Fir Park Medical Centre, Widnes: patient reviews and CQC rating
Fir Park Medical Centre is a GP practice in Widnes with 12,210 registered patients (September 2026). In the 2026 GP Patient Survey, 71% 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 June 2023. It has 7.2 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs, or 1,693 patients per GP.
Latest data: September 2026. Patient survey 2026; registered patients September 2026; appointments to August 2026.
What patients say about Fir Park Medical Centre
Its best result against England is the share who said they were treated with care and concern: 89%, against 86% across England. Its weakest is the share who found it easy to contact the practice using the NHS App: 34%, below the England figure of 54%. Of the 11 results in the table, 0 are above England and 5 below by more than the survey's margin of error, and 6 within it.
On overall experience it is 6th of the 8 practices in Widnes with 50 or more responses. 43% found it easy to get through by phone (England: 57%). The overall experience result is 14 points higher than in 2025 (57%). 98 patients answered the survey (response rate 28%).
| Survey question | Fir Park Medical Centre | Cheshire and Merseyside | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overall experience good | 71% | 78% | 77% |
| Easy to contact by phone | 43% | 57% | 57% |
| Easy to contact via the website | 41% | 55% | 58% |
| Easy to contact via the NHS App | 34% | 53% | 54% |
| Reception team helpful | 70% | 86% | 85% |
| Last contact good | 60% | 73% | 73% |
| Wait for appointment about right | 69% | 73% | 69% |
| Listened to well | 89% | 89% | 87% |
| Treated with care and concern | 89% | 87% | 86% |
| Confidence and trust in the clinician | 92% | 93% | 93% |
| Needs met | 92% | 91% | 90% |
In the Friends and Family Test for July 2026, 95% of 323 responses rated the practice good or very good (England: 92%).
CQC's overall rating for Fir Park Medical Centre is Good, published in June 2023. One key question is rated differently: Safe Requires Improvement. It held the same rating in the report before (July 2016).
| Key question | Rating |
|---|---|
| Safe | Requires Improvement |
| Well-led | Good |
| Caring | Good |
| Responsive | Good |
| Effective | Good |
12,210 patients were registered at Fir Park Medical Centre in September 2026, up 0.8% on a year earlier (England: down 1.1%).
23% of its patients are aged 65 or over, against 19% across England. With 7.2 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs, there are 1,693 patients per GP, fewer than the England figure of 2,171 and Cheshire and Merseyside's 1,971. The practice also has 3.9 nurses and 1.8 other clinical staff such as pharmacists and physiotherapists (full-time equivalent).
| Year | Qualified GPs (FTE) | All GPs incl. trainees (FTE) |
|---|---|---|
| August 2023 | 8.0 | 8.9 |
| August 2024 | 5.8 | 13.0 |
| August 2025 | 5.8 | 9.0 |
| August 2026 | 7.2 | 11.9 |
From June 2026 to August 2026 the practice recorded 5,671 appointments a month, or 464 per 1,000 registered patients (England: 510). 41% were face to face (England: 63%). 52% took place on the day they were booked and 5% more than 28 days after booking (England: 45% and 5%).
53% were with a GP rather than another member of the practice team. 6% of booked patients did not attend.
| Measure | Fir Park Medical Centre | Cheshire and Merseyside | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Appointments per 1,000 patients a month | 464 | 492 | 510 |
| Face to face | 41% | 60% | 63% |
| Same day as booked | 52% | 48% | 45% |
| More than 28 days after booking | 5% | 4% | 5% |
| Did not attend | 6% | 5% | 4% |
Compared with England, the practice has a higher share of patients on its registers for coronary heart disease (5.2% against 3.0%), heart failure (1.9% against 1.1%) and depression (22.5% against 14.3%). It has a lower share for osteoporosis (0.6% against 1.2%), palliative or supportive care needs (0.3% against 0.6%) and serious mental illness (0.6% against 1.0%). The practice's patients live in areas with an average deprivation score of 21.5 (England: 21.8; higher is more deprived).
Life expectancy for its patients' neighbourhoods is 82.1 years for women and 79.0 for men (England: 83.0 and 79.1).
| Condition register | Age group | Practice (2024/25) | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Depression | 18+ yrs | 22.5% | 14.3% |
| High blood pressure | All ages | 19.0% | 15.2% |
| Diabetes | 17+ yrs | 8.4% | 7.9% |
| Asthma | 6+ yrs | 8.3% | 6.6% |
| Chronic kidney disease | 18+ yrs | 5.9% | 4.6% |
| Coronary heart disease | All ages | 5.2% | 3.0% |
| Cancer | All ages | 4.9% | 3.8% |
| Atrial fibrillation | All ages | 3.5% | 2.2% |
| Stroke and TIA | All ages | 2.4% | 1.9% |
| COPD | All ages | 2.4% | 1.9% |
| Heart failure | All ages | 1.9% | 1.1% |
| Rheumatoid arthritis | 16+ yrs | 0.9% | 0.8% |
| Epilepsy | 18+ yrs | 0.9% | 0.8% |
| Dementia | All ages | 0.9% | 0.8% |
| Peripheral arterial disease | All ages | 0.8% | 0.6% |
| Serious mental illness | All ages | 0.6% | 1.0% |
| Osteoporosis | 50+ yrs | 0.6% | 1.2% |
| Learning disability | All ages | 0.5% | 0.6% |
| Palliative care | All ages | 0.3% | 0.6% |
| Screening coverage | Period | Practice | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bowel cancer screening (aged 60 to 74) | 2024/25 | 75.0% | 72.9% |
| Breast cancer screening (women aged 53 to 70) | 2024/25 | 80.6% | 72.2% |
| Cervical screening (women aged 25 to 49) | 2023/24 | 75.7% | 67.5% |
| Cervical screening (women aged 50 to 64) | 2023/24 | 77.8% | 74.9% |
98% of the practice's patients live in the WA8 postcode district. 95% live in Halton, the council area the practice is in.
| Postcode district | Registered patients | Share |
|---|---|---|
| WA8 | 12,042 | 98% |
Fir Park Medical Centre, Lanark Gardens, Widnes, WA8 9DT. Phone: 0151 423 2990. Website: www.firparkmedicalcentre.co.uk.
| Nearby practice | Distance | Overall experience good |
|---|---|---|
| Upton Rocks Surgery | 1.1 km | 76% |
| Bevan Group Practice | 1.4 km | 75% |
| Dr Satya Koya and Dr Lalitha Chalasani | 1.5 km | 73% |
| Peelhouse Medical Plaza | 1.9 km | 67% |
| Newtown Surgery | 2.3 km | 65% |
- Bevan Group Practice (75% overall experience good)
- Dr Satya Koya and Dr Lalitha Chalasani (73% overall experience good)
- Newtown Surgery (65% overall experience good)
- Oaks Place surgery (72% overall experience good)
- Peelhouse Medical Plaza (67% overall experience good)
- The Beeches Medical Centre (74% overall experience good)
- Upton Rocks Surgery (76% overall experience good)
How do patients rate Fir Park Medical Centre?
In the 2026 GP Patient Survey, 71% of patients described their overall experience of Fir Park Medical Centre as good, against 77% across England. 43% found it easy to get through by phone.
How many patients are registered at Fir Park Medical Centre?
12,210 patients were registered in September 2026, up 0.8% on a year earlier.
What is Fir Park Medical Centre's CQC rating?
Good overall, published in June 2023.
How many GPs does Fir Park Medical Centre have?
7.2 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs (9 qualified GPs by headcount), which is 1,693 patients per GP against 2,171 across England.
Are appointments at Fir Park Medical Centre face to face?
41% of appointments from June 2026 to August 2026 were face to face, against 63% across England.
What is Fir Park Medical Centre's phone number?
0151 423 2990.