Willaston Surgery, Neston: patient reviews and CQC rating
Willaston Surgery is a GP practice in Neston with 4,307 registered patients (September 2026). In the 2026 GP Patient Survey, 77% of its patients described their overall experience as good, against 77% across England (Cheshire and Merseyside: 78%). The Care Quality Commission rates it Good overall, in a report published in September 2018. It has 1.6 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs, or 2,705 patients per GP.
Latest data: September 2026. Patient survey 2026; registered patients September 2026; appointments to August 2026.
What patients say about Willaston Surgery
Its best result against England is the share who said they were treated with care and concern: 97%, above the England figure of 86%. Its weakest is the share who found it easy to contact the practice through its website: 40%, below the England figure of 58%. Of the 11 results in the table, 3 are above England and 1 below by more than the survey's margin of error, and 7 within it.
On overall experience it is 3rd of the 3 practices in Neston with 50 or more responses. 59% found it easy to get through by phone (England: 57%). The overall experience result is 3 points lower than in 2025 (80%). 124 patients answered the survey (response rate 41%).
| Survey question | Willaston Surgery | Cheshire and Merseyside | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overall experience good | 77% | 78% | 77% |
| Easy to contact by phone | 59% | 57% | 57% |
| Easy to contact via the website | 40% | 55% | 58% |
| Easy to contact via the NHS App | 50% | 53% | 54% |
| Reception team helpful | 80% | 86% | 85% |
| Last contact good | 69% | 73% | 73% |
| Wait for appointment about right | 74% | 73% | 69% |
| Listened to well | 94% | 89% | 87% |
| Treated with care and concern | 97% | 87% | 86% |
| Confidence and trust in the clinician | 97% | 93% | 93% |
| Needs met | 97% | 91% | 90% |
CQC's overall rating for Willaston Surgery is Good, published in September 2018. All 5 key questions are rated Good.
| Key question | Rating |
|---|---|
| Safe | Good |
| Well-led | Good |
| Caring | Good |
| Responsive | Good |
| Effective | Good |
4,307 patients were registered at Willaston Surgery in September 2026, down 1.8% on a year earlier (England: down 1.1%).
30% of its patients are aged 65 or over, against 19% across England. With 1.6 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs, there are 2,705 patients per GP, more than the England figure of 2,171 and Cheshire and Merseyside's 1,971. The practice also has 1.0 nurses and 0.5 other clinical staff such as pharmacists and physiotherapists (full-time equivalent).
| Year | Qualified GPs (FTE) | All GPs incl. trainees (FTE) |
|---|---|---|
| August 2023 | 1.6 | 1.6 |
| August 2024 | 1.6 | 1.6 |
| August 2025 | 1.6 | 1.6 |
| August 2026 | 1.6 | 1.6 |
From June 2026 to August 2026 the practice recorded 1,540 appointments a month, or 357 per 1,000 registered patients (England: 510). 74% were face to face (England: 63%). 37% took place on the day they were booked and 4% more than 28 days after booking (England: 45% and 5%).
53% were with a GP rather than another member of the practice team. 3% of booked patients did not attend.
| Measure | Willaston Surgery | Cheshire and Merseyside | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Appointments per 1,000 patients a month | 357 | 492 | 510 |
| Face to face | 74% | 60% | 63% |
| Same day as booked | 37% | 48% | 45% |
| More than 28 days after booking | 4% | 4% | 5% |
| Did not attend | 3% | 5% | 4% |
Compared with England, the practice has a higher share of patients on its registers for atrial fibrillation (3.4% against 2.2%) and cancer (5.4% against 3.8%). It has a lower share for osteoporosis (0.3% against 1.2%), dementia (0.3% against 0.8%) and COPD (1.0% against 1.9%). The practice's patients live in areas with an average deprivation score of 9.7 (England: 21.8; higher is more deprived).
Life expectancy for its patients' neighbourhoods is 84.8 years for women and 82.9 for men (England: 83.0 and 79.1).
| Condition register | Age group | Practice (2024/25) | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| High blood pressure | All ages | 15.9% | 15.2% |
| Depression | 18+ yrs | 13.4% | 14.3% |
| Asthma | 6+ yrs | 5.8% | 6.6% |
| Diabetes | 17+ yrs | 5.4% | 7.9% |
| Cancer | All ages | 5.4% | 3.8% |
| Chronic kidney disease | 18+ yrs | 3.6% | 4.6% |
| Coronary heart disease | All ages | 3.4% | 3.0% |
| Atrial fibrillation | All ages | 3.4% | 2.2% |
| Stroke and TIA | All ages | 2.4% | 1.9% |
| COPD | All ages | 1.0% | 1.9% |
| Heart failure | All ages | 0.9% | 1.1% |
| Epilepsy | 18+ yrs | 0.9% | 0.8% |
| Rheumatoid arthritis | 16+ yrs | 0.8% | 0.8% |
| Serious mental illness | All ages | 0.7% | 1.0% |
| Peripheral arterial disease | All ages | 0.5% | 0.6% |
| Learning disability | All ages | 0.4% | 0.6% |
| Dementia | All ages | 0.3% | 0.8% |
| Osteoporosis | 50+ yrs | 0.3% | 1.2% |
| Palliative care | All ages | 0.2% | 0.6% |
| Screening coverage | Period | Practice | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bowel cancer screening (aged 60 to 74) | 2024/25 | 78.4% | 72.9% |
| Breast cancer screening (women aged 53 to 70) | 2024/25 | 84.2% | 72.2% |
| Cervical screening (women aged 25 to 49) | 2023/24 | 73.7% | 67.5% |
| Cervical screening (women aged 50 to 64) | 2023/24 | 73.6% | 74.9% |
Willaston Surgery, Neston Road, Willaston, Neston, CH64 2TN. Phone: 0151 327 4593.
| Nearby practice | Distance | Overall experience good |
|---|---|---|
| Neston Surgery | 2.9 km | 93% |
| Dr Christopher Steere | 3.5 km | 89% |
| Eastham Group Practice - KJ Bush | 4.2 km | 80% |
| The Orchard Surgery | 4.9 km | 76% |
| Great Sutton Medical Centre | 5.3 km | 76% |
- Dr Christopher Steere (89% overall experience good)
- Neston Surgery (93% overall experience good)
How do patients rate Willaston Surgery?
In the 2026 GP Patient Survey, 77% of patients described their overall experience of Willaston Surgery as good, against 77% across England. 59% found it easy to get through by phone.
How many patients are registered at Willaston Surgery?
4,307 patients were registered in September 2026, down 1.8% on a year earlier.
What is Willaston Surgery's CQC rating?
Good overall, published in September 2018.
How many GPs does Willaston Surgery have?
1.6 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs (2 qualified GPs by headcount), which is 2,705 patients per GP against 2,171 across England.
Are appointments at Willaston Surgery face to face?
74% of appointments from June 2026 to August 2026 were face to face, against 63% across England.
What is Willaston Surgery's phone number?
0151 327 4593.