stroke and TIA | All ages | 2.1% | 1.9% |
| Serious mental illness | All ages | 1.5% | 1.0% |
| Dementia | All ages | 1.0% | 0.8% |
| Heart failure | All ages | 0.9% | 1.1% |
| Epilepsy | 18+ yrs | 0.7% | 0.8% |
| Rheumatoid arthritis | 16+ yrs | 0.7% | 0.8% |
| Osteoporosis | 50+ yrs | 0.7% | 1.2% |
| Peripheral arterial disease | All ages | 0.6% | 0.6% |
| Learning disability | All ages | 0.6% | 0.6% |
| Palliative care | All ages | 0.5% | 0.6% |
| Screening coverage | Period | Practice | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bowel cancer screening (aged 60 to 74) | 2024/25 | 70.8% | 72.9% |
| Breast cancer screening (women aged 53 to 70) | 2024/25 | 74.3% | 72.2% |
| Cervical screening (women aged 25 to 49) | 2023/24 | 77.0% | 67.5% |
| Cervical screening (women aged 50 to 64) | 2023/24 | 76.2% | 74.9% |
Whittaker Lane Medical Centre, Daisy Bank, Whittaker Lane, Prestwich, Manchester, M25 1EX. Phone: 0161 773 1580. Website: www.wlmc.co.uk.
| Nearby practice | Distance | Overall experience good |
|---|---|---|
| St Gabriel's Medical Centre | 0.9 km | 68% |
| BARDOC - The Birches Medical Centre | 1.1 km | 90% |
| Dr Laurence Howard Sherman | 1.1 km | 77% |
| Fairfax Group Practice | 1.2 km | 73% |
| Longfield Medical Practice | 1.2 km | 67% |
- BARDOC - The Birches Medical Centre (90% overall experience good)
- Dr Laurence Howard Sherman (77% overall experience good)
- Fairfax Group Practice (73% overall experience good)
- Longfield Medical Practice (67% overall experience good)
- St Gabriel's Medical Centre (68% overall experience good)
How do patients rate Whittaker Lane Medical Centre?
In the 2026 GP Patient Survey, 59% of patients described their overall experience of Whittaker Lane Medical Centre as good, below the England figure of 77%. 28% found it easy to get through by phone.
How many patients are registered at Whittaker Lane Medical Centre?
7,420 patients were registered in September 2026, down 1.7% on a year earlier.
What is Whittaker Lane Medical Centre's CQC rating?
Good overall, published in December 2018.
How many GPs does Whittaker Lane Medical Centre have?
3.9 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs (6 qualified GPs by headcount), which is 1,912 patients per GP against 2,171 across England.
Are appointments at Whittaker Lane Medical Centre face to face?
60% of appointments from June 2026 to August 2026 were face to face, against 63% across England.
What is Whittaker Lane Medical Centre's phone number?
0161 773 1580.