Simply the best

The best GP surgeries in Greater Manchester have been revealed and the top spot goes to a well- loved Stockport practice.

High Lane Medical Centre came first in the region – and the 26th best in England – according to a national GP Patient Survey.

And to cap it all, a second Stockport practice, Marple Bridge Surgery, came fourth in the region giving the borough two surgeries in the top ten.

High Lane’s survey results were outstanding with more than 98 per cent of patients at the practice saying they were treated with care and concern and that their GP listened to them properly.

Every patient who took part said reception staff were helpful and nearly 99pc rated their overall experience of the surgery as good.

Dr Bob Mathewson, the lead GP at High Lane Medical Centre, said “I’m delighted that we’ve come first but really I shouldn’t be surprised.

“All of the staff at High Lane work so hard to create the right sort of atmosphere for our patients – friendly, approachable but professional.

“We’re not ‘No’ people so we pick up on problems early, deal with them and try to be sensitive to everyone’s wishes. Also, we learn from our mistakes – if things go wrong, we don’t blame staff but rather analyse what’s happened and say ‘we’ll do it this way next time’.

“Our patients are most definitely at the centre of everything we do so it’s good to see that they recognise this and I’d like to thank them for the lovely comments they’ve made about us.”

More than one million people voted in the GP Patient Survey which is a huge poll carried out by NHS England each year.

It covers everything from the trust patients have in their doctor, to the attitude of reception staff and how easy it is to get an appointment.

The surgeries were ranked based on seven key criteria, how easy it is to get an appointment, whether opening times are convenient, whether people trust the GP, whether the GP listens to them, whether the GP treats them with care and concern, whether receptionists are helpful, and how patients rate their overall experience.