Firsway Health Centre, Sale: patient reviews and CQC rating
Firsway Health Centre is a GP practice in Sale with 15,156 registered patients (September 2026). In the 2026 GP Patient Survey, 78% of its patients described their overall experience as good, against 77% across England (Greater Manchester: 79%). The Care Quality Commission rates it Good overall, in a report published in June 2016. It has 8.7 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs, or 1,749 patients per GP.
Latest data: September 2026. Patient survey 2026; registered patients September 2026; appointments to August 2026.
What patients say about Firsway Health Centre
Its best result against England is the share who found it easy to contact the practice using the NHS App: 66%, against 54% across England. Its weakest is the share who had confidence and trust in the healthcare professional they saw: 87%, below the England figure of 93%. Of the 11 results in the table, 0 are above England and 1 below by more than the survey's margin of error, and 10 within it.
On overall experience it is 5th of the 5 practices in Sale with 50 or more responses. 62% found it easy to get through by phone (England: 57%). The overall experience result is unchanged from 2025 (78%). 116 patients answered the survey (response rate 29%).
| Survey question | Firsway Health Centre | Greater Manchester | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overall experience good | 78% | 79% | 77% |
| Easy to contact by phone | 62% | 63% | 57% |
| Easy to contact via the website | 60% | 61% | 58% |
| Easy to contact via the NHS App | 66% | 58% | 54% |
| Reception team helpful | 87% | 86% | 85% |
| Last contact good | 80% | 76% | 73% |
| Wait for appointment about right | 67% | 71% | 69% |
| Listened to well | 90% | 88% | 87% |
| Treated with care and concern | 92% | 87% | 86% |
| Confidence and trust in the clinician | 87% | 93% | 93% |
| Needs met | 85% | 91% | 90% |
In the Friends and Family Test for July 2026, 95% of 755 responses rated the practice good or very good (England: 92%).
CQC's overall rating for Firsway Health Centre is Good, published in June 2016. All 5 key questions are rated Good. Its previous overall rating was Requires Improvement (March 2015).
| Key question | Rating |
|---|---|
| Safe | Good |
| Well-led | Good |
| Caring | Good |
| Responsive | Good |
| Effective | Good |
15,156 patients were registered at Firsway Health Centre in September 2026, down 0.7% on a year earlier (England: down 1.1%).
20% of its patients are aged 65 or over, against 19% across England. With 8.7 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs, there are 1,749 patients per GP, fewer than the England figure of 2,171 and Greater Manchester's 2,055. The practice also has 1.6 nurses and 2.4 other clinical staff such as pharmacists and physiotherapists (full-time equivalent).
| Year | Qualified GPs (FTE) | All GPs incl. trainees (FTE) |
|---|---|---|
| August 2023 | 9.0 | 16.6 |
| August 2024 | 6.3 | 14.3 |
| August 2025 | 6.0 | 12.4 |
| August 2026 | 8.7 | 16.2 |
From June 2026 to August 2026 the practice recorded 6,454 appointments a month, or 426 per 1,000 registered patients (England: 510). 65% were face to face (England: 63%). 30% took place on the day they were booked and 2% more than 28 days after booking (England: 45% and 5%).
58% were with a GP rather than another member of the practice team. 5% of booked patients did not attend.
| Measure | Firsway Health Centre | Greater Manchester | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Appointments per 1,000 patients a month | 426 | 445 | 510 |
| Face to face | 65% | 66% | 63% |
| Same day as booked | 30% | 44% | 45% |
| More than 28 days after booking | 2% | 5% | 5% |
| Did not attend | 5% | 6% | 4% |
Compared with England, the practice has a higher share of patients on its registers for osteoporosis (2.8% against 1.2%), chronic kidney disease (6.4% against 4.6%) and depression (18.6% against 14.3%). The practice's patients live in areas with an average deprivation score of 16.3 (England: 21.8; higher is more deprived). Life expectancy for its patients' neighbourhoods is 84.0 years for women and 79.4 for men (England: 83.0 and 79.1).
| Condition register | Age group | Practice (2024/25) | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| High blood pressure | All ages | 18.9% | 15.2% |
| Depression | 18+ yrs | 18.6% | 14.3% |
| Asthma | 6+ yrs | 8.1% | 6.6% |
| Diabetes | 17+ yrs | 7.3% | 7.9% |
| Chronic kidney disease | 18+ yrs | 6.4% | 4.6% |
| Cancer | All ages | 4.9% | 3.8% |
| Coronary heart disease | All ages | 3.8% | 3.0% |
| Osteoporosis | 50+ yrs | 2.8% | 1.2% |
| Atrial fibrillation | All ages | 2.8% | 2.2% |
| Stroke and TIA | All ages | 2.3% | 1.9% |
| COPD | All ages | 2.1% | 1.9% |
| Heart failure | All ages | 1.3% | 1.1% |
| Serious mental illness | All ages | 1.1% | 1.0% |
| Dementia | All ages | 0.8% | 0.8% |
| Rheumatoid arthritis | 16+ yrs | 0.8% | 0.8% |
| Epilepsy | 18+ yrs | 0.7% | 0.8% |
| Peripheral arterial disease | All ages | 0.7% | 0.6% |
| Palliative care | All ages | 0.5% | 0.6% |
| Learning disability | All ages | 0.4% | 0.6% |
| 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 | 73.9% | 72.2% |
| Cervical screening (women aged 25 to 49) | 2023/24 | 75.5% | 67.5% |
| Cervical screening (women aged 50 to 64) | 2023/24 | 78.2% | 74.9% |
Firsway Health Centre, 121 Firsway, Sale, M33 4BR. Phone: 0161 905 0310. Website: www.firswayhealthcentre.co.uk.
| Nearby practice | Distance | Overall experience good |
|---|---|---|
| Bodmin Road Health Centre | 0.8 km | 83% |
| Washway Road Medical Centre | 1.8 km | 87% |
| West Timperley Medical Centre | 2.1 km | 71% |
| Riddings Family Health Centre | 2.5 km | 96% |
| Dr Anoop Sahal | 2.9 km | 90% |
- Bodmin Road Health Centre (83% overall experience good)
- Boundary House Medical Centre (90% overall experience good)
- Conway Road Medical Practice (86% overall experience good)
- Washway Road Medical Centre (87% overall experience good)
How do patients rate Firsway Health Centre?
In the 2026 GP Patient Survey, 78% of patients described their overall experience of Firsway Health Centre as good, against 77% across England. 62% found it easy to get through by phone.
How many patients are registered at Firsway Health Centre?
15,156 patients were registered in September 2026, down 0.7% on a year earlier.
What is Firsway Health Centre's CQC rating?
Good overall, published in June 2016.
How many GPs does Firsway Health Centre have?
8.7 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs (16 qualified GPs by headcount), which is 1,749 patients per GP against 2,171 across England.
Are appointments at Firsway Health Centre face to face?
65% of appointments from June 2026 to August 2026 were face to face, against 63% across England.
What is Firsway Health Centre's phone number?
0161 905 0310.