Castlehead Medical Centre, Keswick: patient reviews and CQC rating
Castlehead Medical Centre is a GP practice in Keswick with 8,437 registered patients (September 2026). In the 2026 GP Patient Survey, 79% 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 Good overall, in a report published in February 2018. It has 5.3 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs, or 1,578 patients per GP.
Latest data: September 2026. Patient survey 2026; registered patients September 2026; appointments to August 2026.
What patients say about Castlehead Medical Centre
Its best result against England is the share who found it easy to get through to the practice by phone: 73%, above the England figure of 57%. Its weakest is the share who had confidence and trust in the healthcare professional they saw: 88%, against 93% across England. Of the 11 results in the table, 1 is above England and 0 below by more than the survey's margin of error, and 10 within it.
73% found it easy to get through by phone (England: 57%). The overall experience result is 8 points lower than in 2025 (87%). 102 patients answered the survey (response rate 37%).
| Survey question | Castlehead Medical Centre | North East and North Cumbria | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overall experience good | 79% | 80% | 77% |
| Easy to contact by phone | 73% | 62% | 57% |
| Easy to contact via the website | 62% | 59% | 58% |
| Easy to contact via the NHS App | 63% | 58% | 54% |
| Reception team helpful | 84% | 88% | 85% |
| Last contact good | 79% | 76% | 73% |
| Wait for appointment about right | 67% | 72% | 69% |
| Listened to well | 83% | 89% | 87% |
| Treated with care and concern | 82% | 88% | 86% |
| Confidence and trust in the clinician | 88% | 93% | 93% |
| Needs met | 92% | 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 Castlehead Medical Centre is Good, published in February 2018. All 5 key questions are rated Good. It held the same rating in the report before (April 2015).
| Key question | Rating |
|---|---|
| Safe | Good |
| Well-led | Good |
| Caring | Good |
| Responsive | Good |
| Effective | Good |
8,437 patients were registered at Castlehead Medical Centre in September 2026, almost the same as a year earlier.
30% of its patients are aged 65 or over, against 19% across England. With 5.3 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs, there are 1,578 patients per GP, fewer than the England figure of 2,171 and North East and North Cumbria's 2,088. The practice also has 2.5 nurses and 4.5 other clinical staff such as pharmacists and physiotherapists (full-time equivalent).
| Year | Qualified GPs (FTE) | All GPs incl. trainees (FTE) |
|---|---|---|
| August 2023 | 5.6 | 7.7 |
| August 2024 | 5.3 | 7.3 |
| August 2025 | 5.3 | 8.3 |
| August 2026 | 5.3 | 8.0 |
From June 2026 to August 2026 the practice recorded 5,059 appointments a month, or 600 per 1,000 registered patients (England: 510). 51% were face to face (England: 63%). 33% took place on the day they were booked and 5% more than 28 days after booking (England: 45% and 5%).
51% were with a GP rather than another member of the practice team. 2% of booked patients did not attend.
| Measure | Castlehead Medical Centre | North East and North Cumbria | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Appointments per 1,000 patients a month | 600 | 550 | 510 |
| Face to face | 51% | 68% | 63% |
| Same day as booked | 33% | 42% | 45% |
| More than 28 days after booking | 5% | 6% | 5% |
| Did not attend | 2% | 4% | 4% |
Compared with England, the practice has a higher share of patients on its registers for cancer (6.5% against 3.8%), atrial fibrillation (3.7% against 2.2%) and peripheral arterial disease (0.9% against 0.6%). It has a lower share for osteoporosis (0.3% against 1.2%), a learning disability (0.2% against 0.6%) and diabetes (6.2% against 7.9%). The practice's patients live in areas with an average deprivation score of 13.5 (England: 21.8; higher is more deprived).
Life expectancy for its patients' neighbourhoods is 85.4 years for women and 82.0 for men (England: 83.0 and 79.1).
| Condition register | Age group | Practice (2024/25) | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| High blood pressure | All ages | 17.8% | 15.2% |
| Depression | 18+ yrs | 11.8% | 14.3% |
| Asthma | 6+ yrs | 6.9% | 6.6% |
| Cancer | All ages | 6.5% | 3.8% |
| Chronic kidney disease | 18+ yrs | 6.3% | 4.6% |
| Diabetes | 17+ yrs | 6.2% | 7.9% |
| Coronary heart disease | All ages | 3.8% | 3.0% |
| Atrial fibrillation | All ages | 3.7% | 2.2% |
| Stroke and TIA | All ages | 3.0% | 1.9% |
| COPD | All ages | 1.9% | 1.9% |
| Heart failure | All ages | 1.2% | 1.1% |
| Dementia | All ages | 1.1% | 0.8% |
| Rheumatoid arthritis | 16+ yrs | 1.0% | 0.8% |
| Serious mental illness | All ages | 0.9% | 1.0% |
| Peripheral arterial disease | All ages | 0.9% | 0.6% |
| Epilepsy | 18+ yrs | 0.5% | 0.8% |
| Palliative care | All ages | 0.4% | 0.6% |
| Osteoporosis | 50+ yrs | 0.3% | 1.2% |
| Learning disability | All ages | 0.2% | 0.6% |
| 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 | 80.2% | 72.2% |
| Cervical screening (women aged 25 to 49) | 2023/24 | 73.2% | 67.5% |
| Cervical screening (women aged 50 to 64) | 2023/24 | 81.6% | 74.9% |
Castlehead Medical Centre, Ambleside Road, Keswick, CA12 4DB. Phone: 01768 772025. Website: www.castlehead.org.uk.
| Nearby practice | Distance | Overall experience good |
|---|---|---|
| Glenridding Health Centre | 13.2 km | 100% |
| Castlegate & Derwent Surgery | 16.4 km | 74% |
| Caldbeck Surgery | 17.8 km | 93% |
| Central Lakes Medical Group | 21.1 km | 91% |
| Aspatria Medical Group | 22.5 km | 96% |
- Aspatria Medical Group (96% overall experience good)
- Caldbeck Surgery (93% overall experience good)
- Dalston Medical Group (74% overall experience good)
- Silloth Group Medical Practice (92% overall experience good)
- The Croft Surgery (92% overall experience good)
- Wigton Group Medical Practice (77% overall experience good)
How do patients rate Castlehead Medical Centre?
In the 2026 GP Patient Survey, 79% of patients described their overall experience of Castlehead Medical Centre as good, against 77% across England. 73% found it easy to get through by phone.
How many patients are registered at Castlehead Medical Centre?
8,437 patients were registered in September 2026, up 0.5% on a year earlier.
What is Castlehead Medical Centre's CQC rating?
Good overall, published in February 2018.
How many GPs does Castlehead Medical Centre have?
5.3 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs (7 qualified GPs by headcount), which is 1,578 patients per GP against 2,171 across England.
Are appointments at Castlehead Medical Centre face to face?
51% of appointments from June 2026 to August 2026 were face to face, against 63% across England.
What is Castlehead Medical Centre's phone number?
01768 772025.