Dalston Medical Group, Carlisle: patient reviews and CQC rating
Dalston Medical Group is a GP practice in Carlisle with 5,219 registered patients (September 2026). In the 2026 GP Patient Survey, 74% of its patients described their overall experience as good, against 77% across England (North East and North Cumbria: 80%). The Care Quality Commission rates it Good overall, in a report published in July 2018. It has 2.5 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs, or 2,071 patients per GP.
Latest data: September 2026. Patient survey 2026; registered patients September 2026; appointments to August 2026.
What patients say about Dalston Medical Group
Its best result against England is the share who found it easy to contact the practice using the NHS App: 84%, above the England figure of 54%. Its weakest is the share who described their overall experience of the practice as good: 74%, against 77% across England. Of the 11 results in the table, 2 are above England and 0 below by more than the survey's margin of error, and 9 within it.
On overall experience it is 5th of the 7 practices in Carlisle with 50 or more responses. 80% found it easy to get through by phone (England: 57%). The overall experience result is 14 points lower than in 2025 (88%). 117 patients answered the survey (response rate 36%).
| Survey question | Dalston Medical Group | North East and North Cumbria | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overall experience good | 74% | 80% | 77% |
| Easy to contact by phone | 80% | 62% | 57% |
| Easy to contact via the website | 60% | 59% | 58% |
| Easy to contact via the NHS App | 84% | 58% | 54% |
| Reception team helpful | 86% | 88% | 85% |
| Last contact good | 77% | 76% | 73% |
| Wait for appointment about right | 77% | 72% | 69% |
| Listened to well | 89% | 89% | 87% |
| Treated with care and concern | 85% | 88% | 86% |
| Confidence and trust in the clinician | 91% | 93% | 93% |
| Needs met | 90% | 91% | 90% |
In the Friends and Family Test for July 2026, 96% of 50 responses rated the practice good or very good (England: 92%).
CQC's overall rating for Dalston Medical Group is Good, published in July 2018. All 5 key questions are rated Good. It held the same rating in the report before (June 2015).
| Key question | Rating |
|---|---|
| Safe | Good |
| Well-led | Good |
| Caring | Good |
| Responsive | Good |
| Effective | Good |
5,219 patients were registered at Dalston Medical Group in September 2026, up 1.0% on a year earlier (England: down 1.1%).
29% of its patients are aged 65 or over, against 19% across England. With 2.5 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs, there are 2,071 patients per GP, close to the England figure of 2,171 and North East and North Cumbria's 2,088. The practice also has 0.8 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 | 2.6 | 3.4 |
| August 2024 | 3.5 | 5.6 |
| August 2025 | 2.5 | 4.7 |
| August 2026 | 2.5 | 5.0 |
From June 2026 to August 2026 the practice recorded 2,566 appointments a month, or 492 per 1,000 registered patients (England: 510). 53% were face to face (England: 63%). 40% took place on the day they were booked and 6% more than 28 days after booking (England: 45% and 5%).
38% were with a GP rather than another member of the practice team. 3% of booked patients did not attend.
| Measure | Dalston Medical Group | North East and North Cumbria | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Appointments per 1,000 patients a month | 492 | 550 | 510 |
| Face to face | 53% | 68% | 63% |
| Same day as booked | 40% | 42% | 45% |
| More than 28 days after booking | 6% | 6% | 5% |
| Did not attend | 3% | 4% | 4% |
Compared with England, the practice has a higher share of patients on its registers for chronic kidney disease (8.6% against 4.6%), stroke or TIA (2.9% against 1.9%) and atrial fibrillation (3.4% against 2.2%). It has a lower share for osteoporosis (0.3% against 1.2%). The practice's patients live in areas with an average deprivation score of 13.6 (England: 21.8; higher is more deprived).
Life expectancy for its patients' neighbourhoods is 83.4 years for women and 81.0 for men (England: 83.0 and 79.1).
| Condition register | Age group | Practice (2024/25) | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| High blood pressure | All ages | 19.9% | 15.2% |
| Depression | 18+ yrs | 18.2% | 14.3% |
| Diabetes | 17+ yrs | 8.9% | 7.9% |
| Chronic kidney disease | 18+ yrs | 8.6% | 4.6% |
| Asthma | 6+ yrs | 7.1% | 6.6% |
| Cancer | All ages | 5.5% | 3.8% |
| Coronary heart disease | All ages | 4.5% | 3.0% |
| Atrial fibrillation | All ages | 3.4% | 2.2% |
| Stroke and TIA | All ages | 2.9% | 1.9% |
| COPD | All ages | 1.9% | 1.9% |
| Rheumatoid arthritis | 16+ yrs | 1.3% | 0.8% |
| Heart failure | All ages | 0.9% | 1.1% |
| Epilepsy | 18+ yrs | 0.9% | 0.8% |
| Peripheral arterial disease | All ages | 0.8% | 0.6% |
| Serious mental illness | All ages | 0.8% | 1.0% |
| Dementia | All ages | 0.6% | 0.8% |
| Learning disability | All ages | 0.4% | 0.6% |
| 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 | 80.0% | 72.9% |
| Breast cancer screening (women aged 53 to 70) | 2024/25 | 76.2% | 72.2% |
| Cervical screening (women aged 25 to 49) | 2023/24 | 86.9% | 67.5% |
| Cervical screening (women aged 50 to 64) | 2023/24 | 79.8% | 74.9% |
Dalston Medical Group, The Surgery, Townhead Road, Dalston, Carlisle, CA5 7PZ. Phone: 01228 710451. Website: www.dalstonmedicalgroup.co.uk.
| Nearby practice | Distance | Overall experience good |
|---|---|---|
| Eden Medical Group | 6.3 km | 57% |
| Warwick Square Group Practice | 6.9 km | 81% |
| Carlisle Central Practice | 6.9 km | 63% |
| Spencer Street Surgery | 6.9 km | 89% |
| St Pauls Practice | 7.2 km | 80% |
- Aspatria Medical Group (96% overall experience good)
- Caldbeck Surgery (93% overall experience good)
- Castlehead Medical Centre (79% overall experience good)
- Silloth Group Medical Practice (92% overall experience good)
- The Croft Surgery (92% overall experience good)
- Wigton Group Medical Practice (77% overall experience good)
How do patients rate Dalston Medical Group?
In the 2026 GP Patient Survey, 74% of patients described their overall experience of Dalston Medical Group as good, against 77% across England. 80% found it easy to get through by phone.
How many patients are registered at Dalston Medical Group?
5,219 patients were registered in September 2026, up 1.0% on a year earlier.
What is Dalston Medical Group's CQC rating?
Good overall, published in July 2018.
How many GPs does Dalston Medical Group have?
2.5 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs (3 qualified GPs by headcount), which is 2,071 patients per GP against 2,171 across England.
Are appointments at Dalston Medical Group face to face?
53% of appointments from June 2026 to August 2026 were face to face, against 63% across England.
What is Dalston Medical Group's phone number?
01228 710451.