Watling Medical Practice, Northwich: patient reviews and CQC rating
Watling Medical Practice is a GP practice in Northwich with 6,729 registered patients (September 2026). In the 2026 GP Patient Survey, 78% 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 February 2020. It has 4.4 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs, or 1,539 patients per GP.
Latest data: September 2026. Patient survey 2026; registered patients September 2026; appointments to August 2026.
What patients say about Watling Medical Practice
Its best result against England is the share who said the wait for their last appointment was about right: 77%, against 69% across England. Its weakest is the share who found it easy to get through to the practice by phone: 50%, against 57% across England. With 118 responses, none of its 11 results differs from England by more than the survey's margin of error.
On overall experience it is 4th of the 7 practices in Northwich with 50 or more responses. 50% found it easy to get through by phone (England: 57%). The overall experience result is 1 point lower than in 2025 (79%). 118 patients answered the survey (response rate 30%).
| Survey question | Watling Medical Practice | Cheshire and Merseyside | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overall experience good | 78% | 78% | 77% |
| Easy to contact by phone | 50% | 57% | 57% |
| Easy to contact via the website | 51% | 55% | 58% |
| Easy to contact via the NHS App | 55% | 53% | 54% |
| Reception team helpful | 87% | 86% | 85% |
| Last contact good | 68% | 73% | 73% |
| Wait for appointment about right | 77% | 73% | 69% |
| Listened to well | 89% | 89% | 87% |
| Treated with care and concern | 89% | 87% | 86% |
| Confidence and trust in the clinician | 93% | 93% | 93% |
| Needs met | 92% | 91% | 90% |
CQC's overall rating for Watling Medical Practice is Good, published in February 2020. All 5 key questions are rated Good. It held the same rating in the report before (December 2018).
| Key question | Rating |
|---|---|
| Safe | Good |
| Well-led | Good |
| Caring | Good |
| Responsive | Good |
| Effective | Good |
6,729 patients were registered at Watling Medical Practice in September 2026, down 3.5% on a year earlier (England: down 1.1%).
27% of its patients are aged 65 or over, against 19% across England. With 4.4 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs, there are 1,539 patients per GP, fewer than the England figure of 2,171 and Cheshire and Merseyside's 1,971. The practice also has 0.6 nurses and 2.0 other clinical staff such as pharmacists and physiotherapists (full-time equivalent).
| Year | Qualified GPs (FTE) | All GPs incl. trainees (FTE) |
|---|---|---|
| August 2023 | 3.0 | 3.0 |
| August 2024 | 3.0 | 4.1 |
| August 2025 | 4.4 | 6.5 |
| August 2026 | 4.4 | 7.1 |
From June 2026 to August 2026 the practice recorded 1,790 appointments a month, or 266 per 1,000 registered patients (England: 510). 77% were face to face (England: 63%). 58% took place on the day they were booked and 13% more than 28 days after booking (England: 45% and 5%).
77% were with a GP rather than another member of the practice team. 4% of booked patients did not attend.
| Measure | Watling Medical Practice | Cheshire and Merseyside | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Appointments per 1,000 patients a month | 266 | 492 | 510 |
| Face to face | 77% | 60% | 63% |
| Same day as booked | 58% | 48% | 45% |
| More than 28 days after booking | 13% | 4% | 5% |
| Did not attend | 4% | 5% | 4% |
Compared with England, the practice has a higher share of patients on its registers for dementia (1.4% against 0.8%), heart failure (1.8% against 1.1%) and atrial fibrillation (3.3% against 2.2%). The practice's patients live in areas with an average deprivation score of 16.0 (England: 21.8; higher is more deprived). Life expectancy for its patients' neighbourhoods is 83.4 years for women and 79.2 for men (England: 83.0 and 79.1).
| Condition register | Age group | Practice (2024/25) | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| High blood pressure | All ages | 20.8% | 15.2% |
| Depression | 18+ yrs | 16.5% | 14.3% |
| Diabetes | 17+ yrs | 8.2% | 7.9% |
| Asthma | 6+ yrs | 6.8% | 6.6% |
| Cancer | All ages | 5.5% | 3.8% |
| Chronic kidney disease | 18+ yrs | 4.6% | 4.6% |
| Coronary heart disease | All ages | 4.1% | 3.0% |
| Atrial fibrillation | All ages | 3.3% | 2.2% |
| COPD | All ages | 2.7% | 1.9% |
| Stroke and TIA | All ages | 2.2% | 1.9% |
| Heart failure | All ages | 1.8% | 1.1% |
| Dementia | All ages | 1.4% | 0.8% |
| Osteoporosis | 50+ yrs | 1.3% | 1.2% |
| Serious mental illness | All ages | 1.0% | 1.0% |
| Rheumatoid arthritis | 16+ yrs | 0.7% | 0.8% |
| Epilepsy | 18+ yrs | 0.7% | 0.8% |
| Learning disability | All ages | 0.6% | 0.6% |
| Peripheral arterial disease | All ages | 0.5% | 0.6% |
| Palliative care | All ages | 0.4% | 0.6% |
| Screening coverage | Period | Practice | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bowel cancer screening (aged 60 to 74) | 2024/25 | 74.9% | 72.9% |
| Breast cancer screening (women aged 53 to 70) | 2024/25 | 76.0% | 72.2% |
| Cervical screening (women aged 25 to 49) | 2023/24 | 67.3% | 67.5% |
| Cervical screening (women aged 50 to 64) | 2023/24 | 72.7% | 74.9% |
Watling Medical Practice, 2 Watling Street, Northwich, CW9 5EX. Phone: 0160642452. Website: www.watlingmedicalpractice.nhs.uk.
| Nearby practice | Distance | Overall experience good |
|---|---|---|
| Danebridge Medical Practice | 0.3 km | 71% |
| Witton Street Surgery | 0.7 km | 81% |
| Middlewich Road Surgery | 1.6 km | 78% |
| Firdale Medical Centre | 1.7 km | 92% |
| Oakwood Medical Centre | 2.4 km | 65% |
- Danebridge Medical Practice (71% overall experience good)
- Firdale Medical Centre (92% overall experience good)
- Middlewich Road Surgery (78% overall experience good)
- Oakwood Medical Centre (65% overall experience good)
- The Weaverham Surgery (80% overall experience good)
- Witton Street Surgery (81% overall experience good)
How do patients rate Watling Medical Practice?
In the 2026 GP Patient Survey, 78% of patients described their overall experience of Watling Medical Practice as good, against 77% across England. 50% found it easy to get through by phone.
How many patients are registered at Watling Medical Practice?
6,729 patients were registered in September 2026, down 3.5% on a year earlier.
What is Watling Medical Practice's CQC rating?
Good overall, published in February 2020.
How many GPs does Watling Medical Practice have?
4.4 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs (6 qualified GPs by headcount), which is 1,539 patients per GP against 2,171 across England.
Are appointments at Watling Medical Practice face to face?
77% of appointments from June 2026 to August 2026 were face to face, against 63% across England.
What is Watling Medical Practice's phone number?
0160642452.