Riverside Medical Centre, Preston: patient reviews and CQC rating
Riverside Medical Centre is a GP practice in Preston with 10,488 registered patients (September 2026). In the 2026 GP Patient Survey, 74% of its patients described their overall experience as good, against 77% across England (Lancashire and South Cumbria: 78%). The Care Quality Commission rates it Good overall, in a report published in February 2017. It has 7.2 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs, or 1,451 patients per GP.
Latest data: September 2026. Patient survey 2026; registered patients September 2026; appointments to August 2026.
What patients say about Riverside Medical Centre
Its best result against England is the share who said the wait for their last appointment was about right: 81%, above the England figure of 69%. Its weakest is the share who found it easy to contact the practice through its website: 20%, below the England figure of 58%. Of the 11 results in the table, 1 is above England and 4 below by more than the survey's margin of error, and 6 within it.
On overall experience it is 23rd of the 32 practices in Preston with 50 or more responses. 39% found it easy to get through by phone (England: 57%). The overall experience result is 11 points lower than in 2025 (85%). 136 patients answered the survey (response rate 31%).
| Survey question | Riverside Medical Centre | Lancashire and South Cumbria | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overall experience good | 74% | 78% | 77% |
| Easy to contact by phone | 39% | 61% | 57% |
| Easy to contact via the website | 20% | 55% | 58% |
| Easy to contact via the NHS App | 32% | 57% | 54% |
| Reception team helpful | 82% | 86% | 85% |
| Last contact good | 67% | 74% | 73% |
| Wait for appointment about right | 81% | 70% | 69% |
| Listened to well | 85% | 88% | 87% |
| Treated with care and concern | 79% | 87% | 86% |
| Confidence and trust in the clinician | 93% | 93% | 93% |
| Needs met | 93% | 91% | 90% |
In the Friends and Family Test for July 2026, 93% of 131 responses rated the practice good or very good (England: 92%).
CQC's overall rating for Riverside Medical Centre is Good, published in February 2017. All 5 key questions are rated Good.
| Key question | Rating |
|---|---|
| Safe | Good |
| Well-led | Good |
| Caring | Good |
| Responsive | Good |
| Effective | Good |
10,488 patients were registered at Riverside Medical Centre in September 2026, down 1.9% on a year earlier (England: down 1.1%).
22% of its patients are aged 65 or over, against 19% across England. With 7.2 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs, there are 1,451 patients per GP, fewer than the England figure of 2,171 and Lancashire and South Cumbria's 2,288. The practice also has 3.0 nurses and 5.3 other clinical staff such as pharmacists and physiotherapists (full-time equivalent).
| Year | Qualified GPs (FTE) | All GPs incl. trainees (FTE) |
|---|---|---|
| August 2023 | 7.2 | 7.2 |
| August 2024 | 7.2 | 7.2 |
| August 2025 | 7.2 | 7.2 |
| August 2026 | 7.2 | 7.2 |
From June 2026 to August 2026 the practice recorded 4,565 appointments a month, or 435 per 1,000 registered patients (England: 510). 81% were face to face (England: 63%). 38% took place on the day they were booked and 6% more than 28 days after booking (England: 45% and 5%).
37% were with a GP rather than another member of the practice team. 5% of booked patients did not attend.
| Measure | Riverside Medical Centre | Lancashire and South Cumbria | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Appointments per 1,000 patients a month | 435 | 471 | 510 |
| Face to face | 81% | 70% | 63% |
| Same day as booked | 38% | 42% | 45% |
| More than 28 days after booking | 6% | 6% | 5% |
| Did not attend | 5% | 5% | 4% |
Compared with England, the practice has a higher share of patients on its registers for chronic kidney disease (9.1% against 4.6%), heart failure (2.0% against 1.1%) and osteoporosis (2.1% against 1.2%). The practice's patients live in areas with an average deprivation score of 12.1 (England: 21.8; higher is more deprived). Life expectancy for its patients' neighbourhoods is 83.3 years for women and 80.0 for men (England: 83.0 and 79.1).
| Condition register | Age group | Practice (2024/25) | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| High blood pressure | All ages | 19.4% | 15.2% |
| Depression | 18+ yrs | 17.8% | 14.3% |
| Chronic kidney disease | 18+ yrs | 9.1% | 4.6% |
| Asthma | 6+ yrs | 8.2% | 6.6% |
| Diabetes | 17+ yrs | 6.9% | 7.9% |
| Cancer | All ages | 5.2% | 3.8% |
| Coronary heart disease | All ages | 3.3% | 3.0% |
| Atrial fibrillation | All ages | 2.9% | 2.2% |
| Osteoporosis | 50+ yrs | 2.1% | 1.2% |
| Stroke and TIA | All ages | 2.0% | 1.9% |
| Heart failure | All ages | 2.0% | 1.1% |
| COPD | All ages | 1.8% | 1.9% |
| Dementia | All ages | 0.9% | 0.8% |
| Serious mental illness | All ages | 0.8% | 1.0% |
| Epilepsy | 18+ yrs | 0.8% | 0.8% |
| Rheumatoid arthritis | 16+ yrs | 0.7% | 0.8% |
| Learning disability | All ages | 0.5% | 0.6% |
| Peripheral arterial disease | All ages | 0.5% | 0.6% |
| Palliative care | All ages | 0.5% | 0.6% |
| Screening coverage | Period | Practice | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bowel cancer screening (aged 60 to 74) | 2024/25 | 75.6% | 72.9% |
| Breast cancer screening (women aged 53 to 70) | 2024/25 | 82.9% | 72.2% |
| Cervical screening (women aged 25 to 49) | 2023/24 | 84.9% | 67.5% |
| Cervical screening (women aged 50 to 64) | 2023/24 | 86.6% | 74.9% |
Riverside Medical Centre, 194 Victoria Road, Walton-le-Dale, Preston, PR5 4AY. Phone: 01772 201010.
| Nearby practice | Distance | Overall experience good |
|---|---|---|
| Roslea Surgery | 1.7 km | 80% |
| Avenham Surgery | 1.7 km | 68% |
| The New Hall Lane Practice | 1.8 km | 87% |
| The Ryan Medical Centre | 2.1 km | 81% |
| Lostock Hall Medical Centre | 2.5 km | 83% |
- Lostock Hall Medical Centre (83% overall experience good)
- New Longton Surgery (91% overall experience good)
- Roslea Surgery (80% overall experience good)
- The Ryan Medical Centre (81% overall experience good)
How do patients rate Riverside Medical Centre?
In the 2026 GP Patient Survey, 74% of patients described their overall experience of Riverside Medical Centre as good, against 77% across England. 39% found it easy to get through by phone.
How many patients are registered at Riverside Medical Centre?
10,488 patients were registered in September 2026, down 1.9% on a year earlier.
What is Riverside Medical Centre's CQC rating?
Good overall, published in February 2017.
How many GPs does Riverside Medical Centre have?
7.2 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs (9 qualified GPs by headcount), which is 1,451 patients per GP against 2,171 across England.
Are appointments at Riverside Medical Centre face to face?
81% of appointments from June 2026 to August 2026 were face to face, against 63% across England.
What is Riverside Medical Centre's phone number?
01772 201010.