The Family Practice, Blackburn: patient reviews and CQC rating
The Family Practice is a GP practice in Blackburn with 5,066 registered patients (September 2026). In the 2026 GP Patient Survey, 58% 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 Good overall, in a report published in November 2018. It has 2.0 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs, or 2,533 patients per GP.
Latest data: September 2026. Patient survey 2026; registered patients September 2026; appointments to August 2026.
What patients say about The Family Practice
Its result closest to England is the share who said the healthcare professional was good at listening to them: 86%, against 87% across England. Its weakest is the share who described their overall experience of the practice as good: 58%, below the England figure of 77%. 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 19th of the 20 practices in Blackburn with 50 or more responses. 40% found it easy to get through by phone (England: 57%). The overall experience result is 10 points higher than in 2025 (48%). 96 patients answered the survey (response rate 13%).
| Survey question | The Family Practice | Lancashire and South Cumbria | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overall experience good | 58% | 78% | 77% |
| Easy to contact by phone | 40% | 61% | 57% |
| Easy to contact via the website | 40% | 55% | 58% |
| Easy to contact via the NHS App | 46% | 57% | 54% |
| Reception team helpful | 74% | 86% | 85% |
| Last contact good | 56% | 74% | 73% |
| Wait for appointment about right | 65% | 70% | 69% |
| Listened to well | 86% | 88% | 87% |
| Treated with care and concern | 82% | 87% | 86% |
| Confidence and trust in the clinician | 91% | 93% | 93% |
| Needs met | 87% | 91% | 90% |
CQC's overall rating for The Family Practice is Good, published in November 2018. All 5 key questions are rated Good. It held the same rating in the report before (May 2017).
| Key question | Rating |
|---|---|
| Safe | Good |
| Well-led | Good |
| Caring | Good |
| Responsive | Good |
| Effective | Good |
5,066 patients were registered at The Family Practice in September 2026, down 5.7% on a year earlier (England: down 1.1%).
7% of its patients are aged 65 or over, against 19% across England. With 2.0 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs, there are 2,533 patients per GP, more than the England figure of 2,171 and Lancashire and South Cumbria's 2,288. The practice also has 1.9 nurses (full-time equivalent).
| Year | Qualified GPs (FTE) | All GPs incl. trainees (FTE) |
|---|---|---|
| August 2023 | 2.0 | 2.0 |
| August 2024 | 2.0 | 2.0 |
| August 2025 | 2.0 | 2.0 |
| August 2026 | 2.0 | 2.0 |
From June 2026 to August 2026 the practice recorded 1,552 appointments a month, or 306 per 1,000 registered patients (England: 510). 77% were face to face (England: 63%). 48% took place on the day they were booked and 1% more than 28 days after booking (England: 45% and 5%).
38% were with a GP rather than another member of the practice team. 8% of booked patients did not attend.
| Measure | The Family Practice | Lancashire and South Cumbria | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Appointments per 1,000 patients a month | 306 | 471 | 510 |
| Face to face | 77% | 70% | 63% |
| Same day as booked | 48% | 42% | 45% |
| More than 28 days after booking | 1% | 6% | 5% |
| Did not attend | 8% | 5% | 4% |
Compared with England, the practice has a higher share of patients on its registers for serious mental illness (1.5% against 1.0%). It has a lower share for osteoporosis (0.1% against 1.2%), palliative or supportive care needs (0.1% against 0.6%) and dementia (0.2% against 0.8%). The practice's patients live in areas with an average deprivation score of 47.5 (England: 21.8; higher is more deprived).
Life expectancy for its patients' neighbourhoods is 79.4 years for women and 74.3 for men (England: 83.0 and 79.1).
| Condition register | Age group | Practice (2024/25) | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Depression | 18+ yrs | 15.5% | 14.3% |
| High blood pressure | All ages | 7.3% | 15.2% |
| Diabetes | 17+ yrs | 7.2% | 7.9% |
| Asthma | 6+ yrs | 5.2% | 6.6% |
| Coronary heart disease | All ages | 2.1% | 3.0% |
| Serious mental illness | All ages | 1.5% | 1.0% |
| COPD | All ages | 1.4% | 1.9% |
| Cancer | All ages | 1.3% | 3.8% |
| Chronic kidney disease | 18+ yrs | 1.2% | 4.6% |
| Stroke and TIA | All ages | 0.9% | 1.9% |
| Atrial fibrillation | All ages | 0.7% | 2.2% |
| Heart failure | All ages | 0.5% | 1.1% |
| Rheumatoid arthritis | 16+ yrs | 0.5% | 0.8% |
| Epilepsy | 18+ yrs | 0.4% | 0.8% |
| Peripheral arterial disease | All ages | 0.4% | 0.6% |
| Learning disability | All ages | 0.3% | 0.6% |
| Dementia | All ages | 0.2% | 0.8% |
| Palliative care | All ages | 0.1% | 0.6% |
| Osteoporosis | 50+ yrs | 0.1% | 1.2% |
| Screening coverage | Period | Practice | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bowel cancer screening (aged 60 to 74) | 2024/25 | 56.0% | 72.9% |
| Breast cancer screening (women aged 53 to 70) | 2024/25 | 54.7% | 72.2% |
| Cervical screening (women aged 25 to 49) | 2023/24 | 51.3% | 67.5% |
| Cervical screening (women aged 50 to 64) | 2023/24 | 65.6% | 74.9% |
The Family Practice, Simmons Street, Blackburn, BB2 1AX. Phone: 01254 607301. Website: www.thefamilypracticeblackburn.co.uk.
| Nearby practice | Distance | Overall experience good |
|---|---|---|
| Oakenhurst Medical Practice | 0.0 km | 84% |
| Olive Medical Practice | 0.4 km | 63% |
| Dr RC Rautray's Practice | 0.9 km | 54% |
| Limefield and Cherry Tree Surgeries | 1.0 km | 79% |
| Shifa Surgery | 1.1 km | 65% |
- Limefield and Cherry Tree Surgeries (79% overall experience good)
- Little Harwood Health Centre (72% overall experience good)
- Oakenhurst Medical Practice (84% overall experience good)
- Redlam Surgery (83% overall experience good)
- Witton Medical Centre (91% overall experience good)
How do patients rate The Family Practice?
In the 2026 GP Patient Survey, 58% of patients described their overall experience of The Family Practice as good, below the England figure of 77%. 40% found it easy to get through by phone.
How many patients are registered at The Family Practice?
5,066 patients were registered in September 2026, down 5.7% on a year earlier.
What is The Family Practice's CQC rating?
Good overall, published in November 2018.
How many GPs does The Family Practice have?
2.0 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs (2 qualified GPs by headcount), which is 2,533 patients per GP against 2,171 across England.
Are appointments at The Family Practice face to face?
77% of appointments from June 2026 to August 2026 were face to face, against 63% across England.
What is The Family Practice's phone number?
01254 607301.