Castlegate & Derwent Surgery, Cockermouth: patient reviews and CQC rating
Castlegate & Derwent Surgery is a GP practice in Cockermouth with 17,484 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 Requires Improvement overall, in a report published in May 2023. It has 4.6 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs, or 3,823 patients per GP.
Latest data: September 2026. Patient survey 2026; registered patients September 2026; appointments to August 2026.
What patients say about Castlegate & Derwent Surgery
Its best result against England is the share who found it easy to contact the practice through its website: 60%, against 58% across England. Its weakest is the share who found it easy to get through to the practice by phone: 39%, below the England figure of 57%. Of the 11 results in the table, 0 are above England and 1 below by more than the survey's margin of error, and 10 within it.
39% found it easy to get through by phone (England: 57%). The overall experience result is 10 points higher than in 2025 (64%). 142 patients answered the survey (response rate 39%).
| Survey question | Castlegate & Derwent Surgery | North East and North Cumbria | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overall experience good | 74% | 80% | 77% |
| Easy to contact by phone | 39% | 62% | 57% |
| Easy to contact via the website | 60% | 59% | 58% |
| Easy to contact via the NHS App | 51% | 58% | 54% |
| Reception team helpful | 80% | 88% | 85% |
| Last contact good | 70% | 76% | 73% |
| Wait for appointment about right | 69% | 72% | 69% |
| Listened to well | 86% | 89% | 87% |
| Treated with care and concern | 88% | 88% | 86% |
| Confidence and trust in the clinician | 90% | 93% | 93% |
| Needs met | 89% | 91% | 90% |
In the Friends and Family Test for July 2026, 92% of 66 responses rated the practice good or very good (England: 92%).
CQC's overall rating for Castlegate & Derwent Surgery is Requires Improvement, published in May 2023. 2 key questions are rated differently: Caring Good and Effective Good. Its previous overall rating was Good (November 2019).
| Key question | Rating |
|---|---|
| Safe | Requires Improvement |
| Well-led | Requires Improvement |
| Caring | Good |
| Responsive | Requires Improvement |
| Effective | Good |
17,484 patients were registered at Castlegate & Derwent Surgery in September 2026, down 3.7% on a year earlier (England: down 1.1%).
29% of its patients are aged 65 or over, against 19% across England. With 4.6 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs, there are 3,823 patients per GP, more than the England figure of 2,171 and North East and North Cumbria's 2,088. The practice also has 7.3 nurses and 4.1 other clinical staff such as pharmacists and physiotherapists (full-time equivalent).
| Year | Qualified GPs (FTE) | All GPs incl. trainees (FTE) |
|---|---|---|
| August 2023 | 8.1 | 13.5 |
| August 2024 | 9.0 | 15.4 |
| August 2025 | 10.4 | 14.6 |
| August 2026 | 4.6 | 4.6 |
From June 2026 to August 2026 the practice recorded 9,032 appointments a month, or 517 per 1,000 registered patients (England: 510). 79% were face to face (England: 63%). 27% took place on the day they were booked and 6% more than 28 days after booking (England: 45% and 5%).
35% were with a GP rather than another member of the practice team. 4% of booked patients did not attend.
| Measure | Castlegate & Derwent Surgery | North East and North Cumbria | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Appointments per 1,000 patients a month | 517 | 550 | 510 |
| Face to face | 79% | 68% | 63% |
| Same day as booked | 27% | 42% | 45% |
| More than 28 days after booking | 6% | 6% | 5% |
| Did not attend | 4% | 4% | 4% |
Compared with England, the practice has a higher share of patients on its registers for osteoporosis (2.2% against 1.2%), cancer (6.2% against 3.8%) and atrial fibrillation (3.4% against 2.2%). The practice's patients live in areas with an average deprivation score of 13.3 (England: 21.8; higher is more deprived). Life expectancy for its patients' neighbourhoods is 83.5 years for women and 80.4 for men (England: 83.0 and 79.1).
| Condition register | Age group | Practice (2024/25) | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| High blood pressure | All ages | 18.2% | 15.2% |
| Depression | 18+ yrs | 14.9% | 14.3% |
| Asthma | 6+ yrs | 7.4% | 6.6% |
| Diabetes | 17+ yrs | 7.2% | 7.9% |
| Chronic kidney disease | 18+ yrs | 6.8% | 4.6% |
| Cancer | All ages | 6.2% | 3.8% |
| Coronary heart disease | All ages | 4.2% | 3.0% |
| Atrial fibrillation | All ages | 3.4% | 2.2% |
| Stroke and TIA | All ages | 2.7% | 1.9% |
| Osteoporosis | 50+ yrs | 2.2% | 1.2% |
| COPD | All ages | 1.6% | 1.9% |
| Heart failure | All ages | 1.4% | 1.1% |
| Rheumatoid arthritis | 16+ yrs | 1.1% | 0.8% |
| Dementia | All ages | 1.0% | 0.8% |
| Serious mental illness | All ages | 0.9% | 1.0% |
| Epilepsy | 18+ yrs | 0.8% | 0.8% |
| Peripheral arterial disease | All ages | 0.7% | 0.6% |
| Palliative care | All ages | 0.5% | 0.6% |
| Learning disability | All ages | 0.5% | 0.6% |
| Screening coverage | Period | Practice | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bowel cancer screening (aged 60 to 74) | 2024/25 | 80.7% | 72.9% |
| Breast cancer screening (women aged 53 to 70) | 2024/25 | 80.9% | 72.2% |
| Cervical screening (women aged 25 to 49) | 2023/24 | 80.3% | 67.5% |
| Cervical screening (women aged 50 to 64) | 2023/24 | 81.0% | 74.9% |
Castlegate & Derwent Surgery, Isel Road, Cockermouth, CA13 9HT. Phone: 01900 705750.
| Nearby practice | Distance | Overall experience good |
|---|---|---|
| Maryport Group Practice | 9.8 km | 62% |
| Aspatria Medical Group | 10.6 km | 96% |
| James Street Group Practice | 12.6 km | 66% |
| Distington Surgery | 14.2 km | 87% |
| Castlehead Medical Centre | 16.4 km | 79% |
- Maryport Group Practice (62% overall experience good)
How do patients rate Castlegate & Derwent Surgery?
In the 2026 GP Patient Survey, 74% of patients described their overall experience of Castlegate & Derwent Surgery as good, against 77% across England. 39% found it easy to get through by phone.
How many patients are registered at Castlegate & Derwent Surgery?
17,484 patients were registered in September 2026, down 3.7% on a year earlier.
What is Castlegate & Derwent Surgery's CQC rating?
Requires Improvement overall, published in May 2023.
How many GPs does Castlegate & Derwent Surgery have?
4.6 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs (6 qualified GPs by headcount), which is 3,823 patients per GP against 2,171 across England.
Are appointments at Castlegate & Derwent Surgery face to face?
79% of appointments from June 2026 to August 2026 were face to face, against 63% across England.
What is Castlegate & Derwent Surgery's phone number?
01900 705750.