The Bridge PCN: primary care network practices and patient survey
The Bridge PCN is a primary care network of 5 GP practices with 22,604 registered patients (September 2026). In the 2026 GP Patient Survey, 67% of its patients described their overall experience as good, below the England figure of 77%. Its practices have 2,141 patients per qualified GP (England: 2,171).
Latest data: September 2026. Registered patients September 2026; GP Patient Survey 2026.
Across the 5 practices in The Bridge PCN with survey results, the share of patients describing their overall experience as good ranges from 45% at Dr I K Babar & Partners to 96% at Dr Bhima's Practice, with a median of 76% (England: 77%). 2 are above England and 2 below by more than the survey's margin of error. Leela Ltd has the highest share finding it easy to get through by phone (90%, England 57%).
| Practice | Registered patients | Overall experience good | Easy to contact by phone | CQC rating | Patients per GP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dr Bhima's Practice | 1,908 | 96% | 87% | Good | 1,590 |
| Leela Ltd | 4,336 | 88% | 90% | Good | 2,853 |
| The Dale Medical Practice | 2,342 | 76% | 71% | Good | 2,142 |
| Dr M B Ghafoor and Dr S A Abbasi | 6,478 | 68% | 52% | Good | 4,188 |
| Dr I K Babar & Partners | 7,540 | 45% | 25% | Good | 1,450 |
Results for the network as a whole, from 506 responses, against Greater Manchester and England.
| Survey question | The Bridge PCN | Greater Manchester | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overall experience good | 67% | 79% | 77% |
| Easy to contact by phone | 55% | 63% | 57% |
| Easy to contact via the website | 41% | 61% | 58% |
| Easy to contact via the NHS App | 53% | 58% | 54% |
| Reception team helpful | 76% | 86% | 85% |
| Last contact good | 64% | 76% | 73% |
| Wait for appointment about right | 60% | 71% | 69% |
| Listened to well | 83% | 88% | 87% |
| Treated with care and concern | 81% | 87% | 86% |
| Confidence and trust in the clinician | 92% | 93% | 93% |
| Needs met | 92% | 91% | 90% |
There are 2,141 registered patients per full-time-equivalent qualified GP in The Bridge PCN, close to England's 2,171 and Greater Manchester's 2,055. Practices recorded 439 appointments a month per 1,000 patients (England: 510), 61% of them face to face. 51% of appointments took place on the day they were booked (England: 45%).
10% of registered patients are aged 65 or over (England: 19%). Lists shrank by 2.3% over the year (England: shrank 1.1%).
| Measure | The Bridge PCN | Greater Manchester | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Patients per qualified GP | 2,141 | 2,055 | 2,171 |
| Appointments per 1,000 patients a month | 439 | 445 | 510 |
| Face-to-face appointments | 61% | 66% | 63% |
| Same day as booked | 51% | 44% | 45% |
| Did not attend | 6% | 6% | 4% |
| Patients aged 65 or over | 10% | 16% | 19% |
Relative to England, the register furthest above England's rate at practices in The Bridge PCN is diabetes (14.3% against 7.9%), and the furthest below is osteoporosis (0.3% against 1.2%).
| Condition register | Age group | The Bridge PCN (2024/25) | England | Patients on register |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Diabetes | 17+ yrs | 14.3% | 7.9% | 2,437 |
| Depression | 18+ yrs | 12.7% | 14.3% | 2,111 |
| High blood pressure | All ages | 11.7% | 15.2% | 2,693 |
| Asthma | 6+ yrs | 6.8% | 6.6% | 1,447 |
| Chronic kidney disease | 18+ yrs | 4.3% | 4.6% | 719 |
| Coronary heart disease | All ages | 3.0% | 3.0% | 696 |
| Cancer | All ages | 2.0% | 3.8% | 455 |
| COPD | All ages | 1.7% | 1.9% | 402 |
| Serious mental illness | All ages | 1.3% | 1.0% | 297 |
| Stroke and TIA | All ages | 1.1% | 1.9% | 264 |
| Atrial fibrillation | All ages | 0.8% | 2.2% | 191 |
| Epilepsy | 18+ yrs | 0.8% | 0.8% | 129 |
| Heart failure | All ages | 0.7% | 1.1% | 170 |
| Rheumatoid arthritis | 16+ yrs | 0.7% | 0.8% | 121 |
| Learning disability | All ages | 0.6% | 0.6% | 147 |
| Peripheral arterial disease | All ages | 0.5% | 0.6% | 119 |
| Palliative care | All ages | 0.5% | 0.6% | 118 |
| Dementia | All ages | 0.4% | 0.8% | 102 |
| Osteoporosis | 50+ yrs | 0.3% | 1.2% | 15 |
- Canalside PCN (7 practices)
- Heywood PCN (5 practices)
- Middleton PCN (6 practices)
- Pennines PCN (6 practices)
- Rochdale North PCN (7 practices)
Which practices are in The Bridge PCN?
Dr Bhima's Practice, Dr I K Babar & Partners, Dr M B Ghafoor and Dr S A Abbasi, Leela Ltd and The Dale Medical Practice.
How do patients rate The Bridge PCN?
67% described their overall experience as good in the 2026 GP Patient Survey, below the England figure of 77%.
How many patients does The Bridge PCN cover?
22,604 registered patients across 5 practices in September 2026.
How many patients per GP does The Bridge PCN have?
2,141 per full-time-equivalent qualified GP, against 2,171 across England.