Rainbow Medical Centre, St Helens: patient reviews and CQC rating
Rainbow Medical Centre is a GP practice in St Helens with 14,907 registered patients (September 2026). In the 2026 GP Patient Survey, 79% 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 2022. It has 7.9 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs, or 1,876 patients per GP.
Latest data: September 2026. Patient survey 2026; registered patients September 2026; appointments to August 2026.
What patients say about Rainbow Medical Centre
Its best result against England is the share who found it easy to contact the practice through its website: 66%, against 58% across England. Its weakest is the share who found the reception and administrative team helpful: 78%, below the England figure of 85%. 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 14th of the 22 practices in St Helens with 50 or more responses. 53% found it easy to get through by phone (England: 57%). The overall experience result is 16 points higher than in 2025 (63%). 120 patients answered the survey (response rate 26%).
| Survey question | Rainbow Medical Centre | Cheshire and Merseyside | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overall experience good | 79% | 78% | 77% |
| Easy to contact by phone | 53% | 57% | 57% |
| Easy to contact via the website | 66% | 55% | 58% |
| Easy to contact via the NHS App | 54% | 53% | 54% |
| Reception team helpful | 78% | 86% | 85% |
| Last contact good | 71% | 73% | 73% |
| Wait for appointment about right | 69% | 73% | 69% |
| Listened to well | 89% | 89% | 87% |
| Treated with care and concern | 88% | 87% | 86% |
| Confidence and trust in the clinician | 94% | 93% | 93% |
| Needs met | 93% | 91% | 90% |
In the Friends and Family Test for July 2026, 78% of 239 responses rated the practice good or very good (England: 92%).
CQC's overall rating for Rainbow Medical Centre is Good, published in November 2022. All 5 key questions are rated Good. It held the same rating in the report before (August 2019).
| Key question | Rating |
|---|---|
| Safe | Good |
| Well-led | Good |
| Caring | Good |
| Responsive | Good |
| Effective | Good |
14,907 patients were registered at Rainbow Medical Centre in September 2026, up 1.0% on a year earlier (England: down 1.1%).
17% of its patients are aged 65 or over, against 19% across England. With 7.9 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs, there are 1,876 patients per GP, fewer than the England figure of 2,171 and Cheshire and Merseyside's 1,971. The practice also has 6.2 nurses and 2.1 other clinical staff such as pharmacists and physiotherapists (full-time equivalent).
| Year | Qualified GPs (FTE) | All GPs incl. trainees (FTE) |
|---|---|---|
| August 2023 | 7.9 | 9.6 |
| August 2024 | 7.2 | 8.9 |
| August 2025 | 7.2 | 11.0 |
| August 2026 | 7.9 | 10.5 |
From June 2026 to August 2026 the practice recorded 4,680 appointments a month, or 314 per 1,000 registered patients (England: 510). 58% were face to face (England: 63%). 38% took place on the day they were booked and 1% more than 28 days after booking (England: 45% and 5%).
55% were with a GP rather than another member of the practice team. 7% of booked patients did not attend.
| Measure | Rainbow Medical Centre | Cheshire and Merseyside | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Appointments per 1,000 patients a month | 314 | 492 | 510 |
| Face to face | 58% | 60% | 63% |
| Same day as booked | 38% | 48% | 45% |
| More than 28 days after booking | 1% | 4% | 5% |
| Did not attend | 7% | 5% | 4% |
Compared with England, the practice has a higher share of patients on its registers for COPD (2.6% against 1.9%), asthma (8.7% against 6.6%) and depression (18.4% against 14.3%). It has a lower share for osteoporosis (0.4% against 1.2%). The practice's patients live in areas with an average deprivation score of 33.6 (England: 21.8; higher is more deprived).
Life expectancy for its patients' neighbourhoods is 79.7 years for women and 76.0 for men (England: 83.0 and 79.1).
| Condition register | Age group | Practice (2024/25) | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Depression | 18+ yrs | 18.4% | 14.3% |
| High blood pressure | All ages | 18.1% | 15.2% |
| Diabetes | 17+ yrs | 8.9% | 7.9% |
| Asthma | 6+ yrs | 8.7% | 6.6% |
| Chronic kidney disease | 18+ yrs | 4.3% | 4.6% |
| Cancer | All ages | 3.9% | 3.8% |
| Coronary heart disease | All ages | 3.4% | 3.0% |
| COPD | All ages | 2.6% | 1.9% |
| Atrial fibrillation | All ages | 2.4% | 2.2% |
| Stroke and TIA | All ages | 1.8% | 1.9% |
| Heart failure | All ages | 1.3% | 1.1% |
| Epilepsy | 18+ yrs | 1.0% | 0.8% |
| Serious mental illness | All ages | 0.9% | 1.0% |
| Dementia | All ages | 0.9% | 0.8% |
| Learning disability | All ages | 0.7% | 0.6% |
| Rheumatoid arthritis | 16+ yrs | 0.7% | 0.8% |
| Peripheral arterial disease | All ages | 0.6% | 0.6% |
| Palliative care | All ages | 0.5% | 0.6% |
| Osteoporosis | 50+ yrs | 0.4% | 1.2% |
| Screening coverage | Period | Practice | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bowel cancer screening (aged 60 to 74) | 2024/25 | 68.3% | 72.9% |
| Breast cancer screening (women aged 53 to 70) | 2024/25 | 73.8% | 72.2% |
| Cervical screening (women aged 25 to 49) | 2023/24 | 66.9% | 67.5% |
| Cervical screening (women aged 50 to 64) | 2023/24 | 69.6% | 74.9% |
Rainbow Medical Centre, 333 Robins Lane, Sutton, St Helens, WA9 3PN. Phone: 01744 811211. Website: www.rainbowmedicalcentres.co.uk.
| Nearby practice | Distance | Overall experience good |
|---|---|---|
| Marshalls Cross Medical Centre | 1.0 km | 78% |
| Berrymead Medical Centre | 1.1 km | 75% |
| Four Acre Health Centre | 2.2 km | 70% |
| Atlas Medical Practice | 2.4 km | 65% |
| Hall Street Medical Centre | 2.6 km | 95% |
- Atlas Medical Practice (65% overall experience good)
- Berrymead Medical Centre (75% overall experience good)
- Bowery Medical Centre (67% overall experience good)
- Eccleston Medical Centre (88% overall experience good)
- Four Acre Health Centre (70% overall experience good)
- Longton Medical Centre (82% overall experience good)
- Mill Street Medical Centre (87% overall experience good)
- Rainhill Village Surgery (90% overall experience good)
- The Spinney Medical Centre (80% overall experience good)
How do patients rate Rainbow Medical Centre?
In the 2026 GP Patient Survey, 79% of patients described their overall experience of Rainbow Medical Centre as good, against 77% across England. 53% found it easy to get through by phone.
How many patients are registered at Rainbow Medical Centre?
14,907 patients were registered in September 2026, up 1.0% on a year earlier.
What is Rainbow Medical Centre's CQC rating?
Good overall, published in November 2022.
How many GPs does Rainbow Medical Centre have?
7.9 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs (12 qualified GPs by headcount), which is 1,876 patients per GP against 2,171 across England.
Are appointments at Rainbow Medical Centre face to face?
58% of appointments from June 2026 to August 2026 were face to face, against 63% across England.
What is Rainbow Medical Centre's phone number?
01744 811211.