St James Medical Practice, King's Lynn: patient reviews and CQC rating
St James Medical Practice is a GP practice in King's Lynn with 18,340 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% (Norfolk and Suffolk: 80%). The Care Quality Commission rates it Good overall, in a report published in August 2018. It has 7.8 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs, or 2,343 patients per GP.
Latest data: September 2026. Patient survey 2026; registered patients September 2026; appointments to August 2026.
What patients say about St James Medical Practice
Its best result against England is the share who found it easy to get through to the practice by phone: 88%, above the England figure of 57%. Its result closest to England is the share who said the healthcare professional was good at listening to them: 90%, against 87% across England. Of the 11 results in the table, 9 are above England and 0 below by more than the survey's margin of error, and 2 within it.
On overall experience it is 1st of the 11 practices in Kings Lynn with 50 or more responses. 88% found it easy to get through by phone (England: 57%). The overall experience result is 6 points higher than in 2025 (86%). 96 patients answered the survey (response rate 23%).
| Survey question | St James Medical Practice | Norfolk and Suffolk | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overall experience good | 92% | 80% | 77% |
| Easy to contact by phone | 88% | 61% | 57% |
| Easy to contact via the website | 73% | 62% | 58% |
| Easy to contact via the NHS App | 75% | 55% | 54% |
| Reception team helpful | 96% | 88% | 85% |
| Last contact good | 98% | 76% | 73% |
| Wait for appointment about right | 86% | 74% | 69% |
| Listened to well | 90% | 89% | 87% |
| Treated with care and concern | 90% | 88% | 86% |
| Confidence and trust in the clinician | 100% | 94% | 93% |
| Needs met | 99% | 92% | 90% |
In the Friends and Family Test for July 2026, 94% of 525 responses rated the practice good or very good (England: 92%).
CQC's overall rating for St James Medical Practice is Good, published in August 2018. All 5 key questions are rated Good. It held the same rating in the report before (September 2015).
| Key question | Rating |
|---|---|
| Safe | Good |
| Well-led | Good |
| Caring | Good |
| Responsive | Good |
| Effective | Good |
18,340 patients were registered at St James Medical Practice in September 2026, up 0.8% on a year earlier (England: down 1.1%).
21% of its patients are aged 65 or over, against 19% across England. With 7.8 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs, there are 2,343 patients per GP, close to the England figure of 2,171 and Norfolk and Suffolk's 2,133. The practice also has 5.6 nurses and 6.1 other clinical staff such as pharmacists and physiotherapists (full-time equivalent).
| Year | Qualified GPs (FTE) | All GPs incl. trainees (FTE) |
|---|---|---|
| August 2023 | 7.8 | 8.7 |
| August 2024 | 7.8 | 8.7 |
| August 2025 | 7.8 | 8.9 |
| August 2026 | 7.8 | 8.9 |
From June 2026 to August 2026 the practice recorded 9,059 appointments a month, or 494 per 1,000 registered patients (England: 510). 85% were face to face (England: 63%). 29% took place on the day they were booked and 5% more than 28 days after booking (England: 45% and 5%).
44% were with a GP rather than another member of the practice team. 4% of booked patients did not attend.
| Measure | St James Medical Practice | Norfolk and Suffolk | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Appointments per 1,000 patients a month | 494 | 578 | 510 |
| Face to face | 85% | 70% | 63% |
| Same day as booked | 29% | 42% | 45% |
| More than 28 days after booking | 5% | 8% | 5% |
| Did not attend | 4% | 3% | 4% |
Compared with England, the practice has a higher share of patients on its registers for a learning disability (1.0% against 0.6%), osteoporosis (1.9% against 1.2%) and COPD (2.5% against 1.9%). The practice's patients live in areas with an average deprivation score of 27.6 (England: 21.8; higher is more deprived). Life expectancy for its patients' neighbourhoods is 82.2 years for women and 77.0 for men (England: 83.0 and 79.1).
| Condition register | Age group | Practice (2024/25) | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| High blood pressure | All ages | 16.2% | 15.2% |
| Depression | 18+ yrs | 13.3% | 14.3% |
| Diabetes | 17+ yrs | 9.2% | 7.9% |
| Asthma | 6+ yrs | 8.3% | 6.6% |
| Chronic kidney disease | 18+ yrs | 4.1% | 4.6% |
| Cancer | All ages | 3.9% | 3.8% |
| Coronary heart disease | All ages | 3.6% | 3.0% |
| COPD | All ages | 2.5% | 1.9% |
| Atrial fibrillation | All ages | 2.5% | 2.2% |
| Stroke and TIA | All ages | 2.4% | 1.9% |
| Osteoporosis | 50+ yrs | 1.9% | 1.2% |
| Serious mental illness | All ages | 1.0% | 1.0% |
| Learning disability | All ages | 1.0% | 0.6% |
| Heart failure | All ages | 1.0% | 1.1% |
| Epilepsy | 18+ yrs | 0.9% | 0.8% |
| Dementia | All ages | 0.9% | 0.8% |
| Rheumatoid arthritis | 16+ yrs | 0.9% | 0.8% |
| Palliative care | All ages | 0.5% | 0.6% |
| Peripheral arterial disease | All ages | 0.5% | 0.6% |
| Screening coverage | Period | Practice | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bowel cancer screening (aged 60 to 74) | 2024/25 | 72.0% | 72.9% |
| Breast cancer screening (women aged 53 to 70) | 2024/25 | 76.1% | 72.2% |
| Cervical screening (women aged 25 to 49) | 2023/24 | 66.2% | 67.5% |
| Cervical screening (women aged 50 to 64) | 2023/24 | 67.4% | 74.9% |
St James Medical Practice, Edward Benefer Way, King's Lynn, PE30 2FQ. Phone: 01553 774221.
| Nearby practice | Distance | Overall experience good |
|---|---|---|
| Gayton Road Health and Surgical Centre | 1.9 km | 76% |
| The Woottons Surgery | 1.9 km | 75% |
| Southgates and The Woottons Surgeries | 3.3 km | 75% |
| Grimston Medical Centre | 8.1 km | 77% |
| St Clement's Surgery | 8.9 km | 90% |
- Gayton Road Health and Surgical Centre (76% overall experience good)
- Southgates and The Woottons Surgeries (75% overall experience good)
- The Woottons Surgery (75% overall experience good)
How do patients rate St James Medical Practice?
In the 2026 GP Patient Survey, 92% of patients described their overall experience of St James Medical Practice as good, above the England figure of 77%. 88% found it easy to get through by phone.
How many patients are registered at St James Medical Practice?
18,340 patients were registered in September 2026, up 0.8% on a year earlier.
What is St James Medical Practice's CQC rating?
Good overall, published in August 2018.
How many GPs does St James Medical Practice have?
7.8 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs (9 qualified GPs by headcount), which is 2,343 patients per GP against 2,171 across England.
Are appointments at St James Medical Practice face to face?
85% of appointments from June 2026 to August 2026 were face to face, against 63% across England.
What is St James Medical Practice's phone number?
01553 774221.