Willowbank Surgery, Manchester: patient reviews and CQC rating
Willowbank Surgery is a GP practice in Manchester with 2,261 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 September 2022. It has 0.8 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs, or 2,826 patients per GP.
Latest data: September 2026. Patient survey 2026; registered patients September 2026; appointments to August 2026.
What patients say about Willowbank Surgery
Its best result against England is the share who found it easy to get through to the practice by phone: 76%, above the England figure of 57%. Its weakest is the share who said the wait for their last appointment was about right: 60%, against 69% across England. Of the 11 results in the table, 2 are above England and 0 below by more than the survey's margin of error, and 9 within it.
On overall experience it is 93rd of the 149 practices in Manchester with 50 or more responses. 76% found it easy to get through by phone (England: 57%). The overall experience result is 11 points lower than in 2025 (87%). 85 patients answered the survey (response rate 14%).
| Survey question | Willowbank Surgery | Greater Manchester | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overall experience good | 76% | 79% | 77% |
| Easy to contact by phone | 76% | 63% | 57% |
| Easy to contact via the website | 62% | 61% | 58% |
| Easy to contact via the NHS App | 71% | 58% | 54% |
| Reception team helpful | 93% | 86% | 85% |
| Last contact good | 71% | 76% | 73% |
| Wait for appointment about right | 60% | 71% | 69% |
| Listened to well | 92% | 88% | 87% |
| Treated with care and concern | 91% | 87% | 86% |
| Confidence and trust in the clinician | 92% | 93% | 93% |
| Needs met | 87% | 91% | 90% |
In the Friends and Family Test for July 2026, 97% of 29 responses rated the practice good or very good (England: 92%).
CQC's overall rating for Willowbank Surgery is Good, published in September 2022. One key question is rated differently: Caring Outstanding. It held the same rating in the report before (January 2017).
| Key question | Rating |
|---|---|
| Safe | Good |
| Well-led | Good |
| Caring | Outstanding |
| Responsive | Good |
| Effective | Good |
2,261 patients were registered at Willowbank Surgery in September 2026, almost the same as a year earlier.
9% of its patients are aged 65 or over, against 19% across England. With 0.8 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs, there are 2,826 patients per GP, more than the England figure of 2,171 and Greater Manchester's 2,055. The practice also has 0.7 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 | 0.8 | 0.8 |
| August 2024 | 0.8 | 0.8 |
| August 2025 | 0.8 | 0.8 |
| August 2026 | 0.8 | 0.8 |
From June 2026 to August 2026 the practice recorded 695 appointments a month, or 308 per 1,000 registered patients (England: 510). 82% were face to face (England: 63%). 35% took place on the day they were booked and 3% more than 28 days after booking (England: 45% and 5%).
61% were with a GP rather than another member of the practice team. 10% of booked patients did not attend.
| Measure | Willowbank Surgery | Greater Manchester | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Appointments per 1,000 patients a month | 308 | 445 | 510 |
| Face to face | 82% | 66% | 63% |
| Same day as booked | 35% | 44% | 45% |
| More than 28 days after booking | 3% | 5% | 5% |
| Did not attend | 10% | 6% | 4% |
Compared with England, the practice has a lower share of patients for dementia (0.2% against 0.8%), heart failure (0.4% against 1.1%) and atrial fibrillation (1.0% against 2.2%). The practice's patients live in areas with an average deprivation score of 54.1 (England: 21.8; higher is more deprived). Life expectancy for its patients' neighbourhoods is 78.0 years for women and 73.0 for men (England: 83.0 and 79.1).
| Condition register | Age group | Practice (2024/25) | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Depression | 18+ yrs | 15.3% | 14.3% |
| High blood pressure | All ages | 11.7% | 15.2% |
| Diabetes | 17+ yrs | 7.8% | 7.9% |
| Asthma | 6+ yrs | 6.0% | 6.6% |
| Chronic kidney disease | 18+ yrs | 3.2% | 4.6% |
| COPD | All ages | 2.1% | 1.9% |
| Coronary heart disease | All ages | 2.0% | 3.0% |
| Cancer | All ages | 1.9% | 3.8% |
| Stroke and TIA | All ages | 1.7% | 1.9% |
| Serious mental illness | All ages | 1.6% | 1.0% |
| Atrial fibrillation | All ages | 1.0% | 2.2% |
| Learning disability | All ages | 0.9% | 0.6% |
| Peripheral arterial disease | All ages | 0.7% | 0.6% |
| Epilepsy | 18+ yrs | 0.6% | 0.8% |
| Rheumatoid arthritis | 16+ yrs | 0.5% | 0.8% |
| Heart failure | All ages | 0.4% | 1.1% |
| Palliative care | All ages | 0.4% | 0.6% |
| Dementia | All ages | 0.2% | 0.8% |
| Osteoporosis | 50+ yrs | 0.2% | 1.2% |
| Screening coverage | Period | Practice | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bowel cancer screening (aged 60 to 74) | 2024/25 | 60.5% | 72.9% |
| Breast cancer screening (women aged 53 to 70) | 2024/25 | 56.7% | 72.2% |
| Cervical screening (women aged 25 to 49) | 2023/24 | 64.5% | 67.5% |
| Cervical screening (women aged 50 to 64) | 2023/24 | 85.7% | 74.9% |
Willowbank Surgery, 1 Church Lane, Harpurhey, Manchester, M9 4WH. Phone: 0161 205 9240.
| Nearby practice | Distance | Overall experience good |
|---|---|---|
| Conran Medical Centre | 0.2 km | 75% |
| Church View Medical Centre | 0.4 km | 87% |
| Fernclough Surgery | 0.7 km | 85% |
| Valentine Medical Centre | 0.7 km | 84% |
| Simpson Medical Practice | 0.8 km | 82% |
- 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)
- Dam Head Medical Centre (76% overall experience good)
- Fernclough Surgery (85% overall experience good)
- The Avenue Medical Centre (72% overall experience good)
- Valentine Medical Centre (84% overall experience good)
How do patients rate Willowbank Surgery?
In the 2026 GP Patient Survey, 76% of patients described their overall experience of Willowbank Surgery as good, against 77% across England. 76% found it easy to get through by phone.
How many patients are registered at Willowbank Surgery?
2,261 patients were registered in September 2026, down 0.3% on a year earlier.
What is Willowbank Surgery's CQC rating?
Good overall, published in September 2022.
How many GPs does Willowbank Surgery have?
0.8 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs (1 qualified GP by headcount), which is 2,826 patients per GP against 2,171 across England.
Are appointments at Willowbank Surgery face to face?
82% of appointments from June 2026 to August 2026 were face to face, against 63% across England.
What is Willowbank Surgery's phone number?
0161 205 9240.