Slag Lane Medical Centre, Warrington: patient reviews and CQC rating
Slag Lane Medical Centre is a GP practice in Warrington with 6,057 registered patients (September 2026). In the 2026 GP Patient Survey, 85% of its patients described their overall experience as good, against 77% across England (Greater Manchester: 79%). The Care Quality Commission rates it Good overall, in a report published in September 2022. It has 2.3 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs, or 2,596 patients per GP.
Latest data: September 2026. Patient survey 2026; registered patients September 2026; appointments to August 2026.
What patients say about Slag Lane Medical Centre
Its best result against England is the share who said the wait for their last appointment was about right: 89%, above the England figure of 69%. Its result closest to England is the share who found it easy to contact the practice through its website: 60%, against 58% across England. Of the 11 results in the table, 7 are above England and 0 below by more than the survey's margin of error, and 4 within it.
On overall experience it is 3rd of the 31 practices in Warrington with 50 or more responses. 74% found it easy to get through by phone (England: 57%). The overall experience result is 3 points lower than in 2025 (88%). 93 patients answered the survey (response rate 27%).
| Survey question | Slag Lane Medical Centre | Greater Manchester | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overall experience good | 85% | 79% | 77% |
| Easy to contact by phone | 74% | 63% | 57% |
| Easy to contact via the website | 60% | 61% | 58% |
| Easy to contact via the NHS App | 69% | 58% | 54% |
| Reception team helpful | 92% | 86% | 85% |
| Last contact good | 86% | 76% | 73% |
| Wait for appointment about right | 89% | 71% | 69% |
| Listened to well | 92% | 88% | 87% |
| Treated with care and concern | 94% | 87% | 86% |
| Confidence and trust in the clinician | 100% | 93% | 93% |
| Needs met | 99% | 91% | 90% |
In the Friends and Family Test for July 2026, 97% of 70 responses rated the practice good or very good (England: 92%).
CQC's overall rating for Slag Lane Medical Centre is Good, published in September 2022. One key question is rated differently: Well-led Outstanding. It held the same rating in the report before (July 2018).
| Key question | Rating |
|---|---|
| Safe | Good |
| Well-led | Outstanding |
| Caring | Good |
| Responsive | Good |
| Effective | Good |
6,057 patients were registered at Slag Lane Medical Centre in September 2026, up 3.8% on a year earlier (England: down 1.1%).
18% of its patients are aged 65 or over, against 19% across England. With 2.3 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs, there are 2,596 patients per GP, more than the England figure of 2,171 and Greater Manchester's 2,055. The practice also has 0.8 nurses (full-time equivalent).
| Year | Qualified GPs (FTE) | All GPs incl. trainees (FTE) |
|---|---|---|
| August 2023 | 1.0 | 1.0 |
| August 2024 | 1.0 | 1.0 |
| August 2025 | 1.0 | 1.0 |
| August 2026 | 2.3 | 2.3 |
From June 2026 to August 2026 the practice recorded 2,447 appointments a month, or 404 per 1,000 registered patients (England: 510). 94% were face to face (England: 63%). 63% took place on the day they were booked and 1% more than 28 days after booking (England: 45% and 5%).
37% were with a GP rather than another member of the practice team. 3% of booked patients did not attend.
| Measure | Slag Lane Medical Centre | Greater Manchester | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Appointments per 1,000 patients a month | 404 | 445 | 510 |
| Face to face | 94% | 66% | 63% |
| Same day as booked | 63% | 44% | 45% |
| More than 28 days after booking | 1% | 5% | 5% |
| Did not attend | 3% | 6% | 4% |
Compared with England, the practice has a higher share of patients on its registers for palliative or supportive care needs (1.8% against 0.6%) and dementia (1.7% against 0.8%). It has a lower share for osteoporosis (0.2% against 1.2%). The practice's patients live in areas with an average deprivation score of 17.0 (England: 21.8; higher is more deprived).
Life expectancy for its patients' neighbourhoods is 82.0 years for women and 79.0 for men (England: 83.0 and 79.1).
| Condition register | Age group | Practice (2024/25) | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| High blood pressure | All ages | 16.2% | 15.2% |
| Depression | 18+ yrs | 11.5% | 14.3% |
| Diabetes | 17+ yrs | 9.3% | 7.9% |
| Asthma | 6+ yrs | 7.4% | 6.6% |
| Chronic kidney disease | 18+ yrs | 5.0% | 4.6% |
| Cancer | All ages | 3.4% | 3.8% |
| Coronary heart disease | All ages | 3.2% | 3.0% |
| Atrial fibrillation | All ages | 2.7% | 2.2% |
| Stroke and TIA | All ages | 1.9% | 1.9% |
| Palliative care | All ages | 1.8% | 0.6% |
| COPD | All ages | 1.7% | 1.9% |
| Dementia | All ages | 1.7% | 0.8% |
| Heart failure | All ages | 1.3% | 1.1% |
| Serious mental illness | All ages | 0.9% | 1.0% |
| Rheumatoid arthritis | 16+ yrs | 0.9% | 0.8% |
| Epilepsy | 18+ yrs | 0.8% | 0.8% |
| Learning disability | All ages | 0.7% | 0.6% |
| Peripheral arterial disease | All ages | 0.7% | 0.6% |
| Osteoporosis | 50+ yrs | 0.2% | 1.2% |
| Screening coverage | Period | Practice | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bowel cancer screening (aged 60 to 74) | 2024/25 | 81.0% | 72.9% |
| Breast cancer screening (women aged 53 to 70) | 2024/25 | 81.1% | 72.2% |
| Cervical screening (women aged 25 to 49) | 2023/24 | 81.1% | 67.5% |
| Cervical screening (women aged 50 to 64) | 2023/24 | 81.9% | 74.9% |
Slag Lane Medical Centre, 216 Slag Lane, Lowton, Warrington, WA3 2EZ. Phone: 01942 367297. Website: www.slaglanemedicalcentre.nhs.uk.
| Nearby practice | Distance | Overall experience good |
|---|---|---|
| Braithwaite Road Surgery | 0.1 km | 76% |
| Lowton Surgery | 1.2 km | 81% |
| High Street Surgery | 1.3 km | 89% |
| Family Medical Practice | 1.3 km | 78% |
| Golborne Surgery | 1.3 km | 62% |
- Ashton Medical Centre (68% overall experience good)
- Braithwaite Road Surgery (76% overall experience good)
- Family Medical Practice (78% overall experience good)
- Golborne Surgery (62% overall experience good)
- High Street Surgery (89% overall experience good)
- Lowton Surgery (81% overall experience good)
- Railway Surgery (85% overall experience good)
How do patients rate Slag Lane Medical Centre?
In the 2026 GP Patient Survey, 85% of patients described their overall experience of Slag Lane Medical Centre as good, against 77% across England. 74% found it easy to get through by phone.
How many patients are registered at Slag Lane Medical Centre?
6,057 patients were registered in September 2026, up 3.8% on a year earlier.
What is Slag Lane Medical Centre's CQC rating?
Good overall, published in September 2022.
How many GPs does Slag Lane Medical Centre have?
2.3 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs (3 qualified GPs by headcount), which is 2,596 patients per GP against 2,171 across England.
Are appointments at Slag Lane Medical Centre face to face?
94% of appointments from June 2026 to August 2026 were face to face, against 63% across England.
What is Slag Lane Medical Centre's phone number?
01942 367297.