GeraClinic / Research / GP quality by region
GP practices rated “requires improvement” in North West
CQC overall ratings for 952 GP practices in North West, as-of 1 June 2026.
As of 1 June 2026, 28 of 952 GP practices in North West with an overall CQC rating — 3% — were rated “requires improvement”, and 8 were “inadequate”. That ranks North West 6 of 9 English regions by share of “requires improvement” practices (1 = highest), against an England-wide 4%.
- “Requires improvement” share
- 3%
- England average
- 4%
- vs England average
- -1.3 pp
- National rank
- 6 / 9
Ranked by share of “requires improvement” GP practices among 9 English regions (rank 1 = highest share, so a lower share and a higher rank number are better). All figures are real CQC overall-rating counts, as-of 1 June 2026.
North West GP practices by CQC rating
- Outstanding
- 53 (6%)
- Good
- 862 (91%)
- Requires improvement
- 28 (3%)
- Inadequate
- 8 (1%)
- Not rated
- 1 (0%)
By local authority
Local authorities in North West with at least 20 rated GP practices, ranked by “requires improvement” share.
| Local authority | Rated | Requires improvement | RI rate | Inadequate | Good / Outstanding |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Liverpool | 85 | 9 | 11% | 0 | 88% |
| Bury | 25 | 2 | 8% | 0 | 92% |
| Cheshire West and Chester | 39 | 2 | 5% | 0 | 95% |
| Wirral | 46 | 2 | 4% | 0 | 96% |
| Cumberland | 24 | 1 | 4% | 0 | 96% |
| Manchester | 79 | 3 | 4% | 0 | 96% |
| Warrington | 26 | 1 | 4% | 0 | 96% |
| Lancashire | 125 | 4 | 3% | 1 | 96% |
| Tameside | 32 | 1 | 3% | 1 | 94% |
| Rochdale | 36 | 1 | 3% | 1 | 94% |
| Wigan | 51 | 1 | 2% | 0 | 98% |
| Bolton | 46 | 0 | 0% | 1 | 98% |
| Sefton | 39 | 0 | 0% | 1 | 97% |
| Cheshire East | 36 | 0 | 0% | 0 | 100% |
| Salford | 36 | 0 | 0% | 0 | 100% |
| Westmorland and Furness | 35 | 0 | 0% | 0 | 100% |
| Stockport | 33 | 0 | 0% | 0 | 100% |
| Oldham | 32 | 0 | 0% | 0 | 100% |
| St. Helens | 26 | 0 | 0% | 0 | 100% |
| Trafford | 26 | 0 | 0% | 0 | 100% |
| Blackburn with Darwen | 23 | 0 | 0% | 1 | 96% |
| Knowsley | 22 | 0 | 0% | 0 | 100% |
By rating band in North West
- GP practices rated “outstanding” in North West (53 of 952)
- GP practices rated “inadequate” in North West (8 of 952)
Frequently asked questions
How many GP practices in North West are rated "requires improvement"?
As of 1 June 2026, 28 of 952 GP practices in North West with an overall CQC rating were rated "requires improvement" (3%). 8 were rated "inadequate", and 915 were "good" or "outstanding".
How does North West compare with the rest of England?
North West ranks 6 of 9 English regions by share of "requires improvement" GP practices (1 = highest share). Its 3% compares with 4% across all rated practices in England.
Which area within North West has the most "requires improvement" GP practices?
Of local authorities in North West with at least 20 rated GP practices, Liverpool had the highest share: 9 of 85 (11%), as of 1 June 2026.
Where does this data come from?
Figures are from the CQC's official "Care directory with ratings" (as-of 1 June 2026), under the Open Government Licence v3.0. They count the overall rating per GP practice; the CQC uses a categorical scheme, not a numeric score.
Other regions
How long are NHS waits in North West?
A GP practice's CQC rating is one part of the picture. See how long NHS treatment is currently taking across North West — official NHS England Referral to Treatment waiting times, by specialty.
- NHS waiting times in North West — 968,973 patients waiting, median 12.1 weeks (April 2026)
- Oral Surgery Service waits in North West — median 15.8 weeks
- Plastic Surgery Service waits in North West — median 15.5 weeks
NHS England Referral to Treatment (RTT) waiting times, commissioner basis. Open Government Licence v3.0.
Source: Care Quality Commission www.cqc.org.uk. Licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Ratings are taken from the CQC’s Care directory with ratings (01_June_2026_Latest_ratings.ods, as-of 1 June 2026), published at www.cqc.org.uk. CQC ratings are categorical and change as practices are re-inspected. This analysis is by GeraClinic and is not affiliated with or endorsed by the CQC.