Windermere Medical Centre, St. Helens: patient reviews and CQC rating
Windermere Medical Centre is a GP practice in St. Helens with 3,902 registered patients (September 2026). In the 2026 GP Patient Survey, 93% 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 December 2022. It has 0.8 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs, or 5,046 patients per GP.
Latest data: September 2026. Patient survey 2026; registered patients September 2026; appointments to August 2026.
What patients say about Windermere Medical Centre
Its best result against England is the share who found it easy to get through to the practice by phone: 83%, 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: 97%, against 93% across England. Of the 11 results in the table, 6 are above England and 0 below by more than the survey's margin of error, and 5 within it.
On overall experience it is 5th of the 22 practices in St Helens with 50 or more responses. 83% found it easy to get through by phone (England: 57%). The overall experience result is 7 points higher than in 2025 (86%). 107 patients answered the survey (response rate 18%).
| Survey question | Windermere Medical Centre | Cheshire and Merseyside | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overall experience good | 93% | 78% | 77% |
| Easy to contact by phone | 83% | 57% | 57% |
| Easy to contact via the website | 69% | 55% | 58% |
| Easy to contact via the NHS App | 60% | 53% | 54% |
| Reception team helpful | 94% | 86% | 85% |
| Last contact good | 87% | 73% | 73% |
| Wait for appointment about right | 80% | 73% | 69% |
| Listened to well | 93% | 89% | 87% |
| Treated with care and concern | 92% | 87% | 86% |
| Confidence and trust in the clinician | 97% | 93% | 93% |
| Needs met | 97% | 91% | 90% |
In the Friends and Family Test for July 2026, 96% of 28 responses rated the practice good or very good (England: 92%).
CQC's overall rating for Windermere Medical Centre is Good, published in December 2022. All 5 key questions are rated Good.
| Key question | Rating |
|---|---|
| Safe | Good |
| Well-led | Good |
| Caring | Good |
| Responsive | Good |
| Effective | Good |
3,902 patients were registered at Windermere Medical Centre in September 2026, up 1.2% on a year earlier (England: down 1.1%).
14% of its patients are aged 65 or over, against 19% across England. With 0.8 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs, there are 5,046 patients per GP, more than the England figure of 2,171 and Cheshire and Merseyside's 1,971. The practice also has 0.5 nurses and 0.3 other clinical staff such as pharmacists and physiotherapists (full-time equivalent).
| Year | Qualified GPs (FTE) | All GPs incl. trainees (FTE) |
|---|---|---|
| August 2023 | 0.7 | 0.7 |
| August 2024 | 0.7 | 0.7 |
| August 2025 | 0.7 | 0.7 |
| August 2026 | 0.8 | 0.8 |
From June 2026 to August 2026 the practice recorded 1,672 appointments a month, or 429 per 1,000 registered patients (England: 510). 60% were face to face (England: 63%). 35% took place on the day they were booked and 1% more than 28 days after booking (England: 45% and 5%).
66% were with a GP rather than another member of the practice team. 9% of booked patients did not attend.
| Measure | Windermere Medical Centre | Cheshire and Merseyside | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Appointments per 1,000 patients a month | 429 | 492 | 510 |
| Face to face | 60% | 60% | 63% |
| Same day as booked | 35% | 48% | 45% |
| More than 28 days after booking | 1% | 4% | 5% |
| Did not attend | 9% | 5% | 4% |
Compared with England, the practice has a higher share of patients on its registers for depression (25.5% against 14.3%), COPD (3.1% against 1.9%) and asthma (8.9% against 6.6%). It has a lower share for osteoporosis (0.2% against 1.2%) and cancer (2.4% against 3.8%). The practice's patients live in areas with an average deprivation score of 37.0 (England: 21.8; higher is more deprived).
Life expectancy for its patients' neighbourhoods is 81.6 years for women and 76.6 for men (England: 83.0 and 79.1).
| Condition register | Age group | Practice (2024/25) | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Depression | 18+ yrs | 25.5% | 14.3% |
| High blood pressure | All ages | 14.7% | 15.2% |
| Asthma | 6+ yrs | 8.9% | 6.6% |
| Diabetes | 17+ yrs | 7.8% | 7.9% |
| Chronic kidney disease | 18+ yrs | 4.0% | 4.6% |
| COPD | All ages | 3.1% | 1.9% |
| Coronary heart disease | All ages | 3.1% | 3.0% |
| Cancer | All ages | 2.4% | 3.8% |
| Atrial fibrillation | All ages | 2.1% | 2.2% |
| Stroke and TIA | All ages | 1.7% | 1.9% |
| Serious mental illness | All ages | 1.3% | 1.0% |
| Rheumatoid arthritis | 16+ yrs | 1.0% | 0.8% |
| Epilepsy | 18+ yrs | 1.0% | 0.8% |
| Heart failure | All ages | 0.9% | 1.1% |
| Peripheral arterial disease | All ages | 0.6% | 0.6% |
| Learning disability | All ages | 0.5% | 0.6% |
| Dementia | All ages | 0.4% | 0.8% |
| Palliative care | All ages | 0.3% | 0.6% |
| Osteoporosis | 50+ yrs | 0.2% | 1.2% |
| Screening coverage | Period | Practice | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bowel cancer screening (aged 60 to 74) | 2024/25 | 63.5% | 72.9% |
| Breast cancer screening (women aged 53 to 70) | 2024/25 | 68.1% | 72.2% |
| Cervical screening (women aged 25 to 49) | 2023/24 | 66.7% | 67.5% |
| Cervical screening (women aged 50 to 64) | 2023/24 | 64.4% | 74.9% |
Windermere Medical Centre, Windermere Avenue, St. Helens, WA11 7AG. Phone: 01744 624805. Website: www.ssphealth.com.
| Nearby practice | Distance | Overall experience good |
|---|---|---|
| Phoenix Medical Centre | 2.0 km | 79% |
| Dr Khalid Laghari | 2.0 km | 91% |
| Mill Street Medical Centre | 2.0 km | 87% |
| Ormskirk House Surgery | 2.0 km | 88% |
| Dr Momosir Ali | 2.0 km | 93% |
- Bethany Medical Centre (86% overall experience good)
- Billinge Medical Practice (93% overall experience good)
- Garswood Surgery (78% overall experience good)
- Kenneth MacRae Medical Centre (98% overall experience good)
- Rainford Health Centre (97% overall experience good)
How do patients rate Windermere Medical Centre?
In the 2026 GP Patient Survey, 93% of patients described their overall experience of Windermere Medical Centre as good, above the England figure of 77%. 83% found it easy to get through by phone.
How many patients are registered at Windermere Medical Centre?
3,902 patients were registered in September 2026, up 1.2% on a year earlier.
What is Windermere Medical Centre's CQC rating?
Good overall, published in December 2022.
How many GPs does Windermere Medical Centre have?
0.8 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs (2 qualified GPs by headcount), which is 5,046 patients per GP against 2,171 across England.
Are appointments at Windermere Medical Centre face to face?
60% of appointments from June 2026 to August 2026 were face to face, against 63% across England.
What is Windermere Medical Centre's phone number?
01744 624805.