Beacon Primary Care, Skelmersdale: patient reviews and CQC rating
Beacon Primary Care is a GP practice in Skelmersdale with 16,521 registered patients (September 2026). In the 2026 GP Patient Survey, 65% of its patients described their overall experience as good, below the England figure of 77% (Lancashire and South Cumbria: 78%). The Care Quality Commission rates it Good overall, in a report published in November 2018. It has 6.2 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs, or 2,670 patients per GP.
Latest data: September 2026. Patient survey 2026; registered patients September 2026; appointments to August 2026.
What patients say about Beacon Primary Care
Its best result against England is the share who found it easy to contact the practice using the NHS App: 63%, against 54% across England. Its weakest is the share who said the wait for their last appointment was about right: 56%, below the England figure of 69%. Of the 11 results in the table, 0 are above England and 3 below by more than the survey's margin of error, and 8 within it.
On overall experience it is 6th of the 6 practices in Skelmersdale with 50 or more responses. 56% found it easy to get through by phone (England: 57%). The overall experience result is 10 points lower than in 2025 (75%). 117 patients answered the survey (response rate 23%).
| Survey question | Beacon Primary Care | Lancashire and South Cumbria | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overall experience good | 65% | 78% | 77% |
| Easy to contact by phone | 56% | 61% | 57% |
| Easy to contact via the website | 57% | 55% | 58% |
| Easy to contact via the NHS App | 63% | 57% | 54% |
| Reception team helpful | 87% | 86% | 85% |
| Last contact good | 72% | 74% | 73% |
| Wait for appointment about right | 56% | 70% | 69% |
| Listened to well | 79% | 88% | 87% |
| Treated with care and concern | 80% | 87% | 86% |
| Confidence and trust in the clinician | 91% | 93% | 93% |
| Needs met | 86% | 91% | 90% |
In the Friends and Family Test for July 2026, 88% of 586 responses rated the practice good or very good (England: 92%).
CQC's overall rating for Beacon Primary Care is Good, published in November 2018. All 5 key questions are rated Good. Its previous overall rating was Requires Improvement (July 2018).
| Key question | Rating |
|---|---|
| Safe | Good |
| Well-led | Good |
| Caring | Good |
| Responsive | Good |
| Effective | Good |
16,521 patients were registered at Beacon Primary Care in September 2026, down 0.9% on a year earlier (England: down 1.1%).
19% of its patients are aged 65 or over, against 19% across England. With 6.2 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs, there are 2,670 patients per GP, more than the England figure of 2,171 and Lancashire and South Cumbria's 2,288. The practice also has 7.6 nurses and 4.2 other clinical staff such as pharmacists and physiotherapists (full-time equivalent).
| Year | Qualified GPs (FTE) | All GPs incl. trainees (FTE) |
|---|---|---|
| August 2023 | 6.0 | 8.7 |
| August 2024 | 6.4 | 9.8 |
| August 2025 | 7.0 | 9.8 |
| August 2026 | 6.2 | 10.2 |
From June 2026 to August 2026 the practice recorded 14,041 appointments a month, or 850 per 1,000 registered patients (England: 510). 28% were face to face (England: 63%). 35% took place on the day they were booked and 4% more than 28 days after booking (England: 45% and 5%).
39% were with a GP rather than another member of the practice team. 3% of booked patients did not attend.
| Measure | Beacon Primary Care | Lancashire and South Cumbria | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Appointments per 1,000 patients a month | 850 | 471 | 510 |
| Face to face | 28% | 70% | 63% |
| Same day as booked | 35% | 42% | 45% |
| More than 28 days after booking | 4% | 6% | 5% |
| Did not attend | 3% | 5% | 4% |
Compared with England, the practice has a higher share of patients on its registers for depression (28.2% against 14.3%), dementia (1.2% against 0.8%) and COPD (2.8% against 1.9%). The practice's patients live in areas with an average deprivation score of 25.3 (England: 21.8; higher is more deprived). Life expectancy for its patients' neighbourhoods is 81.3 years for women and 76.9 for men (England: 83.0 and 79.1).
| Condition register | Age group | Practice (2024/25) | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Depression | 18+ yrs | 28.2% | 14.3% |
| High blood pressure | All ages | 16.9% | 15.2% |
| Diabetes | 17+ yrs | 7.8% | 7.9% |
| Asthma | 6+ yrs | 6.8% | 6.6% |
| Chronic kidney disease | 18+ yrs | 4.1% | 4.6% |
| Cancer | All ages | 3.8% | 3.8% |
| Coronary heart disease | All ages | 3.6% | 3.0% |
| COPD | All ages | 2.8% | 1.9% |
| Atrial fibrillation | All ages | 2.5% | 2.2% |
| Stroke and TIA | All ages | 2.3% | 1.9% |
| Heart failure | All ages | 1.5% | 1.1% |
| Serious mental illness | All ages | 1.4% | 1.0% |
| Osteoporosis | 50+ yrs | 1.2% | 1.2% |
| Dementia | All ages | 1.2% | 0.8% |
| Epilepsy | 18+ yrs | 0.9% | 0.8% |
| Rheumatoid arthritis | 16+ yrs | 0.8% | 0.8% |
| Peripheral arterial disease | All ages | 0.8% | 0.6% |
| Learning disability | All ages | 0.7% | 0.6% |
| Palliative care | All ages | 0.5% | 0.6% |
| Screening coverage | Period | Practice | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bowel cancer screening (aged 60 to 74) | 2024/25 | 67.2% | 72.9% |
| Breast cancer screening (women aged 53 to 70) | 2024/25 | 64.4% | 72.2% |
| Cervical screening (women aged 25 to 49) | 2023/24 | 73.6% | 67.5% |
| Cervical screening (women aged 50 to 64) | 2023/24 | 76.6% | 74.9% |
Beacon Primary Care, Sandy Lane Health Centre, Westgate, Skelmersdale, WN8 8LA. Phone: 01695 736066. Website: www.beaconprimarycare.org.uk.
| Nearby practice | Distance | Overall experience good |
|---|---|---|
| Dr A Bisarya | 0.0 km | 86% |
| Ashurst Primary Care | 2.7 km | 75% |
| Manor Primary Care | 2.8 km | 88% |
| Excel Primary Care | 3.4 km | 68% |
| Hall Green Surgery | 4.4 km | 95% |
- Ashurst Primary Care (75% overall experience good)
- Dr A Bisarya (86% overall experience good)
- Excel Primary Care (68% overall experience good)
- Hall Green Surgery (95% overall experience good)
- Manor Primary Care (88% overall experience good)
How do patients rate Beacon Primary Care?
In the 2026 GP Patient Survey, 65% of patients described their overall experience of Beacon Primary Care as good, below the England figure of 77%. 56% found it easy to get through by phone.
How many patients are registered at Beacon Primary Care?
16,521 patients were registered in September 2026, down 0.9% on a year earlier.
What is Beacon Primary Care's CQC rating?
Good overall, published in November 2018.
How many GPs does Beacon Primary Care have?
6.2 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs (8 qualified GPs by headcount), which is 2,670 patients per GP against 2,171 across England.
Are appointments at Beacon Primary Care face to face?
28% of appointments from June 2026 to August 2026 were face to face, against 63% across England.
What is Beacon Primary Care's phone number?
01695 736066.