Captain French Surgery, Kendal: patient reviews and CQC rating
Captain French Surgery is a GP practice in Kendal with 11,768 registered patients (September 2026). In the 2026 GP Patient Survey, 95% 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 July 2016. It has 6.1 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs, or 1,941 patients per GP.
Latest data: September 2026. Patient survey 2026; registered patients September 2026; appointments to August 2026.
What patients say about Captain French Surgery
Its best result against England is the share who found it easy to contact the practice using the NHS App: 83%, above the England figure of 54%. Its weakest is the share who said the wait for their last appointment was about right: 69%, against 69% across England. Of the 11 results in the table, 10 are above England and 0 below by more than the survey's margin of error, and 1 within it.
On overall experience it is 1st of the 3 practices in Kendal with 50 or more responses. 84% found it easy to get through by phone (England: 57%). The overall experience result is 4 points higher than in 2025 (91%). 121 patients answered the survey (response rate 36%).
| Survey question | Captain French Surgery | Lancashire and South Cumbria | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overall experience good | 95% | 78% | 77% |
| Easy to contact by phone | 84% | 61% | 57% |
| Easy to contact via the website | 81% | 55% | 58% |
| Easy to contact via the NHS App | 83% | 57% | 54% |
| Reception team helpful | 98% | 86% | 85% |
| Last contact good | 93% | 74% | 73% |
| Wait for appointment about right | 69% | 70% | 69% |
| Listened to well | 99% | 88% | 87% |
| Treated with care and concern | 100% | 87% | 86% |
| Confidence and trust in the clinician | 99% | 93% | 93% |
| Needs met | 98% | 91% | 90% |
In the Friends and Family Test for July 2026, 95% of 208 responses rated the practice good or very good (England: 92%).
CQC's overall rating for Captain French Surgery is Good, published in July 2016. All 5 key questions are rated Good.
| Key question | Rating |
|---|---|
| Safe | Good |
| Well-led | Good |
| Caring | Good |
| Responsive | Good |
| Effective | Good |
11,768 patients were registered at Captain French Surgery in September 2026, almost the same as a year earlier.
24% of its patients are aged 65 or over, against 19% across England. With 6.1 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs, there are 1,941 patients per GP, fewer than the England figure of 2,171 and Lancashire and South Cumbria's 2,288. The practice also has 4.1 nurses and 3.4 other clinical staff such as pharmacists and physiotherapists (full-time equivalent).
| Year | Qualified GPs (FTE) | All GPs incl. trainees (FTE) |
|---|---|---|
| August 2023 | 5.7 | 6.6 |
| August 2024 | 6.3 | 7.4 |
| August 2025 | 5.7 | 5.7 |
| August 2026 | 6.1 | 6.9 |
From June 2026 to August 2026 the practice recorded 4,988 appointments a month, or 424 per 1,000 registered patients (England: 510). 75% were face to face (England: 63%). 32% took place on the day they were booked and 17% more than 28 days after booking (England: 45% and 5%).
38% were with a GP rather than another member of the practice team. 4% of booked patients did not attend.
| Measure | Captain French Surgery | Lancashire and South Cumbria | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Appointments per 1,000 patients a month | 424 | 471 | 510 |
| Face to face | 75% | 70% | 63% |
| Same day as booked | 32% | 42% | 45% |
| More than 28 days after booking | 17% | 6% | 5% |
| Did not attend | 4% | 5% | 4% |
Compared with England, the practice has a higher share of patients on its registers for dementia (1.1% against 0.8%), stroke or TIA (2.4% against 1.9%) and atrial fibrillation (2.8% against 2.2%). It has a lower share for osteoporosis (0.3% against 1.2%), chronic kidney disease (2.8% against 4.6%) and COPD (1.4% against 1.9%). 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 83.7 years for women and 79.3 for men (England: 83.0 and 79.1).
| Condition register | Age group | Practice (2024/25) | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| High blood pressure | All ages | 14.9% | 15.2% |
| Depression | 18+ yrs | 14.4% | 14.3% |
| Asthma | 6+ yrs | 7.8% | 6.6% |
| Diabetes | 17+ yrs | 7.0% | 7.9% |
| Cancer | All ages | 4.3% | 3.8% |
| Coronary heart disease | All ages | 3.1% | 3.0% |
| Chronic kidney disease | 18+ yrs | 2.8% | 4.6% |
| Atrial fibrillation | All ages | 2.8% | 2.2% |
| Stroke and TIA | All ages | 2.4% | 1.9% |
| COPD | All ages | 1.4% | 1.9% |
| Dementia | All ages | 1.1% | 0.8% |
| Serious mental illness | All ages | 0.9% | 1.0% |
| Heart failure | All ages | 0.8% | 1.1% |
| 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 | 0.6% | 0.6% |
| Learning disability | All ages | 0.6% | 0.6% |
| Osteoporosis | 50+ yrs | 0.3% | 1.2% |
| Screening coverage | Period | Practice | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bowel cancer screening (aged 60 to 74) | 2024/25 | 80.9% | 72.9% |
| Breast cancer screening (women aged 53 to 70) | 2024/25 | 75.3% | 72.2% |
| Cervical screening (women aged 25 to 49) | 2023/24 | 73.8% | 67.5% |
| Cervical screening (women aged 50 to 64) | 2023/24 | 76.1% | 74.9% |
Captain French Surgery, The Gillinggate Centre, Gillinggate, Kendal, LA9 4JE. Phone: 01539 720241. Website: www.captainfrenchsurgery.org.uk.
| Nearby practice | Distance | Overall experience good |
|---|---|---|
| Station House Surgery | 1.1 km | 88% |
| The James Cochrane Practice | 1.4 km | 76% |
| Drs Irving, Smith, Hacking & Rylance | 10.8 km | 85% |
| Windermere and Bowness Medical Practice | 11.9 km | 97% |
| Dr Roberts, Mr Eddy, Dr O’Sullivan, Dr Hughes, Dr Cook & Dr Halcrow | 12.2 km | 90% |
- Station House Surgery (88% overall experience good)
- The James Cochrane Practice (76% overall experience good)
How do patients rate Captain French Surgery?
In the 2026 GP Patient Survey, 95% of patients described their overall experience of Captain French Surgery as good, above the England figure of 77%. 84% found it easy to get through by phone.
How many patients are registered at Captain French Surgery?
11,768 patients were registered in September 2026, up 0.2% on a year earlier.
What is Captain French Surgery's CQC rating?
Good overall, published in July 2016.
How many GPs does Captain French Surgery have?
6.1 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs (9 qualified GPs by headcount), which is 1,941 patients per GP against 2,171 across England.
Are appointments at Captain French Surgery face to face?
75% of appointments from June 2026 to August 2026 were face to face, against 63% across England.
What is Captain French Surgery's phone number?
01539 720241.