Spencer Street Surgery, Carlisle: patient reviews and CQC rating
Spencer Street Surgery is a GP practice in Carlisle with 13,719 registered patients (September 2026). In the 2026 GP Patient Survey, 89% of its patients described their overall experience as good, above the England figure of 77% (North East and North Cumbria: 80%). The Care Quality Commission rates it Good overall, in a report published in August 2016. It has 6.9 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs, or 1,994 patients per GP.
Latest data: September 2026. Patient survey 2026; registered patients September 2026; appointments to August 2026.
What patients say about Spencer Street Surgery
Its best result against England is the share who found it easy to contact the practice through its website: 82%, above the England figure of 58%. Its result closest to England is the share who had confidence and trust in the healthcare professional they saw: 98%, above the England figure of 93%. Of the 11 results in the table, 11 are above England and 0 below by more than the survey's margin of error.
On overall experience it is 1st of the 7 practices in Carlisle with 50 or more responses. 75% found it easy to get through by phone (England: 57%). The overall experience result is 3 points lower than in 2025 (92%). 115 patients answered the survey (response rate 34%).
| Survey question | Spencer Street Surgery | North East and North Cumbria | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overall experience good | 89% | 80% | 77% |
| Easy to contact by phone | 75% | 62% | 57% |
| Easy to contact via the website | 82% | 59% | 58% |
| Easy to contact via the NHS App | 74% | 58% | 54% |
| Reception team helpful | 92% | 88% | 85% |
| Last contact good | 88% | 76% | 73% |
| Wait for appointment about right | 87% | 72% | 69% |
| Listened to well | 96% | 89% | 87% |
| Treated with care and concern | 96% | 88% | 86% |
| Confidence and trust in the clinician | 98% | 93% | 93% |
| Needs met | 96% | 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 Spencer Street Surgery is Good, published in August 2016. All 5 key questions are rated Good.
| Key question | Rating |
|---|---|
| Safe | Good |
| Well-led | Good |
| Caring | Good |
| Responsive | Good |
| Effective | Good |
13,719 patients were registered at Spencer Street Surgery in September 2026, up 0.6% on a year earlier (England: down 1.1%).
22% of its patients are aged 65 or over, against 19% across England. With 6.9 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs, there are 1,994 patients per GP, close to the England figure of 2,171 and North East and North Cumbria's 2,088. The practice also has 3.4 nurses and 3.3 other clinical staff such as pharmacists and physiotherapists (full-time equivalent).
| Year | Qualified GPs (FTE) | All GPs incl. trainees (FTE) |
|---|---|---|
| August 2023 | 6.2 | 7.3 |
| August 2024 | 7.2 | 8.9 |
| August 2025 | 6.6 | 8.5 |
| August 2026 | 6.9 | 9.9 |
From June 2026 to August 2026 the practice recorded 9,876 appointments a month, or 720 per 1,000 registered patients (England: 510). 31% were face to face (England: 63%). 71% took place on the day they were booked and 4% more than 28 days after booking (England: 45% and 5%).
73% were with a GP rather than another member of the practice team. 9% of booked patients did not attend.
| Measure | Spencer Street Surgery | North East and North Cumbria | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Appointments per 1,000 patients a month | 720 | 550 | 510 |
| Face to face | 31% | 68% | 63% |
| Same day as booked | 71% | 42% | 45% |
| More than 28 days after booking | 4% | 6% | 5% |
| Did not attend | 9% | 4% | 4% |
Compared with England, the practice has a higher share of patients on its registers for peripheral arterial disease (1.1% against 0.6%), depression (26.2% against 14.3%) and serious mental illness (1.6% against 1.0%). It has a lower share for osteoporosis (0.4% against 1.2%), a learning disability (0.4% against 0.6%) and heart failure (0.8% against 1.1%). The practice's patients live in areas with an average deprivation score of 23.8 (England: 21.8; higher is more deprived).
Life expectancy for its patients' neighbourhoods is 81.3 years for women and 76.7 for men (England: 83.0 and 79.1).
| Condition register | Age group | Practice (2024/25) | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Depression | 18+ yrs | 26.2% | 14.3% |
| High blood pressure | All ages | 15.4% | 15.2% |
| Diabetes | 17+ yrs | 7.4% | 7.9% |
| Asthma | 6+ yrs | 7.0% | 6.6% |
| Cancer | All ages | 4.7% | 3.8% |
| Coronary heart disease | All ages | 4.2% | 3.0% |
| Chronic kidney disease | 18+ yrs | 3.3% | 4.6% |
| Stroke and TIA | All ages | 2.6% | 1.9% |
| Atrial fibrillation | All ages | 2.5% | 2.2% |
| COPD | All ages | 2.3% | 1.9% |
| Serious mental illness | All ages | 1.6% | 1.0% |
| Epilepsy | 18+ yrs | 1.2% | 0.8% |
| Peripheral arterial disease | All ages | 1.1% | 0.6% |
| Rheumatoid arthritis | 16+ yrs | 0.9% | 0.8% |
| Dementia | All ages | 0.8% | 0.8% |
| Heart failure | All ages | 0.8% | 1.1% |
| Palliative care | All ages | 0.8% | 0.6% |
| Osteoporosis | 50+ yrs | 0.4% | 1.2% |
| Learning disability | All ages | 0.4% | 0.6% |
| Screening coverage | Period | Practice | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bowel cancer screening (aged 60 to 74) | 2024/25 | 77.4% | 72.9% |
| Breast cancer screening (women aged 53 to 70) | 2024/25 | 73.0% | 72.2% |
| Cervical screening (women aged 25 to 49) | 2023/24 | 75.8% | 67.5% |
| Cervical screening (women aged 50 to 64) | 2023/24 | 77.9% | 74.9% |
Spencer Street Surgery, 10 Spencer Street, Carlisle, CA1 1BP. Phone: 01228 529171. Website: www.spencerstreetsurgery.co.uk.
| Nearby practice | Distance | Overall experience good |
|---|---|---|
| Carlisle Central Practice | 0.2 km | 63% |
| Warwick Square Group Practice | 0.3 km | 81% |
| Eden Medical Group | 1.3 km | 57% |
| St Pauls Practice | 2.1 km | 80% |
| Dalston Medical Group | 6.9 km | 74% |
- Brampton Medical Practice (76% overall experience good)
- Longtown Medical Centre (85% overall experience good)
- St Pauls Practice (80% overall experience good)
How do patients rate Spencer Street Surgery?
In the 2026 GP Patient Survey, 89% of patients described their overall experience of Spencer Street Surgery as good, above the England figure of 77%. 75% found it easy to get through by phone.
How many patients are registered at Spencer Street Surgery?
13,719 patients were registered in September 2026, up 0.6% on a year earlier.
What is Spencer Street Surgery's CQC rating?
Good overall, published in August 2016.
How many GPs does Spencer Street Surgery have?
6.9 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs (10 qualified GPs by headcount), which is 1,994 patients per GP against 2,171 across England.
Are appointments at Spencer Street Surgery face to face?
31% of appointments from June 2026 to August 2026 were face to face, against 63% across England.
What is Spencer Street Surgery's phone number?
01228 529171.