Chester Central PCN: primary care network practices and patient survey
Chester Central PCN is a primary care network of 6 GP practices with 39,112 registered patients (September 2026). In the 2026 GP Patient Survey, 80% of its patients described their overall experience as good, against 77% across England. Its practices have 1,759 patients per qualified GP (England: 2,171).
Latest data: September 2026. Registered patients September 2026; GP Patient Survey 2026.
Across the 6 practices in Chester Central PCN with survey results, the share of patients describing their overall experience as good ranges from 72% at Drs Shergill, Fisher, Buck & Cooney to 100% at St Werburgh’s Medical Practice for the Homeless, with a median of 83% (England: 77%). 1 is above England and 0 below by more than the survey's margin of error. St Werburgh’s Medical Practice for the Homeless has the highest share finding it easy to get through by phone (100%, England 57%).
| Practice | Registered patients | Overall experience good | Easy to contact by phone | CQC rating | Patients per GP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| St Werburgh’s Medical Practice for the Homeless | 385 | 100% | 100% | Good | – |
| Fountains Medical Practice | 4,530 | 85% | 56% | Good | 1,322 |
| The Elms Medical Centre | 9,838 | 84% | 67% | Good | 1,732 |
| Northgate Village Surgery | 6,715 | 81% | 79% | Good | 1,696 |
| Northgate Medical Centre | 8,363 | 80% | 66% | Good | 1,670 |
| Drs Shergill, Fisher, Buck & Cooney | 9,281 | 72% | 69% | Good | 2,352 |
Results for the network as a whole, from 542 responses, against Cheshire and Merseyside and England.
| Survey question | Chester Central PCN | Cheshire and Merseyside | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overall experience good | 80% | 78% | 77% |
| Easy to contact by phone | 69% | 57% | 57% |
| Easy to contact via the website | 68% | 55% | 58% |
| Easy to contact via the NHS App | 66% | 53% | 54% |
| Reception team helpful | 87% | 86% | 85% |
| Last contact good | 78% | 73% | 73% |
| Wait for appointment about right | 75% | 73% | 69% |
| Listened to well | 88% | 89% | 87% |
| Treated with care and concern | 89% | 87% | 86% |
| Confidence and trust in the clinician | 93% | 93% | 93% |
| Needs met | 88% | 91% | 90% |
There are 1,759 registered patients per full-time-equivalent qualified GP in Chester Central PCN, fewer than England's 2,171 and Cheshire and Merseyside's 1,971. Practices recorded 512 appointments a month per 1,000 patients (England: 510), 68% of them face to face. 42% of appointments took place on the day they were booked (England: 45%).
20% of registered patients are aged 65 or over (England: 19%). Lists shrank by 1.5% over the year (England: shrank 1.1%).
| Measure | Chester Central PCN | Cheshire and Merseyside | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Patients per qualified GP | 1,759 | 1,971 | 2,171 |
| Appointments per 1,000 patients a month | 512 | 492 | 510 |
| Face-to-face appointments | 68% | 60% | 63% |
| Same day as booked | 42% | 48% | 45% |
| Did not attend | 7% | 5% | 4% |
| Patients aged 65 or over | 20% | 20% | 19% |
Relative to England, the register furthest above England's rate at practices in Chester Central PCN is dementia (1.6% against 0.8%), and the furthest below is diabetes (6.4% against 7.9%).
| Condition register | Age group | Chester Central PCN (2024/25) | England | Patients on register |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Depression | 18+ yrs | 17.4% | 14.3% | 5,959 |
| High blood pressure | All ages | 14.7% | 15.2% | 5,860 |
| Asthma | 6+ yrs | 6.4% | 6.6% | 2,463 |
| Diabetes | 17+ yrs | 6.4% | 7.9% | 2,200 |
| Cancer | All ages | 4.4% | 3.8% | 1,742 |
| Chronic kidney disease | 18+ yrs | 4.1% | 4.6% | 1,396 |
| Coronary heart disease | All ages | 3.1% | 3.0% | 1,238 |
| Atrial fibrillation | All ages | 2.9% | 2.2% | 1,150 |
| Stroke and TIA | All ages | 2.0% | 1.9% | 817 |
| COPD | All ages | 2.0% | 1.9% | 784 |
| Osteoporosis | 50+ yrs | 1.8% | 1.2% | 258 |
| Dementia | All ages | 1.6% | 0.8% | 638 |
| Heart failure | All ages | 1.5% | 1.1% | 613 |
| Serious mental illness | All ages | 1.4% | 1.0% | 558 |
| Rheumatoid arthritis | 16+ yrs | 1.2% | 0.8% | 428 |
| Epilepsy | 18+ yrs | 0.9% | 0.8% | 300 |
| Peripheral arterial disease | All ages | 0.8% | 0.6% | 328 |
| Palliative care | All ages | 0.6% | 0.6% | 247 |
| Learning disability | All ages | 0.5% | 0.6% | 213 |
- Chester East PCN (4 practices)
- Chester South PCN (4 practices)
- Neston & Willaston PCN (3 practices)
- Northwich PCN (7 practices)
- One Ellesmere Port PCN (6 practices)
- Princeway PCN (2 practices)
- Rural Alliance PCN (5 practices)
- Winsford PCN (5 practices)
Which practices are in Chester Central PCN?
Drs Shergill, Fisher, Buck & Cooney, Fountains Medical Practice, Northgate Medical Centre, Northgate Village Surgery, St Werburgh’s Medical Practice for the Homeless and The Elms Medical Centre.
How do patients rate Chester Central PCN?
80% described their overall experience as good in the 2026 GP Patient Survey, against 77% across England.
How many patients does Chester Central PCN cover?
39,112 registered patients across 6 practices in September 2026.
How many patients per GP does Chester Central PCN have?
1,759 per full-time-equivalent qualified GP, against 2,171 across England.