Norwood Medical Centre, Barrow-In-Furness: patient reviews and CQC rating
Norwood Medical Centre is a GP practice in Barrow-In-Furness with 11,815 registered patients (September 2026). In the 2026 GP Patient Survey, 66% of its patients described their overall experience as good, below the England figure of 77% (Lancashire and South Cumbria: 78%). The Care Quality Commission rates it Outstanding overall, in a report published in March 2016. It has 6.9 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs, or 1,701 patients per GP.
Latest data: September 2026. Patient survey 2026; registered patients September 2026; appointments to August 2026.
What patients say about Norwood Medical Centre
Its best result against England is the share who had confidence and trust in the healthcare professional they saw: 97%, against 93% across England. Its weakest is the share who found it easy to get through to the practice by phone: 40%, below the England figure of 57%. Of the 11 results in the table, 0 are above England and 5 below by more than the survey's margin of error, and 6 within it.
On overall experience it is 5th of the 7 practices in Barrow In Furness with 50 or more responses. 40% found it easy to get through by phone (England: 57%). The overall experience result is 17 points lower than in 2025 (83%). 107 patients answered the survey (response rate 25%).
| Survey question | Norwood Medical Centre | Lancashire and South Cumbria | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overall experience good | 66% | 78% | 77% |
| Easy to contact by phone | 40% | 61% | 57% |
| Easy to contact via the website | 54% | 55% | 58% |
| Easy to contact via the NHS App | 54% | 57% | 54% |
| Reception team helpful | 72% | 86% | 85% |
| Last contact good | 56% | 74% | 73% |
| Wait for appointment about right | 54% | 70% | 69% |
| Listened to well | 91% | 88% | 87% |
| Treated with care and concern | 90% | 87% | 86% |
| Confidence and trust in the clinician | 97% | 93% | 93% |
| Needs met | 94% | 91% | 90% |
In the Friends and Family Test for July 2026, 92% of 253 responses rated the practice good or very good (England: 92%).
CQC's overall rating for Norwood Medical Centre is Outstanding, published in March 2016. 2 key questions are rated differently: Safe Good and Effective Good.
| Key question | Rating |
|---|---|
| Safe | Good |
| Well-led | Outstanding |
| Caring | Outstanding |
| Responsive | Outstanding |
| Effective | Good |
11,815 patients were registered at Norwood Medical Centre in September 2026, down 2.3% on a year earlier (England: down 1.1%).
23% of its patients are aged 65 or over, against 19% across England. With 6.9 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs, there are 1,701 patients per GP, fewer than the England figure of 2,171 and Lancashire and South Cumbria's 2,288. The practice also has 5.0 nurses and 2.2 other clinical staff such as pharmacists and physiotherapists (full-time equivalent).
| Year | Qualified GPs (FTE) | All GPs incl. trainees (FTE) |
|---|---|---|
| August 2023 | 8.5 | 11.7 |
| August 2024 | 7.4 | 11.5 |
| August 2025 | 7.4 | 10.4 |
| August 2026 | 6.9 | 10.1 |
From June 2026 to August 2026 the practice recorded 4,643 appointments a month, or 393 per 1,000 registered patients (England: 510). 63% were face to face (England: 63%). 36% took place on the day they were booked and 11% more than 28 days after booking (England: 45% and 5%).
56% were with a GP rather than another member of the practice team. 7% of booked patients did not attend.
| Measure | Norwood Medical Centre | Lancashire and South Cumbria | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Appointments per 1,000 patients a month | 393 | 471 | 510 |
| Face to face | 63% | 70% | 63% |
| Same day as booked | 36% | 42% | 45% |
| More than 28 days after booking | 11% | 6% | 5% |
| Did not attend | 7% | 5% | 4% |
Compared with England, the practice has a higher share of patients on its registers for osteoporosis (3.1% against 1.2%), palliative or supportive care needs (1.0% against 0.6%) and dementia (1.1% against 0.8%). It has a lower share for depression (11.3% against 14.3%). The practice's patients live in areas with an average deprivation score of 28.5 (England: 21.8; higher is more deprived).
Life expectancy for its patients' neighbourhoods is 80.3 years for women and 76.0 for men (England: 83.0 and 79.1).
| Condition register | Age group | Practice (2024/25) | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| High blood pressure | All ages | 14.7% | 15.2% |
| Depression | 18+ yrs | 11.3% | 14.3% |
| Diabetes | 17+ yrs | 8.4% | 7.9% |
| Asthma | 6+ yrs | 7.6% | 6.6% |
| Chronic kidney disease | 18+ yrs | 4.3% | 4.6% |
| Cancer | All ages | 4.2% | 3.8% |
| Coronary heart disease | All ages | 3.5% | 3.0% |
| Osteoporosis | 50+ yrs | 3.1% | 1.2% |
| Atrial fibrillation | All ages | 2.9% | 2.2% |
| Stroke and TIA | All ages | 2.5% | 1.9% |
| COPD | All ages | 2.3% | 1.9% |
| Heart failure | All ages | 1.6% | 1.1% |
| Rheumatoid arthritis | 16+ yrs | 1.2% | 0.8% |
| Epilepsy | 18+ yrs | 1.1% | 0.8% |
| Serious mental illness | All ages | 1.1% | 1.0% |
| Dementia | All ages | 1.1% | 0.8% |
| Palliative care | All ages | 1.0% | 0.6% |
| Peripheral arterial disease | All ages | 0.7% | 0.6% |
| Learning disability | All ages | 0.5% | 0.6% |
| Screening coverage | Period | Practice | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bowel cancer screening (aged 60 to 74) | 2024/25 | 72.1% | 72.9% |
| Breast cancer screening (women aged 53 to 70) | 2024/25 | 75.8% | 72.2% |
| Cervical screening (women aged 25 to 49) | 2023/24 | 61.8% | 67.5% |
| Cervical screening (women aged 50 to 64) | 2023/24 | 69.5% | 74.9% |
Norwood Medical Centre, 99 Abbey Road, Barrow-In-Furness, LA14 5ES. Phone: 01229 402525. Website: www.norwoodmedicalcentre.co.uk.
| Nearby practice | Distance | Overall experience good |
|---|---|---|
| The Family Practice | 0.5 km | 62% |
| Duke Street Surgery | 1.0 km | 77% |
| Abbey Road Surgery | 1.0 km | 88% |
| Atkinson Health Centre Practice | 1.0 km | 86% |
| Risedale Surgery | 1.0 km | 59% |
- Abbey Road Surgery (88% overall experience good)
- Atkinson Health Centre Practice (86% overall experience good)
- Bridgegate Medical Centre (73% overall experience good)
- Burnett Edgar Medical Centre (84% overall experience good)
- Duke Street Surgery (77% overall experience good)
- Risedale Surgery (59% overall experience good)
- The Family Practice (62% overall experience good)
How do patients rate Norwood Medical Centre?
In the 2026 GP Patient Survey, 66% of patients described their overall experience of Norwood Medical Centre as good, below the England figure of 77%. 40% found it easy to get through by phone.
How many patients are registered at Norwood Medical Centre?
11,815 patients were registered in September 2026, down 2.3% on a year earlier.
What is Norwood Medical Centre's CQC rating?
Outstanding overall, published in March 2016.
How many GPs does Norwood Medical Centre have?
6.9 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs (9 qualified GPs by headcount), which is 1,701 patients per GP against 2,171 across England.
Are appointments at Norwood Medical Centre face to face?
63% of appointments from June 2026 to August 2026 were face to face, against 63% across England.
What is Norwood Medical Centre's phone number?
01229 402525.