Central Surgery, St Helens: patient reviews and CQC rating
Central Surgery is a GP practice in St Helens with 6,559 registered patients (September 2026). In the 2026 GP Patient Survey, 78% of its patients described their overall experience as good, against 77% across England (Cheshire and Merseyside: 78%). The Care Quality Commission rates it Good overall, in a report published in November 2016. It has 3.2 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs, or 2,047 patients per GP.
Latest data: September 2026. Patient survey 2026; registered patients September 2026; appointments to August 2026.
What patients say about Central Surgery
Its best result against England is the share who found it easy to get through to the practice by phone: 71%, above the England figure of 57%. Its weakest is the share who found it easy to contact the practice through its website: 49%, against 58% across England. Of the 11 results in the table, 1 is above England and 0 below by more than the survey's margin of error, and 10 within it.
On overall experience it is 17th of the 22 practices in St Helens with 50 or more responses. 71% found it easy to get through by phone (England: 57%). The overall experience result is unchanged from 2025 (78%). 109 patients answered the survey (response rate 28%).
| Survey question | Central Surgery | Cheshire and Merseyside | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overall experience good | 78% | 78% | 77% |
| Easy to contact by phone | 71% | 57% | 57% |
| Easy to contact via the website | 49% | 55% | 58% |
| Easy to contact via the NHS App | 67% | 53% | 54% |
| Reception team helpful | 85% | 86% | 85% |
| Last contact good | 74% | 73% | 73% |
| Wait for appointment about right | 69% | 73% | 69% |
| Listened to well | 88% | 89% | 87% |
| Treated with care and concern | 89% | 87% | 86% |
| Confidence and trust in the clinician | 91% | 93% | 93% |
| Needs met | 89% | 91% | 90% |
CQC's overall rating for Central Surgery is Good, published in November 2016. All 5 key questions are rated Good.
| Key question | Rating |
|---|---|
| Safe | Good |
| Well-led | Good |
| Caring | Good |
| Responsive | Good |
| Effective | Good |
6,559 patients were registered at Central Surgery in September 2026, almost the same as a year earlier.
24% of its patients are aged 65 or over, against 19% across England. With 3.2 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs, there are 2,047 patients per GP, close to the England figure of 2,171 and Cheshire and Merseyside's 1,971. The practice also has 1.0 nurses (full-time equivalent).
| Year | Qualified GPs (FTE) | All GPs incl. trainees (FTE) |
|---|---|---|
| August 2023 | 1.6 | 2.7 |
| August 2024 | 1.5 | 2.5 |
| August 2025 | 3.2 | 3.2 |
| August 2026 | 3.2 | 3.2 |
From June 2026 to August 2026 the practice recorded 2,633 appointments a month, or 401 per 1,000 registered patients (England: 510). 59% were face to face (England: 63%). 37% took place on the day they were booked and 8% more than 28 days after booking (England: 45% and 5%).
60% were with a GP rather than another member of the practice team. 5% of booked patients did not attend.
| Measure | Central Surgery | Cheshire and Merseyside | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Appointments per 1,000 patients a month | 401 | 492 | 510 |
| Face to face | 59% | 60% | 63% |
| Same day as booked | 37% | 48% | 45% |
| More than 28 days after booking | 8% | 4% | 5% |
| Did not attend | 5% | 5% | 4% |
Compared with England, the practice has a higher share of patients on its registers for COPD (3.2% against 1.9%), coronary heart disease (4.8% against 3.0%) and asthma (10.4% against 6.6%). It has a lower share for osteoporosis (0.5% against 1.2%) and chronic kidney disease (2.6% against 4.6%). The practice's patients live in areas with an average deprivation score of 30.7 (England: 21.8; higher is more deprived).
Life expectancy for its patients' neighbourhoods is 81.5 years for women and 76.8 for men (England: 83.0 and 79.1).
| Condition register | Age group | Practice (2024/25) | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Depression | 18+ yrs | 21.6% | 14.3% |
| High blood pressure | All ages | 18.4% | 15.2% |
| Asthma | 6+ yrs | 10.4% | 6.6% |
| Diabetes | 17+ yrs | 7.8% | 7.9% |
| Cancer | All ages | 5.2% | 3.8% |
| Coronary heart disease | All ages | 4.8% | 3.0% |
| Atrial fibrillation | All ages | 3.4% | 2.2% |
| COPD | All ages | 3.2% | 1.9% |
| Chronic kidney disease | 18+ yrs | 2.6% | 4.6% |
| Stroke and TIA | All ages | 2.0% | 1.9% |
| Heart failure | All ages | 1.6% | 1.1% |
| Serious mental illness | All ages | 1.2% | 1.0% |
| Epilepsy | 18+ yrs | 1.1% | 0.8% |
| Dementia | All ages | 1.0% | 0.8% |
| Peripheral arterial disease | All ages | 0.8% | 0.6% |
| Palliative care | All ages | 0.7% | 0.6% |
| Rheumatoid arthritis | 16+ yrs | 0.6% | 0.8% |
| Learning disability | All ages | 0.5% | 0.6% |
| Osteoporosis | 50+ yrs | 0.5% | 1.2% |
| Screening coverage | Period | Practice | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bowel cancer screening (aged 60 to 74) | 2024/25 | 72.3% | 72.9% |
| Breast cancer screening (women aged 53 to 70) | 2024/25 | 75.0% | 72.2% |
| Cervical screening (women aged 25 to 49) | 2023/24 | 69.8% | 67.5% |
| Cervical screening (women aged 50 to 64) | 2023/24 | 72.5% | 74.9% |
Central Surgery, 103 Crab Street, St Helens, WA10 2DJ. Phone: 01744 627660. Website: www.centralsurgerysthelens.co.uk.
| Nearby practice | Distance | Overall experience good |
|---|---|---|
| Ormskirk House Surgery | 0.0 km | 88% |
| Dr Momosir Ali | 0.0 km | 93% |
| Newholme Surgery | 0.0 km | 84% |
| Mill Street Medical Centre | 0.2 km | 87% |
| Phoenix Medical Centre | 0.2 km | 79% |
- Dr Khalid Laghari (91% overall experience good)
- Dr Momosir Ali (93% overall experience good)
- Hall Street Medical Centre (95% overall experience good)
- Marshalls Cross Medical Centre (78% overall experience good)
- Newholme Surgery (84% overall experience good)
- Ormskirk House Surgery (88% overall experience good)
- Phoenix Medical Centre (79% overall experience good)
How do patients rate Central Surgery?
In the 2026 GP Patient Survey, 78% of patients described their overall experience of Central Surgery as good, against 77% across England. 71% found it easy to get through by phone.
How many patients are registered at Central Surgery?
6,559 patients were registered in September 2026, down 0.3% on a year earlier.
What is Central Surgery's CQC rating?
Good overall, published in November 2016.
How many GPs does Central Surgery have?
3.2 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs (5 qualified GPs by headcount), which is 2,047 patients per GP against 2,171 across England.
Are appointments at Central Surgery face to face?
59% of appointments from June 2026 to August 2026 were face to face, against 63% across England.
What is Central Surgery's phone number?
01744 627660.