Ashton Medical Centre, Wigan: patient reviews and CQC rating
Ashton Medical Centre is a GP practice in Wigan with 8,234 registered patients (September 2026). In the 2026 GP Patient Survey, 68% of its patients described their overall experience as good, below the England figure of 77% (Greater Manchester: 79%). The Care Quality Commission rates it Good overall, in a report published in February 2018. It has 1.9 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs, or 4,443 patients per GP.
Latest data: September 2026. Patient survey 2026; registered patients September 2026; appointments to August 2026.
What patients say about Ashton Medical Centre
Its best result against England is the share who found the reception and administrative team helpful: 90%, against 85% across England. Its weakest is the share who found it easy to contact the practice through its website: 41%, below the England figure of 58%. Of the 11 results in the table, 0 are above England and 3 below by more than the survey's margin of error, and 8 within it.
On overall experience it is 28th of the 30 practices in Wigan with 50 or more responses. 56% found it easy to get through by phone (England: 57%). The overall experience result is 16 points lower than in 2025 (84%). 94 patients answered the survey (response rate 21%).
| Survey question | Ashton Medical Centre | Greater Manchester | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overall experience good | 68% | 79% | 77% |
| Easy to contact by phone | 56% | 63% | 57% |
| Easy to contact via the website | 41% | 61% | 58% |
| Easy to contact via the NHS App | 44% | 58% | 54% |
| Reception team helpful | 90% | 86% | 85% |
| Last contact good | 71% | 76% | 73% |
| Wait for appointment about right | 57% | 71% | 69% |
| Listened to well | 90% | 88% | 87% |
| Treated with care and concern | 86% | 87% | 86% |
| Confidence and trust in the clinician | 92% | 93% | 93% |
| Needs met | 88% | 91% | 90% |
In the Friends and Family Test for July 2026, 96% of 50 responses rated the practice good or very good (England: 92%).
CQC's overall rating for Ashton Medical Centre is Good, published in February 2018. All 5 key questions are rated Good.
| Key question | Rating |
|---|---|
| Safe | Good |
| Well-led | Good |
| Caring | Good |
| Responsive | Good |
| Effective | Good |
8,234 patients were registered at Ashton Medical Centre in September 2026, down 2.4% on a year earlier (England: down 1.1%).
20% of its patients are aged 65 or over, against 19% across England. With 1.9 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs, there are 4,443 patients per GP, more than the England figure of 2,171 and Greater Manchester's 2,055. The practice also has 1.3 nurses and 3.1 other clinical staff such as pharmacists and physiotherapists (full-time equivalent).
| Year | Qualified GPs (FTE) | All GPs incl. trainees (FTE) |
|---|---|---|
| August 2023 | 1.9 | 1.9 |
| August 2024 | 1.9 | 1.9 |
| August 2025 | 1.9 | 1.9 |
| August 2026 | 1.9 | 1.9 |
From June 2026 to August 2026 the practice recorded 3,681 appointments a month, or 447 per 1,000 registered patients (England: 510). 63% were face to face (England: 63%). 59% took place on the day they were booked and 0% more than 28 days after booking (England: 45% and 5%).
28% were with a GP rather than another member of the practice team. 4% of booked patients did not attend.
| Measure | Ashton Medical Centre | Greater Manchester | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Appointments per 1,000 patients a month | 447 | 445 | 510 |
| Face to face | 63% | 66% | 63% |
| Same day as booked | 59% | 44% | 45% |
| More than 28 days after booking | 0% | 5% | 5% |
| Did not attend | 4% | 6% | 4% |
Compared with England, the practice has a higher share of patients on its registers for dementia (1.4% against 0.8%) and depression (22.8% against 14.3%). 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 20.4 (England: 21.8; higher is more deprived).
Life expectancy for its patients' neighbourhoods is 81.4 years for women and 78.0 for men (England: 83.0 and 79.1).
| Condition register | Age group | Practice (2024/25) | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Depression | 18+ yrs | 22.8% | 14.3% |
| High blood pressure | All ages | 16.1% | 15.2% |
| Diabetes | 17+ yrs | 9.0% | 7.9% |
| Asthma | 6+ yrs | 6.6% | 6.6% |
| Chronic kidney disease | 18+ yrs | 5.2% | 4.6% |
| Coronary heart disease | All ages | 3.5% | 3.0% |
| Cancer | All ages | 3.4% | 3.8% |
| Atrial fibrillation | All ages | 2.7% | 2.2% |
| Stroke and TIA | All ages | 2.3% | 1.9% |
| COPD | All ages | 1.8% | 1.9% |
| Dementia | All ages | 1.4% | 0.8% |
| Serious mental illness | All ages | 1.3% | 1.0% |
| Heart failure | All ages | 1.1% | 1.1% |
| Epilepsy | 18+ yrs | 0.9% | 0.8% |
| Rheumatoid arthritis | 16+ yrs | 0.7% | 0.8% |
| Learning disability | All ages | 0.7% | 0.6% |
| Palliative care | All ages | 0.6% | 0.6% |
| Peripheral arterial disease | All ages | 0.6% | 0.6% |
| Osteoporosis | 50+ yrs | 0.2% | 1.2% |
| Screening coverage | Period | Practice | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bowel cancer screening (aged 60 to 74) | 2024/25 | 70.9% | 72.9% |
| Breast cancer screening (women aged 53 to 70) | 2024/25 | 73.4% | 72.2% |
| Cervical screening (women aged 25 to 49) | 2023/24 | 75.3% | 67.5% |
| Cervical screening (women aged 50 to 64) | 2023/24 | 75.5% | 74.9% |
Ashton Medical Centre, 120 Wigan Road, Ashton In Makerfield, Wigan, WN4 9SU. Phone: 01942 727325. Website: www.ssphealth.com.
| Nearby practice | Distance | Overall experience good |
|---|---|---|
| Bryn Cross Surgery | 0.7 km | 95% |
| Dr Shobha Vallabhaneni & Partners - Medicentre | 0.8 km | 80% |
| Railway Surgery | 0.8 km | 85% |
| Billinge Medical Practice | 2.6 km | 93% |
| Garswood Surgery | 2.6 km | 78% |
- 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)
- Slag Lane Medical Centre (85% overall experience good)
How do patients rate Ashton Medical Centre?
In the 2026 GP Patient Survey, 68% of patients described their overall experience of Ashton Medical Centre as good, below the England figure of 77%. 56% found it easy to get through by phone.
How many patients are registered at Ashton Medical Centre?
8,234 patients were registered in September 2026, down 2.4% on a year earlier.
What is Ashton Medical Centre's CQC rating?
Good overall, published in February 2018.
How many GPs does Ashton Medical Centre have?
1.9 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs (3 qualified GPs by headcount), which is 4,443 patients per GP against 2,171 across England.
Are appointments at Ashton Medical Centre face to face?
63% of appointments from June 2026 to August 2026 were face to face, against 63% across England.
What is Ashton Medical Centre's phone number?
01942 727325.