Handforth Health Centre, Wilmslow: patient reviews and CQC rating
Handforth Health Centre is a GP practice in Wilmslow with 10,378 registered patients (September 2026). In the 2026 GP Patient Survey, 96% 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 November 2016. It has 7.8 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs, or 1,337 patients per GP.
Latest data: September 2026. Patient survey 2026; registered patients September 2026; appointments to August 2026.
What patients say about Handforth Health Centre
Its best result against England is the share who found it easy to contact the practice through its website: 89%, above the England figure of 58%. Its result closest to England is the share who had confidence and trust in the healthcare professional they saw: 97%, above the England figure of 93%. Of the 11 results in the table, 11 are above England and 0 below by more than the survey's margin of error.
On overall experience it is 1st of the 4 practices in Wilmslow with 50 or more responses. 84% found it easy to get through by phone (England: 57%). The overall experience result is 10 points higher than in 2025 (86%). 122 patients answered the survey (response rate 34%).
| Survey question | Handforth Health Centre | Cheshire and Merseyside | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overall experience good | 96% | 78% | 77% |
| Easy to contact by phone | 84% | 57% | 57% |
| Easy to contact via the website | 89% | 55% | 58% |
| Easy to contact via the NHS App | 86% | 53% | 54% |
| Reception team helpful | 99% | 86% | 85% |
| Last contact good | 96% | 73% | 73% |
| Wait for appointment about right | 85% | 73% | 69% |
| Listened to well | 97% | 89% | 87% |
| Treated with care and concern | 97% | 87% | 86% |
| Confidence and trust in the clinician | 97% | 93% | 93% |
| Needs met | 97% | 91% | 90% |
CQC's overall rating for Handforth Health Centre is Good, published in November 2016. All 5 key questions are rated Good.
| Key question | Rating |
|---|---|
| Safe | Good |
| Well-led | Good |
| Caring | Good |
| Responsive | Good |
| Effective | Good |
10,378 patients were registered at Handforth Health Centre in September 2026, almost the same as a year earlier.
22% of its patients are aged 65 or over, against 19% across England. With 7.8 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs, there are 1,337 patients per GP, fewer than the England figure of 2,171 and Cheshire and Merseyside's 1,971. The practice also has 2.9 nurses and 1.2 other clinical staff such as pharmacists and physiotherapists (full-time equivalent).
| Year | Qualified GPs (FTE) | All GPs incl. trainees (FTE) |
|---|---|---|
| August 2023 | 7.5 | 10.7 |
| August 2024 | 7.8 | 9.9 |
| August 2025 | 7.9 | 11.1 |
| August 2026 | 7.8 | 10.5 |
From June 2026 to August 2026 the practice recorded 5,599 appointments a month, or 540 per 1,000 registered patients (England: 510). 66% were face to face (England: 63%). 43% took place on the day they were booked and 8% more than 28 days after booking (England: 45% and 5%).
54% were with a GP rather than another member of the practice team. 5% of booked patients did not attend.
| Measure | Handforth Health Centre | Cheshire and Merseyside | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Appointments per 1,000 patients a month | 540 | 492 | 510 |
| Face to face | 66% | 60% | 63% |
| Same day as booked | 43% | 48% | 45% |
| More than 28 days after booking | 8% | 4% | 5% |
| Did not attend | 5% | 5% | 4% |
Compared with England, the practice has a higher share of patients on its registers for palliative or supportive care needs (1.2% against 0.6%), osteoporosis (2.6% against 1.2%) and dementia (1.6% against 0.8%). The practice's patients live in areas with an average deprivation score of 15.8 (England: 21.8; higher is more deprived). Life expectancy for its patients' neighbourhoods is 84.0 years for women and 79.8 for men (England: 83.0 and 79.1).
| Condition register | Age group | Practice (2024/25) | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| High blood pressure | All ages | 19.1% | 15.2% |
| Depression | 18+ yrs | 17.8% | 14.3% |
| Diabetes | 17+ yrs | 8.1% | 7.9% |
| Asthma | 6+ yrs | 7.6% | 6.6% |
| Chronic kidney disease | 18+ yrs | 6.8% | 4.6% |
| Cancer | All ages | 4.8% | 3.8% |
| Coronary heart disease | All ages | 3.8% | 3.0% |
| Atrial fibrillation | All ages | 3.4% | 2.2% |
| Osteoporosis | 50+ yrs | 2.6% | 1.2% |
| Stroke and TIA | All ages | 2.6% | 1.9% |
| COPD | All ages | 2.1% | 1.9% |
| Heart failure | All ages | 1.7% | 1.1% |
| Dementia | All ages | 1.6% | 0.8% |
| Palliative care | All ages | 1.2% | 0.6% |
| Epilepsy | 18+ yrs | 1.2% | 0.8% |
| Serious mental illness | All ages | 0.9% | 1.0% |
| Peripheral arterial disease | All ages | 0.9% | 0.6% |
| Rheumatoid arthritis | 16+ yrs | 0.8% | 0.8% |
| Learning disability | All ages | 0.6% | 0.6% |
| Screening coverage | Period | Practice | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bowel cancer screening (aged 60 to 74) | 2024/25 | 73.2% | 72.9% |
| Breast cancer screening (women aged 53 to 70) | 2024/25 | 72.5% | 72.2% |
| Cervical screening (women aged 25 to 49) | 2023/24 | 73.2% | 67.5% |
| Cervical screening (women aged 50 to 64) | 2023/24 | 73.9% | 74.9% |
Handforth Health Centre, The Green, Wilmslow Road, Handforth, Wilmslow, SK9 3HL. Phone: 01625 529421. Website: www.handforthhealthcentre.nhs.uk.
| Nearby practice | Distance | Overall experience good |
|---|---|---|
| Cheadle Hulme Medical Group | 2.6 km | 91% |
| Hulme Hall Medical Group Handforth | 2.6 km | 93% |
| Heald Green Health Centre | 2.7 km | 78% |
| Heald Green Health Centre 1 | 2.7 km | 85% |
| Kenmore Medical Centre | 3.1 km | 90% |
- Alderley Edge Medical Practice (98% overall experience good)
- Chelford Surgery (99% overall experience good)
- David Lewis GP service (97% overall experience good)
- Kenmore Medical Centre (90% overall experience good)
- Wilmslow Health Centre (81% overall experience good)
How do patients rate Handforth Health Centre?
In the 2026 GP Patient Survey, 96% of patients described their overall experience of Handforth Health Centre as good, above the England figure of 77%. 84% found it easy to get through by phone.
How many patients are registered at Handforth Health Centre?
10,378 patients were registered in September 2026, down 0.1% on a year earlier.
What is Handforth Health Centre's CQC rating?
Good overall, published in November 2016.
How many GPs does Handforth Health Centre have?
7.8 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs (9 qualified GPs by headcount), which is 1,337 patients per GP against 2,171 across England.
Are appointments at Handforth Health Centre face to face?
66% of appointments from June 2026 to August 2026 were face to face, against 63% across England.
What is Handforth Health Centre's phone number?
01625 529421.