Tower House Practice, Runcorn: patient reviews and CQC rating
Tower House Practice is a GP practice in Runcorn with 12,475 registered patients (September 2026). In the 2026 GP Patient Survey, 66% of its patients described their overall experience as good, below the England figure of 77% (Cheshire and Merseyside: 78%). The Care Quality Commission rates it Good overall, in a report published in November 2018. It has 5.1 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs, or 2,437 patients per GP.
Latest data: September 2026. Patient survey 2026; registered patients September 2026; appointments to August 2026.
What patients say about Tower House Practice
Its best result against England is the share who had confidence and trust in the healthcare professional they saw: 97%, against 93% across England. Its weakest is the share who found it easy to contact the practice through its website: 36%, below the England figure of 58%. Of the 11 results in the table, 0 are above England and 4 below by more than the survey's margin of error, and 7 within it.
On overall experience it is 5th of the 6 practices in Runcorn with 50 or more responses. 45% found it easy to get through by phone (England: 57%). The overall experience result is 11 points lower than in 2025 (77%). 109 patients answered the survey (response rate 24%).
| Survey question | Tower House Practice | Cheshire and Merseyside | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overall experience good | 66% | 78% | 77% |
| Easy to contact by phone | 45% | 57% | 57% |
| Easy to contact via the website | 36% | 55% | 58% |
| Easy to contact via the NHS App | 55% | 53% | 54% |
| Reception team helpful | 88% | 86% | 85% |
| Last contact good | 71% | 73% | 73% |
| Wait for appointment about right | 58% | 73% | 69% |
| Listened to well | 89% | 89% | 87% |
| Treated with care and concern | 89% | 87% | 86% |
| Confidence and trust in the clinician | 97% | 93% | 93% |
| Needs met | 88% | 91% | 90% |
In the Friends and Family Test for July 2026, 94% of 192 responses rated the practice good or very good (England: 92%).
CQC's overall rating for Tower House Practice is Good, published in November 2018. All 5 key questions are rated Good. It held the same rating in the report before (June 2017).
| Key question | Rating |
|---|---|
| Safe | Good |
| Well-led | Good |
| Caring | Good |
| Responsive | Good |
| Effective | Good |
12,475 patients were registered at Tower House Practice in September 2026, down 4.0% on a year earlier (England: down 1.1%).
23% of its patients are aged 65 or over, against 19% across England. With 5.1 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs, there are 2,437 patients per GP, more than the England figure of 2,171 and Cheshire and Merseyside's 1,971. The practice also has 2.4 nurses and 2.6 other clinical staff such as pharmacists and physiotherapists (full-time equivalent).
| Year | Qualified GPs (FTE) | All GPs incl. trainees (FTE) |
|---|---|---|
| August 2023 | 4.6 | 6.5 |
| August 2024 | 4.6 | 6.5 |
| August 2025 | 4.6 | 5.2 |
| August 2026 | 5.1 | 6.6 |
From June 2026 to August 2026 the practice recorded 5,952 appointments a month, or 477 per 1,000 registered patients (England: 510). 83% were face to face (England: 63%). 62% took place on the day they were booked and 5% more than 28 days after booking (England: 45% and 5%).
38% were with a GP rather than another member of the practice team. 2% of booked patients did not attend.
| Measure | Tower House Practice | Cheshire and Merseyside | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Appointments per 1,000 patients a month | 477 | 492 | 510 |
| Face to face | 83% | 60% | 63% |
| Same day as booked | 62% | 48% | 45% |
| More than 28 days after booking | 5% | 4% | 5% |
| Did not attend | 2% | 5% | 4% |
Compared with England, the practice has a higher share of patients on its registers for palliative or supportive care needs (1.9% against 0.6%), depression (26.0% against 14.3%) and peripheral arterial disease (1.0% against 0.6%). It has a lower share for osteoporosis (0.6% against 1.2%) and chronic kidney disease (3.2% against 4.6%). The practice's patients live in areas with an average deprivation score of 29.8 (England: 21.8; higher is more deprived).
Life expectancy for its patients' neighbourhoods is 81.6 years for women and 77.1 for men (England: 83.0 and 79.1).
| Condition register | Age group | Practice (2024/25) | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Depression | 18+ yrs | 26.0% | 14.3% |
| High blood pressure | All ages | 17.6% | 15.2% |
| Diabetes | 17+ yrs | 9.0% | 7.9% |
| Asthma | 6+ yrs | 7.9% | 6.6% |
| Cancer | All ages | 4.7% | 3.8% |
| Coronary heart disease | All ages | 4.3% | 3.0% |
| Chronic kidney disease | 18+ yrs | 3.2% | 4.6% |
| Atrial fibrillation | All ages | 2.8% | 2.2% |
| COPD | All ages | 2.6% | 1.9% |
| Stroke and TIA | All ages | 2.3% | 1.9% |
| Palliative care | All ages | 1.9% | 0.6% |
| Rheumatoid arthritis | 16+ yrs | 1.2% | 0.8% |
| Epilepsy | 18+ yrs | 1.0% | 0.8% |
| Peripheral arterial disease | All ages | 1.0% | 0.6% |
| Heart failure | All ages | 0.9% | 1.1% |
| Serious mental illness | All ages | 0.8% | 1.0% |
| Dementia | All ages | 0.8% | 0.8% |
| Learning disability | All ages | 0.6% | 0.6% |
| Osteoporosis | 50+ yrs | 0.6% | 1.2% |
| Screening coverage | Period | Practice | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bowel cancer screening (aged 60 to 74) | 2024/25 | 74.5% | 72.9% |
| Breast cancer screening (women aged 53 to 70) | 2024/25 | 74.9% | 72.2% |
| Cervical screening (women aged 25 to 49) | 2023/24 | 69.8% | 67.5% |
| Cervical screening (women aged 50 to 64) | 2023/24 | 71.8% | 74.9% |
Tower House Practice, St Paul's Health Centre, High Street, Runcorn, WA7 1AB. Phone: 01928 567404. Website: www.towerhousepractice.co.uk.
| Nearby practice | Distance | Overall experience good |
|---|---|---|
| Grove House Practice | 0.0 km | 72% |
| Newtown Surgery | 2.3 km | 65% |
| Oaks Place surgery | 2.3 km | 72% |
| Castlefields Health Centre | 2.7 km | 83% |
| Weaver Vale Practice | 2.9 km | 67% |
- Brookvale Practice (79% overall experience good)
- Castlefields Health Centre (83% overall experience good)
- Grove House Practice (72% overall experience good)
- Murdishaw Health Centre (59% overall experience good)
- Weaver Vale Practice (67% overall experience good)
How do patients rate Tower House Practice?
In the 2026 GP Patient Survey, 66% of patients described their overall experience of Tower House Practice as good, below the England figure of 77%. 45% found it easy to get through by phone.
How many patients are registered at Tower House Practice?
12,475 patients were registered in September 2026, down 4.0% on a year earlier.
What is Tower House Practice's CQC rating?
Good overall, published in November 2018.
How many GPs does Tower House Practice have?
5.1 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs (6 qualified GPs by headcount), which is 2,437 patients per GP against 2,171 across England.
Are appointments at Tower House Practice face to face?
83% of appointments from June 2026 to August 2026 were face to face, against 63% across England.
What is Tower House Practice's phone number?
01928 567404.