The Castle Medical Group, Clitheroe: patient reviews and CQC rating
The Castle Medical Group is a GP practice in Clitheroe with 15,767 registered patients (September 2026). In the 2026 GP Patient Survey, 92% 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 Outstanding overall, in a report published in March 2016. It has 7.5 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs, or 2,089 patients per GP.
Latest data: September 2026. Patient survey 2026; registered patients September 2026; appointments to August 2026.
What patients say about The Castle Medical Group
Its best result against England is the share who described their last contact with the practice as good: 88%, above the England figure of 73%. Its weakest is the share who found it easy to contact the practice through its website: 49%, against 58% across England. Of the 11 results in the table, 6 are above England and 0 below by more than the survey's margin of error, and 5 within it.
On overall experience it is 2nd of the 4 practices in Clitheroe with 50 or more responses. 64% found it easy to get through by phone (England: 57%). The overall experience result is 7 points higher than in 2025 (85%). 116 patients answered the survey (response rate 32%).
| Survey question | The Castle Medical Group | Lancashire and South Cumbria | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overall experience good | 92% | 78% | 77% |
| Easy to contact by phone | 64% | 61% | 57% |
| Easy to contact via the website | 49% | 55% | 58% |
| Easy to contact via the NHS App | 49% | 57% | 54% |
| Reception team helpful | 81% | 86% | 85% |
| Last contact good | 88% | 74% | 73% |
| Wait for appointment about right | 73% | 70% | 69% |
| Listened to well | 98% | 88% | 87% |
| Treated with care and concern | 94% | 87% | 86% |
| Confidence and trust in the clinician | 98% | 93% | 93% |
| Needs met | 98% | 91% | 90% |
In the Friends and Family Test for July 2026, 94% of 398 responses rated the practice good or very good (England: 92%).
CQC's overall rating for The Castle Medical Group 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 |
15,767 patients were registered at The Castle Medical Group in September 2026, up 0.6% on a year earlier (England: down 1.1%).
25% of its patients are aged 65 or over, against 19% across England. With 7.5 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs, there are 2,089 patients per GP, close to the England figure of 2,171 and Lancashire and South Cumbria's 2,288. The practice also has 8.4 nurses and 6.8 other clinical staff such as pharmacists and physiotherapists (full-time equivalent).
| Year | Qualified GPs (FTE) | All GPs incl. trainees (FTE) |
|---|---|---|
| August 2023 | 7.5 | 9.5 |
| August 2024 | 8.2 | 10.1 |
| August 2025 | 7.5 | 9.3 |
| August 2026 | 7.5 | 11.2 |
From June 2026 to August 2026 the practice recorded 6,589 appointments a month, or 418 per 1,000 registered patients (England: 510). 75% were face to face (England: 63%). 34% took place on the day they were booked and 4% more than 28 days after booking (England: 45% and 5%).
33% were with a GP rather than another member of the practice team. 5% of booked patients did not attend.
| Measure | The Castle Medical Group | Lancashire and South Cumbria | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Appointments per 1,000 patients a month | 418 | 471 | 510 |
| Face to face | 75% | 70% | 63% |
| Same day as booked | 34% | 42% | 45% |
| More than 28 days after booking | 4% | 6% | 5% |
| Did not attend | 5% | 5% | 4% |
Compared with England, the practice has a higher share of patients on its registers for heart failure (1.5% against 1.1%), atrial fibrillation (3.1% against 2.2%) and coronary heart disease (4.0% against 3.0%). It has a lower share for a learning disability (0.4% against 0.6%) and depression (11.3% against 14.3%). The practice's patients live in areas with an average deprivation score of 11.5 (England: 21.8; higher is more deprived).
Life expectancy for its patients' neighbourhoods is 83.4 years for women and 80.7 for men (England: 83.0 and 79.1).
| Condition register | Age group | Practice (2024/25) | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| High blood pressure | All ages | 18.9% | 15.2% |
| Depression | 18+ yrs | 11.3% | 14.3% |
| Asthma | 6+ yrs | 8.4% | 6.6% |
| Diabetes | 17+ yrs | 7.3% | 7.9% |
| Cancer | All ages | 5.0% | 3.8% |
| Chronic kidney disease | 18+ yrs | 4.7% | 4.6% |
| Coronary heart disease | All ages | 4.0% | 3.0% |
| Atrial fibrillation | All ages | 3.1% | 2.2% |
| COPD | All ages | 2.5% | 1.9% |
| Stroke and TIA | All ages | 2.3% | 1.9% |
| Heart failure | All ages | 1.5% | 1.1% |
| Osteoporosis | 50+ yrs | 1.4% | 1.2% |
| Serious mental illness | All ages | 1.0% | 1.0% |
| Dementia | All ages | 0.9% | 0.8% |
| Epilepsy | 18+ yrs | 0.8% | 0.8% |
| Peripheral arterial disease | All ages | 0.7% | 0.6% |
| Rheumatoid arthritis | 16+ yrs | 0.7% | 0.8% |
| Palliative care | All ages | 0.6% | 0.6% |
| Learning disability | All ages | 0.4% | 0.6% |
| Screening coverage | Period | Practice | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bowel cancer screening (aged 60 to 74) | 2024/25 | 78.6% | 72.9% |
| Breast cancer screening (women aged 53 to 70) | 2024/25 | 83.6% | 72.2% |
| Cervical screening (women aged 25 to 49) | 2023/24 | 80.4% | 67.5% |
| Cervical screening (women aged 50 to 64) | 2023/24 | 80.9% | 74.9% |
99% of the practice's patients live in the BB7 postcode district. 100% live in Ribble Valley, the council area the practice is in.
| Postcode district | Registered patients | Share |
|---|---|---|
| BB7 | 15,528 | 99% |
The Castle Medical Group, Clitheroe Health Centre, Railway View Avenue, Clitheroe, BB7 2JG. Phone: 01200 408920. Website: www.castlemedical.co.uk.
| Nearby practice | Distance | Overall experience good |
|---|---|---|
| Pendleside Medical Practice | 0.0 km | 79% |
| Sabden & Whalley Medical Group | 6.1 km | 88% |
| Great Harwood Medical Group | 9.5 km | 77% |
| Padiham Group Practice | 9.7 km | 72% |
| Slaidburn Country Practice | 10.9 km | 99% |
- Pendleside Medical Practice (79% overall experience good)
- Sabden & Whalley Medical Group (88% overall experience good)
- Slaidburn Country Practice (99% overall experience good)
How do patients rate The Castle Medical Group?
In the 2026 GP Patient Survey, 92% of patients described their overall experience of The Castle Medical Group as good, above the England figure of 77%. 64% found it easy to get through by phone.
How many patients are registered at The Castle Medical Group?
15,767 patients were registered in September 2026, up 0.6% on a year earlier.
What is The Castle Medical Group's CQC rating?
Outstanding overall, published in March 2016.
How many GPs does The Castle Medical Group have?
7.5 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs (11 qualified GPs by headcount), which is 2,089 patients per GP against 2,171 across England.
Are appointments at The Castle Medical Group face to face?
75% of appointments from June 2026 to August 2026 were face to face, against 63% across England.
What is The Castle Medical Group's phone number?
01200 408920.