Kenneth MacRae Medical Centre, St Helens: patient reviews and CQC rating
Kenneth MacRae Medical Centre is a GP practice in St Helens with 4,318 registered patients (September 2026). In the 2026 GP Patient Survey, 98% 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 March 2018. It has 2.9 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs, or 1,499 patients per GP.
Latest data: September 2026. Patient survey 2026; registered patients September 2026; appointments to August 2026.
What patients say about Kenneth MacRae Medical Centre
Its best result against England is the share who found it easy to get through to the practice by phone: 92%, above the England figure of 57%. Its result closest to England is the share who had confidence and trust in the healthcare professional they saw: 99%, above the England figure of 93%. Of the 11 results in the table, 11 are above England and 0 below by more than the survey's margin of error.
On overall experience it is 1st of the 22 practices in St Helens with 50 or more responses. 92% found it easy to get through by phone (England: 57%). The overall experience result is 2 points lower than in 2025 (100%). 114 patients answered the survey (response rate 40%).
| Survey question | Kenneth MacRae Medical Centre | Cheshire and Merseyside | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overall experience good | 98% | 78% | 77% |
| Easy to contact by phone | 92% | 57% | 57% |
| Easy to contact via the website | 92% | 55% | 58% |
| Easy to contact via the NHS App | 83% | 53% | 54% |
| Reception team helpful | 97% | 86% | 85% |
| Last contact good | 96% | 73% | 73% |
| Wait for appointment about right | 94% | 73% | 69% |
| Listened to well | 96% | 89% | 87% |
| Treated with care and concern | 98% | 87% | 86% |
| Confidence and trust in the clinician | 99% | 93% | 93% |
| Needs met | 98% | 91% | 90% |
In the Friends and Family Test for July 2026, 98% of 187 responses rated the practice good or very good (England: 92%).
CQC's overall rating for Kenneth MacRae Medical Centre is Good, published in March 2018. All 5 key questions are rated Good. It held the same rating in the report before (May 2015).
| Key question | Rating |
|---|---|
| Safe | Good |
| Well-led | Good |
| Caring | Good |
| Responsive | Good |
| Effective | Good |
4,318 patients were registered at Kenneth MacRae Medical Centre in September 2026, up 2.4% on a year earlier (England: down 1.1%).
28% of its patients are aged 65 or over, against 19% across England. With 2.9 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs, there are 1,499 patients per GP, fewer than the England figure of 2,171 and Cheshire and Merseyside's 1,971. The practice also has 0.8 nurses (full-time equivalent).
| Year | Qualified GPs (FTE) | All GPs incl. trainees (FTE) |
|---|---|---|
| August 2023 | 2.0 | 2.0 |
| August 2024 | 2.2 | 2.2 |
| August 2025 | 2.9 | 2.9 |
| August 2026 | 2.9 | 2.9 |
From June 2026 to August 2026 the practice recorded 1,480 appointments a month, or 343 per 1,000 registered patients (England: 510). 69% were face to face (England: 63%). 41% took place on the day they were booked and 3% more than 28 days after booking (England: 45% and 5%).
70% were with a GP rather than another member of the practice team. 2% of booked patients did not attend.
| Measure | Kenneth MacRae Medical Centre | Cheshire and Merseyside | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Appointments per 1,000 patients a month | 343 | 492 | 510 |
| Face to face | 69% | 60% | 63% |
| Same day as booked | 41% | 48% | 45% |
| More than 28 days after booking | 3% | 4% | 5% |
| Did not attend | 2% | 5% | 4% |
Compared with England, the practice has a higher share of patients on its registers for dementia (1.7% against 0.8%), atrial fibrillation (4.1% against 2.2%) and cancer (6.8% against 3.8%). The practice's patients live in areas with an average deprivation score of 12.6 (England: 21.8; higher is more deprived). Life expectancy for its patients' neighbourhoods is 83.8 years for women and 79.6 for men (England: 83.0 and 79.1).
| Condition register | Age group | Practice (2024/25) | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| High blood pressure | All ages | 22.2% | 15.2% |
| Depression | 18+ yrs | 19.4% | 14.3% |
| Asthma | 6+ yrs | 8.4% | 6.6% |
| Diabetes | 17+ yrs | 7.5% | 7.9% |
| Cancer | All ages | 6.8% | 3.8% |
| Chronic kidney disease | 18+ yrs | 5.2% | 4.6% |
| Coronary heart disease | All ages | 4.5% | 3.0% |
| Atrial fibrillation | All ages | 4.1% | 2.2% |
| Stroke and TIA | All ages | 3.0% | 1.9% |
| COPD | All ages | 2.2% | 1.9% |
| Dementia | All ages | 1.7% | 0.8% |
| Heart failure | All ages | 1.2% | 1.1% |
| Serious mental illness | All ages | 1.1% | 1.0% |
| Rheumatoid arthritis | 16+ yrs | 1.0% | 0.8% |
| Epilepsy | 18+ yrs | 1.0% | 0.8% |
| Palliative care | All ages | 0.9% | 0.6% |
| Peripheral arterial disease | All ages | 0.8% | 0.6% |
| Osteoporosis | 50+ yrs | 0.6% | 1.2% |
| Learning disability | All ages | 0.5% | 0.6% |
| Screening coverage | Period | Practice | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bowel cancer screening (aged 60 to 74) | 2024/25 | 79.0% | 72.9% |
| Breast cancer screening (women aged 53 to 70) | 2024/25 | 81.7% | 72.2% |
| Cervical screening (women aged 25 to 49) | 2023/24 | 78.3% | 67.5% |
| Cervical screening (women aged 50 to 64) | 2023/24 | 78.2% | 74.9% |
Kenneth MacRae Medical Centre, 32 Church Road, Rainford, St Helens, WA11 8HJ. Phone: 01744 882606.
| Nearby practice | Distance | Overall experience good |
|---|---|---|
| Rainford Health Centre | 0.4 km | 97% |
| Windermere Medical Centre | 4.6 km | 93% |
| Excel Primary Care | 4.7 km | 68% |
| Eccleston Medical Centre | 5.3 km | 88% |
| Phoenix Medical Centre | 5.4 km | 79% |
- Bethany Medical Centre (86% overall experience good)
- Billinge Medical Practice (93% overall experience good)
- Garswood Surgery (78% overall experience good)
- Rainford Health Centre (97% overall experience good)
- Windermere Medical Centre (93% overall experience good)
How do patients rate Kenneth MacRae Medical Centre?
In the 2026 GP Patient Survey, 98% of patients described their overall experience of Kenneth MacRae Medical Centre as good, above the England figure of 77%. 92% found it easy to get through by phone.
How many patients are registered at Kenneth MacRae Medical Centre?
4,318 patients were registered in September 2026, up 2.4% on a year earlier.
What is Kenneth MacRae Medical Centre's CQC rating?
Good overall, published in March 2018.
How many GPs does Kenneth MacRae Medical Centre have?
2.9 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs (4 qualified GPs by headcount), which is 1,499 patients per GP against 2,171 across England.
Are appointments at Kenneth MacRae Medical Centre face to face?
69% of appointments from June 2026 to August 2026 were face to face, against 63% across England.
What is Kenneth MacRae Medical Centre's phone number?
01744 882606.