Ashfields Primary Care Centre, Sandbach: patient reviews and CQC rating
Ashfields Primary Care Centre is a GP practice in Sandbach with 28,436 registered patients (September 2026). In the 2026 GP Patient Survey, 87% of its patients described their overall experience as good, above the England figure of 77% (Cheshire and Merseyside: 78%). The Care Quality Commission rates it Good overall, in a report published in June 2016. It has 16.0 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs, or 1,777 patients per GP.
Latest data: September 2026. Patient survey 2026; registered patients September 2026; appointments to August 2026.
What patients say about Ashfields Primary Care Centre
Its best result against England is the share who described their last contact with the practice as good: 83%, above the England figure of 73%. Its weakest is the share who found it easy to contact the practice through its website: 51%, against 58% across England. Of the 11 results in the table, 7 are above England and 0 below by more than the survey's margin of error, and 4 within it.
66% found it easy to get through by phone (England: 57%). The overall experience result is 1 point higher than in 2025 (86%). 149 patients answered the survey (response rate 37%).
| Survey question | Ashfields Primary Care Centre | Cheshire and Merseyside | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overall experience good | 87% | 78% | 77% |
| Easy to contact by phone | 66% | 57% | 57% |
| Easy to contact via the website | 51% | 55% | 58% |
| Easy to contact via the NHS App | 50% | 53% | 54% |
| Reception team helpful | 95% | 86% | 85% |
| Last contact good | 83% | 73% | 73% |
| Wait for appointment about right | 76% | 73% | 69% |
| Listened to well | 95% | 89% | 87% |
| Treated with care and concern | 94% | 87% | 86% |
| Confidence and trust in the clinician | 96% | 93% | 93% |
| Needs met | 97% | 91% | 90% |
In the Friends and Family Test for July 2026, 92% of 1,075 responses rated the practice good or very good (England: 92%).
CQC's overall rating for Ashfields Primary Care Centre is Good, published in June 2016. One key question is rated differently: Responsive Outstanding.
| Key question | Rating |
|---|---|
| Safe | Good |
| Well-led | Good |
| Caring | Good |
| Responsive | Outstanding |
| Effective | Good |
28,436 patients were registered at Ashfields Primary Care Centre in September 2026, down 1.1% on a year earlier (England: down 1.1%).
22% of its patients are aged 65 or over, against 19% across England. With 16.0 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs, there are 1,777 patients per GP, fewer than the England figure of 2,171 and Cheshire and Merseyside's 1,971. The practice also has 8.8 nurses and 11.4 other clinical staff such as pharmacists and physiotherapists (full-time equivalent).
| Year | Qualified GPs (FTE) | All GPs incl. trainees (FTE) |
|---|---|---|
| August 2023 | 11.2 | 15.3 |
| August 2024 | 11.2 | 16.5 |
| August 2025 | 11.2 | 15.7 |
| August 2026 | 16.0 | 20.2 |
From June 2026 to August 2026 the practice recorded 11,960 appointments a month, or 421 per 1,000 registered patients (England: 510). 78% were face to face (England: 63%). 34% took place on the day they were booked and 9% more than 28 days after booking (England: 45% and 5%).
48% were with a GP rather than another member of the practice team. 4% of booked patients did not attend.
| Measure | Ashfields Primary Care Centre | Cheshire and Merseyside | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Appointments per 1,000 patients a month | 421 | 492 | 510 |
| Face to face | 78% | 60% | 63% |
| Same day as booked | 34% | 48% | 45% |
| More than 28 days after booking | 9% | 4% | 5% |
| Did not attend | 4% | 5% | 4% |
Compared with England, the practice has a higher share of patients on its registers for heart failure (1.8% against 1.1%), depression (19.1% against 14.3%) and osteoporosis (1.6% against 1.2%). It has a lower share for a learning disability (0.4% against 0.6%) and palliative or supportive care needs (0.4% against 0.6%). The practice's patients live in areas with an average deprivation score of 10.3 (England: 21.8; higher is more deprived).
Life expectancy for its patients' neighbourhoods is 84.3 years for women and 80.7 for men (England: 83.0 and 79.1).
| Condition register | Age group | Practice (2024/25) | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Depression | 18+ yrs | 19.1% | 14.3% |
| High blood pressure | All ages | 16.5% | 15.2% |
| Diabetes | 17+ yrs | 7.4% | 7.9% |
| Asthma | 6+ yrs | 7.0% | 6.6% |
| Cancer | All ages | 4.8% | 3.8% |
| Chronic kidney disease | 18+ yrs | 4.0% | 4.6% |
| Coronary heart disease | All ages | 3.4% | 3.0% |
| Atrial fibrillation | All ages | 2.8% | 2.2% |
| Stroke and TIA | All ages | 2.3% | 1.9% |
| COPD | All ages | 1.8% | 1.9% |
| Heart failure | All ages | 1.8% | 1.1% |
| Osteoporosis | 50+ yrs | 1.6% | 1.2% |
| Serious mental illness | All ages | 1.0% | 1.0% |
| Rheumatoid arthritis | 16+ yrs | 0.9% | 0.8% |
| Epilepsy | 18+ yrs | 0.9% | 0.8% |
| Dementia | All ages | 0.8% | 0.8% |
| Peripheral arterial disease | All ages | 0.5% | 0.6% |
| Palliative care | All ages | 0.4% | 0.6% |
| Learning disability | All ages | 0.4% | 0.6% |
| Screening coverage | Period | Practice | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bowel cancer screening (aged 60 to 74) | 2024/25 | 75.9% | 72.9% |
| Breast cancer screening (women aged 53 to 70) | 2024/25 | 79.9% | 72.2% |
| Cervical screening (women aged 25 to 49) | 2023/24 | 79.3% | 67.5% |
| Cervical screening (women aged 50 to 64) | 2023/24 | 80.7% | 74.9% |
Ashfields Primary Care Centre, Middlewich Road, Sandbach, CW11 1EQ. Phone: 01270 446560. Website: www.sandbachgps.nhs.uk.
| Nearby practice | Distance | Overall experience good |
|---|---|---|
| Drs King, Hill and Entwistle | 5.5 km | 72% |
| The Health Centre - Holmes Chapel | 6.2 km | 88% |
| Doctors Hardy, Hughes, Harvey and Roberts | 6.5 km | 57% |
| The Cedars Medical Centre | 7.2 km | 90% |
| Merepark Medical Centre | 7.2 km | 81% |
- Drs King, Hill and Entwistle (72% overall experience good)
- Greenmoss Medical Centre (85% overall experience good)
- Merepark Medical Centre (81% overall experience good)
- Oaklands (85% overall experience good)
- The Cedars Medical Centre (90% overall experience good)
- Waters Edge Medical Centre (78% overall experience good)
How do patients rate Ashfields Primary Care Centre?
In the 2026 GP Patient Survey, 87% of patients described their overall experience of Ashfields Primary Care Centre as good, above the England figure of 77%. 66% found it easy to get through by phone.
How many patients are registered at Ashfields Primary Care Centre?
28,436 patients were registered in September 2026, down 1.1% on a year earlier.
What is Ashfields Primary Care Centre's CQC rating?
Good overall, published in June 2016.
How many GPs does Ashfields Primary Care Centre have?
16.0 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs (20 qualified GPs by headcount), which is 1,777 patients per GP against 2,171 across England.
Are appointments at Ashfields Primary Care Centre face to face?
78% of appointments from June 2026 to August 2026 were face to face, against 63% across England.
What is Ashfields Primary Care Centre's phone number?
01270 446560.