Westhoughton Network PCN: primary care network practices and patient survey
Westhoughton Network PCN is a primary care network of 2 GP practices with 27,401 registered patients (September 2026). In the 2026 GP Patient Survey, 72% of its patients described their overall experience as good, against 77% across England. Its practices have 2,381 patients per qualified GP (England: 2,171).
Latest data: September 2026. Registered patients September 2026; GP Patient Survey 2026.
Across the 2 practices in Westhoughton Network PCN with survey results, the share of patients describing their overall experience as good ranges from 71% at Unsworth Group Practice to 77% at Stable Fold Surgery, with a median of 74% (England: 77%). None differs from England by more than the survey's margin of error. Stable Fold Surgery has the highest share finding it easy to get through by phone (45%, England 57%).
| Practice | Registered patients | Overall experience good | Easy to contact by phone | CQC rating | Patients per GP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stable Fold Surgery | 7,136 | 77% | 45% | Good | 2,650 |
| Unsworth Group Practice | 20,265 | 71% | 21% | Good | 2,299 |
Results for the network as a whole, from 178 responses, against Greater Manchester and England.
| Survey question | Westhoughton Network PCN | Greater Manchester | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overall experience good | 72% | 79% | 77% |
| Easy to contact by phone | 27% | 63% | 57% |
| Easy to contact via the website | 61% | 61% | 58% |
| Easy to contact via the NHS App | 40% | 58% | 54% |
| Reception team helpful | 76% | 86% | 85% |
| Last contact good | 63% | 76% | 73% |
| Wait for appointment about right | 58% | 71% | 69% |
| Listened to well | 87% | 88% | 87% |
| Treated with care and concern | 91% | 87% | 86% |
| Confidence and trust in the clinician | 98% | 93% | 93% |
| Needs met | 92% | 91% | 90% |
There are 2,381 registered patients per full-time-equivalent qualified GP in Westhoughton Network PCN, close to England's 2,171 and Greater Manchester's 2,055. Practices recorded 630 appointments a month per 1,000 patients (England: 510), 50% of them face to face. 56% 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 0.2% over the year (England: shrank 1.1%).
| Measure | Westhoughton Network PCN | Greater Manchester | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Patients per qualified GP | 2,381 | 2,055 | 2,171 |
| Appointments per 1,000 patients a month | 630 | 445 | 510 |
| Face-to-face appointments | 50% | 66% | 63% |
| Same day as booked | 56% | 44% | 45% |
| Did not attend | 3% | 6% | 4% |
| Patients aged 65 or over | 23% | 16% | 19% |
Relative to England, the register furthest above England's rate at practices in Westhoughton Network PCN is osteoporosis (2.2% against 1.2%), and the furthest below is palliative care (0.3% against 0.6%).
| Condition register | Age group | Westhoughton Network PCN (2024/25) | England | Patients on register |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| High blood pressure | All ages | 17.5% | 15.2% | 4,822 |
| Depression | 18+ yrs | 14.8% | 14.3% | 3,289 |
| Diabetes | 17+ yrs | 9.1% | 7.9% | 2,046 |
| Asthma | 6+ yrs | 7.6% | 6.6% | 1,971 |
| Chronic kidney disease | 18+ yrs | 6.5% | 4.6% | 1,436 |
| Cancer | All ages | 4.4% | 3.8% | 1,206 |
| Coronary heart disease | All ages | 3.3% | 3.0% | 912 |
| Atrial fibrillation | All ages | 2.6% | 2.2% | 721 |
| Stroke and TIA | All ages | 2.4% | 1.9% | 670 |
| COPD | All ages | 2.3% | 1.9% | 634 |
| Osteoporosis | 50+ yrs | 2.2% | 1.2% | 263 |
| Heart failure | All ages | 1.0% | 1.1% | 272 |
| Epilepsy | 18+ yrs | 0.9% | 0.8% | 206 |
| Dementia | All ages | 0.9% | 0.8% | 253 |
| Rheumatoid arthritis | 16+ yrs | 0.9% | 0.8% | 199 |
| Serious mental illness | All ages | 0.9% | 1.0% | 237 |
| Peripheral arterial disease | All ages | 0.6% | 0.6% | 170 |
| Learning disability | All ages | 0.6% | 0.6% | 167 |
| Palliative care | All ages | 0.3% | 0.6% | 92 |
- Bolton Central PCN (13 practices)
- Breightmet & Little Lever PCN (6 practices)
- Chorley Roads Network PCN (5 practices)
- Farnworth & Kearsley PCN (4 practices)
- Horwich Network PCN (3 practices)
- Hwl Network PCN (6 practices)
- Rumworth PCN (4 practices)
- Turton PCN (6 practices)
Which practices are in Westhoughton Network PCN?
Stable Fold Surgery and Unsworth Group Practice.
How do patients rate Westhoughton Network PCN?
72% described their overall experience as good in the 2026 GP Patient Survey, against 77% across England.
How many patients does Westhoughton Network PCN cover?
27,401 registered patients across 2 practices in September 2026.
How many patients per GP does Westhoughton Network PCN have?
2,381 per full-time-equivalent qualified GP, against 2,171 across England.