Garswood Surgery, Wigan: patient reviews and CQC rating
Garswood Surgery is a GP practice in Wigan with 5,335 registered patients (September 2026). In the 2026 GP Patient Survey, 78% 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 January 2016. It has 4.5 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs, or 1,184 patients per GP.
Latest data: September 2026. Patient survey 2026; registered patients September 2026; appointments to August 2026.
What patients say about Garswood Surgery
Its best result against England is the share who found it easy to get through to the practice by phone: 84%, above the England figure of 57%. Its weakest is the share who said the wait for their last appointment was about right: 63%, against 69% across England. Of the 11 results in the table, 1 is above England and 0 below by more than the survey's margin of error, and 10 within it.
On overall experience it is 24th of the 30 practices in Wigan with 50 or more responses. 84% found it easy to get through by phone (England: 57%). The overall experience result is 4 points lower than in 2025 (82%). 114 patients answered the survey (response rate 36%).
| Survey question | Garswood Surgery | Cheshire and Merseyside | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overall experience good | 78% | 78% | 77% |
| Easy to contact by phone | 84% | 57% | 57% |
| Easy to contact via the website | 67% | 55% | 58% |
| Easy to contact via the NHS App | 62% | 53% | 54% |
| Reception team helpful | 86% | 86% | 85% |
| Last contact good | 79% | 73% | 73% |
| Wait for appointment about right | 63% | 73% | 69% |
| Listened to well | 86% | 89% | 87% |
| Treated with care and concern | 92% | 87% | 86% |
| Confidence and trust in the clinician | 94% | 93% | 93% |
| Needs met | 95% | 91% | 90% |
In the Friends and Family Test for July 2026, 87% of 38 responses rated the practice good or very good (England: 92%).
CQC's overall rating for Garswood Surgery is Good, published in January 2016. One key question is rated differently: Effective Outstanding.
| Key question | Rating |
|---|---|
| Safe | Good |
| Well-led | Good |
| Caring | Good |
| Responsive | Good |
| Effective | Outstanding |
5,335 patients were registered at Garswood Surgery in September 2026, up 0.7% on a year earlier (England: down 1.1%).
25% of its patients are aged 65 or over, against 19% across England. With 4.5 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs, there are 1,184 patients per GP, fewer than the England figure of 2,171 and Cheshire and Merseyside's 1,971. The practice also has 1.0 nurses and 2.0 other clinical staff such as pharmacists and physiotherapists (full-time equivalent).
| Year | Qualified GPs (FTE) | All GPs incl. trainees (FTE) |
|---|---|---|
| August 2023 | 3.6 | 6.8 |
| August 2024 | 3.6 | 6.4 |
| August 2025 | 3.6 | 8.9 |
| August 2026 | 4.5 | 10.3 |
From June 2026 to August 2026 the practice recorded 3,838 appointments a month, or 719 per 1,000 registered patients (England: 510). 54% were face to face (England: 63%). 42% took place on the day they were booked and 3% more than 28 days after booking (England: 45% and 5%).
56% were with a GP rather than another member of the practice team. 4% of booked patients did not attend.
| Measure | Garswood Surgery | Cheshire and Merseyside | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Appointments per 1,000 patients a month | 719 | 492 | 510 |
| Face to face | 54% | 60% | 63% |
| Same day as booked | 42% | 48% | 45% |
| More than 28 days after booking | 3% | 4% | 5% |
| Did not attend | 4% | 5% | 4% |
Compared with England, the practice has a higher share of patients on its registers for depression (20.3% against 14.3%), atrial fibrillation (3.2% against 2.2%) and chronic kidney disease (6.4% against 4.6%). It has a lower share for palliative or supportive care needs (0.2% against 0.6%) and osteoporosis (0.5% against 1.2%). The practice's patients live in areas with an average deprivation score of 15.5 (England: 21.8; higher is more deprived).
Life expectancy for its patients' neighbourhoods is 82.9 years for women and 80.3 for men (England: 83.0 and 79.1).
| Condition register | Age group | Practice (2024/25) | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| High blood pressure | All ages | 20.9% | 15.2% |
| Depression | 18+ yrs | 20.3% | 14.3% |
| Asthma | 6+ yrs | 8.6% | 6.6% |
| Diabetes | 17+ yrs | 8.2% | 7.9% |
| Chronic kidney disease | 18+ yrs | 6.4% | 4.6% |
| Cancer | All ages | 4.8% | 3.8% |
| Coronary heart disease | All ages | 4.0% | 3.0% |
| Atrial fibrillation | All ages | 3.2% | 2.2% |
| Stroke and TIA | All ages | 2.5% | 1.9% |
| COPD | All ages | 2.3% | 1.9% |
| Heart failure | All ages | 1.2% | 1.1% |
| Rheumatoid arthritis | 16+ yrs | 0.8% | 0.8% |
| Serious mental illness | All ages | 0.7% | 1.0% |
| Learning disability | All ages | 0.7% | 0.6% |
| Peripheral arterial disease | All ages | 0.6% | 0.6% |
| Epilepsy | 18+ yrs | 0.6% | 0.8% |
| Dementia | All ages | 0.6% | 0.8% |
| Osteoporosis | 50+ yrs | 0.5% | 1.2% |
| Palliative care | All ages | 0.2% | 0.6% |
| Screening coverage | Period | Practice | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bowel cancer screening (aged 60 to 74) | 2024/25 | 76.3% | 72.9% |
| Breast cancer screening (women aged 53 to 70) | 2024/25 | 81.4% | 72.2% |
| Cervical screening (women aged 25 to 49) | 2023/24 | 80.8% | 67.5% |
| Cervical screening (women aged 50 to 64) | 2023/24 | 79.6% | 74.9% |
Garswood Surgery, Billinge Road,, Garswood,, Wigan, WN4 0XD. Phone: 01744 621670. Website: www.garswoodsurgery.co.uk.
| Nearby practice | Distance | Overall experience good |
|---|---|---|
| Billinge Medical Practice | 0.0 km | 93% |
| Bryn Cross Surgery | 2.3 km | 95% |
| Ashton Medical Centre | 2.6 km | 68% |
| Winstanley Medical Centre | 2.9 km | 89% |
| Dr Shobha Vallabhaneni & Partners - Medicentre | 3.0 km | 80% |
- Bethany Medical Centre (86% overall experience good)
- Billinge Medical Practice (93% overall experience good)
- Kenneth MacRae Medical Centre (98% overall experience good)
- Rainford Health Centre (97% overall experience good)
- Windermere Medical Centre (93% overall experience good)
How do patients rate Garswood Surgery?
In the 2026 GP Patient Survey, 78% of patients described their overall experience of Garswood Surgery as good, against 77% across England. 84% found it easy to get through by phone.
How many patients are registered at Garswood Surgery?
5,335 patients were registered in September 2026, up 0.7% on a year earlier.
What is Garswood Surgery's CQC rating?
Good overall, published in January 2016.
How many GPs does Garswood Surgery have?
4.5 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs (4 qualified GPs by headcount), which is 1,184 patients per GP against 2,171 across England.
Are appointments at Garswood Surgery face to face?
54% of appointments from June 2026 to August 2026 were face to face, against 63% across England.
What is Garswood Surgery's phone number?
01744 621670.