Healthier South Wirral PCN: primary care network practices and patient survey
Healthier South Wirral PCN is a primary care network of 5 GP practices with 50,006 registered patients (September 2026). In the 2026 GP Patient Survey, 82% of its patients described their overall experience as good, above the England figure of 77%. Its practices have 1,648 patients per qualified GP (England: 2,171).
Latest data: September 2026. Registered patients September 2026; GP Patient Survey 2026.
Across the 5 practices in Healthier South Wirral PCN with survey results, the share of patients describing their overall experience as good ranges from 76% at The Orchard Surgery to 95% at Spital Surgery, with a median of 81% (England: 77%). 2 are above England and 0 below by more than the survey's margin of error. Spital Surgery has the highest share finding it easy to get through by phone (87%, England 57%).
| Practice | Registered patients | Overall experience good | Easy to contact by phone | CQC rating | Patients per GP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spital Surgery | 4,906 | 95% | 87% | Good | 754 |
| Civic Medical Centre | 9,486 | 85% | 74% | Good | 1,710 |
| Sunlight Group Practice | 17,365 | 81% | 57% | Good | 2,588 |
| Eastham Group Practice - KJ Bush | 11,236 | 80% | 61% | Good | 1,566 |
| The Orchard Surgery | 7,013 | 76% | 50% | Good | 1,594 |
Results for the network as a whole, from 574 responses, against Cheshire and Merseyside and England.
| Survey question | Healthier South Wirral PCN | Cheshire and Merseyside | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overall experience good | 82% | 78% | 77% |
| Easy to contact by phone | 63% | 57% | 57% |
| Easy to contact via the website | 68% | 55% | 58% |
| Easy to contact via the NHS App | 66% | 53% | 54% |
| Reception team helpful | 94% | 86% | 85% |
| Last contact good | 81% | 73% | 73% |
| Wait for appointment about right | 81% | 73% | 69% |
| Listened to well | 94% | 89% | 87% |
| Treated with care and concern | 91% | 87% | 86% |
| Confidence and trust in the clinician | 96% | 93% | 93% |
| Needs met | 91% | 91% | 90% |
There are 1,648 registered patients per full-time-equivalent qualified GP in Healthier South Wirral PCN, fewer than England's 2,171 and Cheshire and Merseyside's 1,971. Practices recorded 622 appointments a month per 1,000 patients (England: 510), 56% of them face to face. 45% of appointments took place on the day they were booked (England: 45%).
23% of registered patients are aged 65 or over (England: 19%). Lists shrank by 0.5% over the year (England: shrank 1.1%).
| Measure | Healthier South Wirral PCN | Cheshire and Merseyside | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Patients per qualified GP | 1,648 | 1,971 | 2,171 |
| Appointments per 1,000 patients a month | 622 | 492 | 510 |
| Face-to-face appointments | 56% | 60% | 63% |
| Same day as booked | 45% | 48% | 45% |
| Did not attend | 4% | 5% | 4% |
| Patients aged 65 or over | 23% | 20% | 19% |
Relative to England, the register furthest above England's rate at practices in Healthier South Wirral PCN is palliative care (1.6% against 0.6%), and the furthest below is serious mental illness (0.9% against 1.0%).
| Condition register | Age group | Healthier South Wirral PCN (2024/25) | England | Patients on register |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Depression | 18+ yrs | 21.4% | 14.3% | 8,695 |
| High blood pressure | All ages | 17.5% | 15.2% | 8,792 |
| Diabetes | 17+ yrs | 7.9% | 7.9% | 3,261 |
| Asthma | 6+ yrs | 7.6% | 6.6% | 3,597 |
| Cancer | All ages | 5.3% | 3.8% | 2,676 |
| Chronic kidney disease | 18+ yrs | 4.9% | 4.6% | 1,978 |
| Coronary heart disease | All ages | 3.9% | 3.0% | 1,937 |
| Atrial fibrillation | All ages | 3.6% | 2.2% | 1,786 |
| Stroke and TIA | All ages | 2.5% | 1.9% | 1,267 |
| Heart failure | All ages | 2.2% | 1.1% | 1,113 |
| COPD | All ages | 2.1% | 1.9% | 1,035 |
| Osteoporosis | 50+ yrs | 1.7% | 1.2% | 367 |
| Palliative care | All ages | 1.6% | 0.6% | 784 |
| Learning disability | All ages | 1.1% | 0.6% | 552 |
| Dementia | All ages | 1.1% | 0.8% | 534 |
| Epilepsy | 18+ yrs | 1.0% | 0.8% | 426 |
| Serious mental illness | All ages | 0.9% | 1.0% | 468 |
| Rheumatoid arthritis | 16+ yrs | 0.8% | 0.8% | 334 |
| Peripheral arterial disease | All ages | 0.7% | 0.6% | 373 |
- Birkenhead PCN (15 practices)
- Healthier Neighbourhoods PCN (3 practices)
- Healthier West Wirral PCN (5 practices)
- Moreton and Meols PCN (5 practices)
- Wallasey PCN (10 practices)
Which practices are in Healthier South Wirral PCN?
Civic Medical Centre, Eastham Group Practice - KJ Bush, Spital Surgery, Sunlight Group Practice and The Orchard Surgery.
How do patients rate Healthier South Wirral PCN?
82% described their overall experience as good in the 2026 GP Patient Survey, above the England figure of 77%.
How many patients does Healthier South Wirral PCN cover?
50,006 registered patients across 5 practices in September 2026.
How many patients per GP does Healthier South Wirral PCN have?
1,648 per full-time-equivalent qualified GP, against 2,171 across England.