Better Health McR PCN: primary care network practices and patient survey
Better Health McR PCN is a primary care network of 2 GP practices with 38,124 registered patients (September 2026). In the 2026 GP Patient Survey, 74% of its patients described their overall experience as good, against 77% across England. Its practices have 1,901 patients per qualified GP (England: 2,171).
Latest data: September 2026. Registered patients September 2026; GP Patient Survey 2026.
Across the 2 practices in Better Health McR PCN with survey results, the share of patients describing their overall experience as good ranges from 73% at The Robert Darbishire Practice to 86% at The Whitswood Practice, with a median of 79% (England: 77%). 1 is above England and 0 below by more than the survey's margin of error. The Whitswood Practice has the highest share finding it easy to get through by phone (78%, England 57%).
| Practice | Registered patients | Overall experience good | Easy to contact by phone | CQC rating | Patients per GP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Whitswood Practice | 5,093 | 86% | 78% | Good | 1,626 |
| The Robert Darbishire Practice | 33,031 | 73% | 54% | Good | 1,952 |
Results for the network as a whole, from 153 responses, against Greater Manchester and England.
| Survey question | Better Health McR PCN | Greater Manchester | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overall experience good | 74% | 79% | 77% |
| Easy to contact by phone | 57% | 63% | 57% |
| Easy to contact via the website | 69% | 61% | 58% |
| Easy to contact via the NHS App | 57% | 58% | 54% |
| Reception team helpful | 79% | 86% | 85% |
| Last contact good | 80% | 76% | 73% |
| Wait for appointment about right | 73% | 71% | 69% |
| Listened to well | 91% | 88% | 87% |
| Treated with care and concern | 89% | 87% | 86% |
| Confidence and trust in the clinician | 83% | 93% | 93% |
| Needs met | 88% | 91% | 90% |
There are 1,901 registered patients per full-time-equivalent qualified GP in Better Health McR PCN, fewer than England's 2,171 and Greater Manchester's 2,055. Practices recorded 434 appointments a month per 1,000 patients (England: 510), 33% of them face to face. 72% of appointments took place on the day they were booked (England: 45%).
4% of registered patients are aged 65 or over (England: 19%). Lists grew by 0.3% over the year (England: shrank 1.1%).
| Measure | Better Health McR PCN | Greater Manchester | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Patients per qualified GP | 1,901 | 2,055 | 2,171 |
| Appointments per 1,000 patients a month | 434 | 445 | 510 |
| Face-to-face appointments | 33% | 66% | 63% |
| Same day as booked | 72% | 44% | 45% |
| Did not attend | 6% | 6% | 4% |
| Patients aged 65 or over | 4% | 16% | 19% |
Relative to England, the register furthest below England's rate at practices in Better Health McR PCN is atrial fibrillation (0.3% against 2.2%).
| Condition register | Age group | Better Health McR PCN (2024/25) | England | Patients on register |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Depression | 18+ yrs | 6.9% | 14.3% | 2,316 |
| High blood pressure | All ages | 4.5% | 15.2% | 1,763 |
| Asthma | 6+ yrs | 4.0% | 6.6% | 1,493 |
| Diabetes | 17+ yrs | 3.9% | 7.9% | 1,321 |
| Chronic kidney disease | 18+ yrs | 1.2% | 4.6% | 387 |
| Osteoporosis | 50+ yrs | 0.9% | 1.2% | 36 |
| Coronary heart disease | All ages | 0.9% | 3.0% | 338 |
| Serious mental illness | All ages | 0.8% | 1.0% | 329 |
| Cancer | All ages | 0.7% | 3.8% | 266 |
| COPD | All ages | 0.6% | 1.9% | 227 |
| Learning disability | All ages | 0.5% | 0.6% | 193 |
| Stroke and TIA | All ages | 0.5% | 1.9% | 177 |
| Epilepsy | 18+ yrs | 0.4% | 0.8% | 141 |
| Atrial fibrillation | All ages | 0.3% | 2.2% | 127 |
| Heart failure | All ages | 0.3% | 1.1% | 107 |
| Peripheral arterial disease | All ages | 0.2% | 0.6% | 68 |
| Rheumatoid arthritis | 16+ yrs | 0.2% | 0.8% | 56 |
| Dementia | All ages | 0.1% | 0.8% | 50 |
| Palliative care | All ages | 0.1% | 0.6% | 41 |
- Ardwick and Longsight PCN (10 practices)
- Cheetham Hill & Crumpsall PCN (6 practices)
- City Centre & Ancoats PCN (3 practices)
- Clayton Beswick & Openshaw PCN (7 practices)
- Didsbury Chorlton Park & Burnage PCN (4 practices)
- Gorton and Levenshulme PCN (7 practices)
- H-Blackley Harpurhey & Charlestown PCN (9 practices)
- Hulme & City Centre South PCN (3 practices)
- Miles Platting Newton Heath & Moston PCN (7 practices)
- Northenden & Brooklands (Wythenshawe) PCN (5 practices)
- West Central Manchester PCN (6 practices)
- Withington & Fallowfield PCN (6 practices)
Which practices are in Better Health McR PCN?
The Robert Darbishire Practice and The Whitswood Practice.
How do patients rate Better Health McR PCN?
74% described their overall experience as good in the 2026 GP Patient Survey, against 77% across England.
How many patients does Better Health McR PCN cover?
38,124 registered patients across 2 practices in September 2026.
How many patients per GP does Better Health McR PCN have?
1,901 per full-time-equivalent qualified GP, against 2,171 across England.