Swanlow Medical Centre, Winsford: patient reviews and CQC rating
Swanlow Medical Centre is a GP practice in Winsford with 10,548 registered patients (September 2026). In the 2026 GP Patient Survey, 81% 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 March 2019. It has 5.5 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs, or 1,902 patients per GP.
Latest data: September 2026. Patient survey 2026; registered patients September 2026; appointments to August 2026.
What patients say about Swanlow Medical Centre
Its best result against England is the share who said the wait for their last appointment was about right: 76%, against 69% across England. Its weakest is the share who found it easy to get through to the practice by phone: 51%, against 57% across England. With 118 responses, none of its 11 results differs from England by more than the survey's margin of error.
On overall experience it is 5th of the 5 practices in Winsford with 50 or more responses. 51% found it easy to get through by phone (England: 57%). The overall experience result is 5 points lower than in 2025 (86%). 118 patients answered the survey (response rate 24%).
| Survey question | Swanlow Medical Centre | Cheshire and Merseyside | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overall experience good | 81% | 78% | 77% |
| Easy to contact by phone | 51% | 57% | 57% |
| Easy to contact via the website | 57% | 55% | 58% |
| Easy to contact via the NHS App | 58% | 53% | 54% |
| Reception team helpful | 84% | 86% | 85% |
| Last contact good | 77% | 73% | 73% |
| Wait for appointment about right | 76% | 73% | 69% |
| Listened to well | 93% | 89% | 87% |
| Treated with care and concern | 90% | 87% | 86% |
| Confidence and trust in the clinician | 97% | 93% | 93% |
| Needs met | 92% | 91% | 90% |
In the Friends and Family Test for July 2026, 98% of 84 responses rated the practice good or very good (England: 92%).
CQC's overall rating for Swanlow Medical Centre is Good, published in March 2019. All 5 key questions are rated Good. It held the same rating in the report before (January 2019).
| Key question | Rating |
|---|---|
| Safe | Good |
| Well-led | Good |
| Caring | Good |
| Responsive | Good |
| Effective | Good |
10,548 patients were registered at Swanlow Medical Centre in September 2026, down 1.9% on a year earlier (England: down 1.1%).
19% of its patients are aged 65 or over, against 19% across England. With 5.5 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs, there are 1,902 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 1.0 other clinical staff such as pharmacists and physiotherapists (full-time equivalent).
| Year | Qualified GPs (FTE) | All GPs incl. trainees (FTE) |
|---|---|---|
| August 2023 | 5.1 | 7.2 |
| August 2024 | 5.1 | 8.4 |
| August 2025 | 5.5 | 7.3 |
| August 2026 | 5.5 | 6.3 |
From June 2026 to August 2026 the practice recorded 6,282 appointments a month, or 596 per 1,000 registered patients (England: 510). 79% were face to face (England: 63%). 55% took place on the day they were booked and 1% more than 28 days after booking (England: 45% and 5%).
60% were with a GP rather than another member of the practice team. 7% of booked patients did not attend.
| Measure | Swanlow Medical Centre | Cheshire and Merseyside | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Appointments per 1,000 patients a month | 596 | 492 | 510 |
| Face to face | 79% | 60% | 63% |
| Same day as booked | 55% | 48% | 45% |
| More than 28 days after booking | 1% | 4% | 5% |
| Did not attend | 7% | 5% | 4% |
Compared with England, the practice has a higher share of patients on its registers for heart failure (2.0% against 1.1%), COPD (3.0% against 1.9%) and depression (22.4% against 14.3%). It has a lower share for osteoporosis (0.3% against 1.2%) and palliative or supportive care needs (0.3% against 0.6%). The practice's patients live in areas with an average deprivation score of 29.0 (England: 21.8; higher is more deprived).
Life expectancy for its patients' neighbourhoods is 82.3 years for women and 78.2 for men (England: 83.0 and 79.1).
| Condition register | Age group | Practice (2024/25) | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Depression | 18+ yrs | 22.4% | 14.3% |
| High blood pressure | All ages | 17.2% | 15.2% |
| Diabetes | 17+ yrs | 9.4% | 7.9% |
| Asthma | 6+ yrs | 6.8% | 6.6% |
| Chronic kidney disease | 18+ yrs | 5.7% | 4.6% |
| Cancer | All ages | 3.8% | 3.8% |
| Coronary heart disease | All ages | 3.4% | 3.0% |
| COPD | All ages | 3.0% | 1.9% |
| Atrial fibrillation | All ages | 2.8% | 2.2% |
| Stroke and TIA | All ages | 2.3% | 1.9% |
| Heart failure | All ages | 2.0% | 1.1% |
| Epilepsy | 18+ yrs | 1.1% | 0.8% |
| Serious mental illness | All ages | 0.9% | 1.0% |
| Rheumatoid arthritis | 16+ yrs | 0.7% | 0.8% |
| Learning disability | All ages | 0.7% | 0.6% |
| Peripheral arterial disease | All ages | 0.7% | 0.6% |
| Dementia | All ages | 0.6% | 0.8% |
| Osteoporosis | 50+ yrs | 0.3% | 1.2% |
| Palliative care | All ages | 0.3% | 0.6% |
| Screening coverage | Period | Practice | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bowel cancer screening (aged 60 to 74) | 2024/25 | 71.9% | 72.9% |
| Breast cancer screening (women aged 53 to 70) | 2024/25 | 71.9% | 72.2% |
| Cervical screening (women aged 25 to 49) | 2023/24 | 71.9% | 67.5% |
| Cervical screening (women aged 50 to 64) | 2023/24 | 71.9% | 74.9% |
Swanlow Medical Centre, Dene Drive Primary Care Centre, Winsford, CW7 1AT. Phone: 01606 544644. Website: www.swanlowmedicalcentre.co.uk.
| Nearby practice | Distance | Overall experience good |
|---|---|---|
| High Street Medical Practice | 0.0 km | 85% |
| The Weaver Vale Surgery | 0.0 km | 89% |
| Launceston Close Surgery | 1.2 km | 85% |
| Willow Wood Surgery | 1.8 km | 87% |
| Oaklands | 5.6 km | 85% |
- High Street Medical Practice (85% overall experience good)
- Launceston Close Surgery (85% overall experience good)
- The Weaver Vale Surgery (89% overall experience good)
- Willow Wood Surgery (87% overall experience good)
How do patients rate Swanlow Medical Centre?
In the 2026 GP Patient Survey, 81% of patients described their overall experience of Swanlow Medical Centre as good, against 77% across England. 51% found it easy to get through by phone.
How many patients are registered at Swanlow Medical Centre?
10,548 patients were registered in September 2026, down 1.9% on a year earlier.
What is Swanlow Medical Centre's CQC rating?
Good overall, published in March 2019.
How many GPs does Swanlow Medical Centre have?
5.5 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs (9 qualified GPs by headcount), which is 1,902 patients per GP against 2,171 across England.
Are appointments at Swanlow Medical Centre face to face?
79% of appointments from June 2026 to August 2026 were face to face, against 63% across England.
What is Swanlow Medical Centre's phone number?
01606 544644.