Sabden & Whalley Medical Group, Clitheroe: patient reviews and CQC rating
Sabden & Whalley Medical Group is a GP practice in Clitheroe with 14,804 registered patients (September 2026). In the 2026 GP Patient Survey, 88% of its patients described their overall experience as good, above the England figure of 77% (Lancashire and South Cumbria: 78%). The Care Quality Commission rates it Good overall, in a report published in May 2017. It has 7.3 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs, or 2,028 patients per GP.
Latest data: September 2026. Patient survey 2026; registered patients September 2026; appointments to August 2026.
What patients say about Sabden & Whalley Medical Group
Its best result against England is the share who found it easy to get through to the practice by phone: 85%, above the England figure of 57%. Its weakest is the share who said the wait for their last appointment was about right: 61%, below the England figure of 69%. Of the 11 results in the table, 5 are above England and 1 below by more than the survey's margin of error, and 5 within it.
On overall experience it is 3rd of the 4 practices in Clitheroe with 50 or more responses. 85% found it easy to get through by phone (England: 57%). The overall experience result is 12 points higher than in 2025 (76%). 120 patients answered the survey (response rate 35%).
| Survey question | Sabden & Whalley Medical Group | Lancashire and South Cumbria | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overall experience good | 88% | 78% | 77% |
| Easy to contact by phone | 85% | 61% | 57% |
| Easy to contact via the website | 72% | 55% | 58% |
| Easy to contact via the NHS App | 68% | 57% | 54% |
| Reception team helpful | 89% | 86% | 85% |
| Last contact good | 83% | 74% | 73% |
| Wait for appointment about right | 61% | 70% | 69% |
| Listened to well | 92% | 88% | 87% |
| Treated with care and concern | 94% | 87% | 86% |
| Confidence and trust in the clinician | 97% | 93% | 93% |
| Needs met | 93% | 91% | 90% |
In the Friends and Family Test for July 2026, 94% of 32 responses rated the practice good or very good (England: 92%).
CQC's overall rating for Sabden & Whalley Medical Group is Good, published in May 2017. All 5 key questions are rated Good. It held the same rating in the report before (November 2016).
| Key question | Rating |
|---|---|
| Safe | Good |
| Well-led | Good |
| Caring | Good |
| Responsive | Good |
| Effective | Good |
14,804 patients were registered at Sabden & Whalley Medical Group in September 2026, almost the same as a year earlier.
26% of its patients are aged 65 or over, against 19% across England. With 7.3 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs, there are 2,028 patients per GP, close to the England figure of 2,171 and Lancashire and South Cumbria's 2,288. The practice also has 4.1 nurses and 6.3 other clinical staff such as pharmacists and physiotherapists (full-time equivalent).
| Year | Qualified GPs (FTE) | All GPs incl. trainees (FTE) |
|---|---|---|
| August 2023 | 7.8 | 9.7 |
| August 2024 | 8.1 | 10.0 |
| August 2025 | 8.1 | 10.2 |
| August 2026 | 7.3 | 9.2 |
From June 2026 to August 2026 the practice recorded 5,447 appointments a month, or 368 per 1,000 registered patients (England: 510). 79% were face to face (England: 63%). 26% took place on the day they were booked and 8% more than 28 days after booking (England: 45% and 5%).
49% were with a GP rather than another member of the practice team. 5% of booked patients did not attend.
| Measure | Sabden & Whalley Medical Group | Lancashire and South Cumbria | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Appointments per 1,000 patients a month | 368 | 471 | 510 |
| Face to face | 79% | 70% | 63% |
| Same day as booked | 26% | 42% | 45% |
| More than 28 days after booking | 8% | 6% | 5% |
| Did not attend | 5% | 5% | 4% |
Compared with England, the practice has a higher share of patients on its registers for osteoporosis (2.3% against 1.2%), atrial fibrillation (3.2% against 2.2%) and cancer (5.0% against 3.8%). It has a lower share for a learning disability (0.2% against 0.6%), diabetes (6.0% against 7.9%) and COPD (1.5% against 1.9%). The practice's patients live in areas with an average deprivation score of 7.7 (England: 21.8; higher is more deprived).
Life expectancy for its patients' neighbourhoods is 85.5 years for women and 81.5 for men (England: 83.0 and 79.1).
| Condition register | Age group | Practice (2024/25) | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| High blood pressure | All ages | 18.4% | 15.2% |
| Depression | 18+ yrs | 12.8% | 14.3% |
| Asthma | 6+ yrs | 7.2% | 6.6% |
| Diabetes | 17+ yrs | 6.0% | 7.9% |
| Chronic kidney disease | 18+ yrs | 5.5% | 4.6% |
| Cancer | All ages | 5.0% | 3.8% |
| Coronary heart disease | All ages | 3.3% | 3.0% |
| Atrial fibrillation | All ages | 3.2% | 2.2% |
| Osteoporosis | 50+ yrs | 2.3% | 1.2% |
| Stroke and TIA | All ages | 2.1% | 1.9% |
| COPD | All ages | 1.5% | 1.9% |
| Heart failure | All ages | 1.4% | 1.1% |
| Serious mental illness | All ages | 1.0% | 1.0% |
| Dementia | All ages | 0.8% | 0.8% |
| Epilepsy | 18+ yrs | 0.7% | 0.8% |
| Peripheral arterial disease | All ages | 0.7% | 0.6% |
| Rheumatoid arthritis | 16+ yrs | 0.7% | 0.8% |
| Palliative care | All ages | 0.5% | 0.6% |
| Learning disability | All ages | 0.2% | 0.6% |
| Screening coverage | Period | Practice | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bowel cancer screening (aged 60 to 74) | 2024/25 | 80.2% | 72.9% |
| Breast cancer screening (women aged 53 to 70) | 2024/25 | 82.5% | 72.2% |
| Cervical screening (women aged 25 to 49) | 2023/24 | 80.3% | 67.5% |
| Cervical screening (women aged 50 to 64) | 2023/24 | 78.4% | 74.9% |
Sabden & Whalley Medical Group, 42 King Street, Whalley, Clitheroe, BB7 9SL. Phone: 01254 919888. Website: www.whalleysurgerynhs.uk.
| Nearby practice | Distance | Overall experience good |
|---|---|---|
| Great Harwood Medical Group | 3.5 km | 77% |
| The Clayton Medical Centre | 5.3 km | 65% |
| The Weavers Practice | 5.7 km | 59% |
| Pendleside Medical Practice | 6.1 km | 79% |
| The Castle Medical Group | 6.1 km | 92% |
- Pendleside Medical Practice (79% overall experience good)
- Slaidburn Country Practice (99% overall experience good)
- The Castle Medical Group (92% overall experience good)
How do patients rate Sabden & Whalley Medical Group?
In the 2026 GP Patient Survey, 88% of patients described their overall experience of Sabden & Whalley Medical Group as good, above the England figure of 77%. 85% found it easy to get through by phone.
How many patients are registered at Sabden & Whalley Medical Group?
14,804 patients were registered in September 2026, down 0.4% on a year earlier.
What is Sabden & Whalley Medical Group's CQC rating?
Good overall, published in May 2017.
How many GPs does Sabden & Whalley Medical Group have?
7.3 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs (10 qualified GPs by headcount), which is 2,028 patients per GP against 2,171 across England.
Are appointments at Sabden & Whalley Medical Group face to face?
79% of appointments from June 2026 to August 2026 were face to face, against 63% across England.
What is Sabden & Whalley Medical Group's phone number?
01254 919888.