The Medical Centre, Rochdale: patient reviews and CQC rating
The Medical Centre is a GP practice in Rochdale with 6,797 registered patients (September 2026). In the 2026 GP Patient Survey, 79% 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 May 2019. It has 2.1 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs, or 3,289 patients per GP.
Latest data: September 2026. Patient survey 2026; registered patients September 2026; appointments to August 2026.
What patients say about The Medical Centre
Its best result against England is the share who found the reception and administrative team helpful: 94%, above the England figure of 85%. Its weakest is the share who found it easy to contact the practice through its website: 29%, below the England figure of 58%. Of the 11 results in the table, 1 is above England and 3 below by more than the survey's margin of error, and 7 within it.
On overall experience it is 10th of the 20 practices in Rochdale with 50 or more responses. 45% found it easy to get through by phone (England: 57%). The overall experience result is 17 points higher than in 2025 (62%). 109 patients answered the survey (response rate 27%).
| Survey question | The Medical Centre | Lancashire and South Cumbria | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overall experience good | 79% | 78% | 77% |
| Easy to contact by phone | 45% | 61% | 57% |
| Easy to contact via the website | 29% | 55% | 58% |
| Easy to contact via the NHS App | 39% | 57% | 54% |
| Reception team helpful | 94% | 86% | 85% |
| Last contact good | 71% | 74% | 73% |
| Wait for appointment about right | 71% | 70% | 69% |
| Listened to well | 86% | 88% | 87% |
| Treated with care and concern | 88% | 87% | 86% |
| Confidence and trust in the clinician | 94% | 93% | 93% |
| Needs met | 89% | 91% | 90% |
In the Friends and Family Test for July 2026, 88% of 249 responses rated the practice good or very good (England: 92%).
CQC's overall rating for The Medical Centre is Good, published in May 2019. All 5 key questions are rated Good. It held the same rating in the report before (January 2016).
| Key question | Rating |
|---|---|
| Safe | Good |
| Well-led | Good |
| Caring | Good |
| Responsive | Good |
| Effective | Good |
6,797 patients were registered at The Medical Centre in September 2026, down 2.5% on a year earlier (England: down 1.1%).
21% of its patients are aged 65 or over, against 19% across England. With 2.1 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs, there are 3,289 patients per GP, more than the England figure of 2,171 and Lancashire and South Cumbria's 2,288. The practice also has 2.0 nurses and 0.8 other clinical staff such as pharmacists and physiotherapists (full-time equivalent).
| Year | Qualified GPs (FTE) | All GPs incl. trainees (FTE) |
|---|---|---|
| August 2023 | 3.9 | 3.9 |
| August 2024 | 2.1 | 2.1 |
| August 2025 | 2.1 | 2.1 |
| August 2026 | 2.1 | 4.0 |
From June 2026 to August 2026 the practice recorded 4,784 appointments a month, or 704 per 1,000 registered patients (England: 510). 47% were face to face (England: 63%). 54% took place on the day they were booked and 2% more than 28 days after booking (England: 45% and 5%).
67% were with a GP rather than another member of the practice team. 5% of booked patients did not attend.
| Measure | The Medical Centre | Lancashire and South Cumbria | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Appointments per 1,000 patients a month | 704 | 471 | 510 |
| Face to face | 47% | 70% | 63% |
| Same day as booked | 54% | 42% | 45% |
| More than 28 days after booking | 2% | 6% | 5% |
| Did not attend | 5% | 5% | 4% |
Compared with England, the practice has a higher share of patients on its registers for peripheral arterial disease (1.1% against 0.6%), COPD (2.8% against 1.9%) and depression (20.2% against 14.3%). The practice's patients live in areas with an average deprivation score of 26.4 (England: 21.8; higher is more deprived). Life expectancy for its patients' neighbourhoods is 83.2 years for women and 78.4 for men (England: 83.0 and 79.1).
| Condition register | Age group | Practice (2024/25) | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Depression | 18+ yrs | 20.2% | 14.3% |
| High blood pressure | All ages | 17.3% | 15.2% |
| Asthma | 6+ yrs | 8.7% | 6.6% |
| Diabetes | 17+ yrs | 8.0% | 7.9% |
| Chronic kidney disease | 18+ yrs | 5.7% | 4.6% |
| Cancer | All ages | 4.7% | 3.8% |
| Coronary heart disease | All ages | 3.9% | 3.0% |
| COPD | All ages | 2.8% | 1.9% |
| Atrial fibrillation | All ages | 2.4% | 2.2% |
| Stroke and TIA | All ages | 2.0% | 1.9% |
| Peripheral arterial disease | All ages | 1.1% | 0.6% |
| Epilepsy | 18+ yrs | 1.0% | 0.8% |
| Serious mental illness | All ages | 0.9% | 1.0% |
| Rheumatoid arthritis | 16+ yrs | 0.9% | 0.8% |
| Heart failure | All ages | 0.8% | 1.1% |
| Dementia | All ages | 0.7% | 0.8% |
| Palliative care | All ages | 0.7% | 0.6% |
| Osteoporosis | 50+ yrs | 0.6% | 1.2% |
| Learning disability | All ages | 0.5% | 0.6% |
| Screening coverage | Period | Practice | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bowel cancer screening (aged 60 to 74) | 2024/25 | 69.5% | 72.9% |
| Breast cancer screening (women aged 53 to 70) | 2024/25 | 71.3% | 72.2% |
| Cervical screening (women aged 25 to 49) | 2023/24 | 69.1% | 67.5% |
| Cervical screening (women aged 50 to 64) | 2023/24 | 72.0% | 74.9% |
The Medical Centre, Market Street, Whitworth, Rochdale, OL12 8QS. Phone: 01706 852238. Website: www.whitworthmedicalcentre.nhs.uk.
| Nearby practice | Distance | Overall experience good |
|---|---|---|
| Healey Surgery | 3.2 km | 73% |
| Edenfield Road Surgery | 4.4 km | 76% |
| Mark Street Surgery | 4.5 km | 76% |
| Irwell Medical Practice | 4.6 km | 80% |
| Ashworth Street Surgery | 4.7 km | 84% |
- Irwell Medical Practice (80% overall experience good)
- Waterfoot Medical Practice (81% overall experience good)
How do patients rate The Medical Centre?
In the 2026 GP Patient Survey, 79% of patients described their overall experience of The Medical Centre as good, against 77% across England. 45% found it easy to get through by phone.
How many patients are registered at The Medical Centre?
6,797 patients were registered in September 2026, down 2.5% on a year earlier.
What is The Medical Centre's CQC rating?
Good overall, published in May 2019.
How many GPs does The Medical Centre have?
2.1 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs (3 qualified GPs by headcount), which is 3,289 patients per GP against 2,171 across England.
Are appointments at The Medical Centre face to face?
47% of appointments from June 2026 to August 2026 were face to face, against 63% across England.
What is The Medical Centre's phone number?
01706 852238.