Bentham Medical Practice, Lancaster: patient reviews and CQC rating
Bentham Medical Practice is a GP practice in Lancaster with 7,404 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 Good overall, in a report published in June 2017. It has 6.3 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs, or 1,181 patients per GP.
Latest data: September 2026. Patient survey 2026; registered patients September 2026; appointments to August 2026.
What patients say about Bentham Medical Practice
Its best result against England is the share who found it easy to get through to the practice by phone: 83%, above the England figure of 57%. Its weakest is the share who found it easy to contact the practice through its website: 52%, against 58% 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 3 practices in Lancaster with 50 or more responses. 83% found it easy to get through by phone (England: 57%). The overall experience result is 1 point higher than in 2025 (91%). 108 patients answered the survey (response rate 39%).
| Survey question | Bentham Medical Practice | Lancashire and South Cumbria | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overall experience good | 92% | 78% | 77% |
| Easy to contact by phone | 83% | 61% | 57% |
| Easy to contact via the website | 52% | 55% | 58% |
| Easy to contact via the NHS App | 58% | 57% | 54% |
| Reception team helpful | 98% | 86% | 85% |
| Last contact good | 92% | 74% | 73% |
| Wait for appointment about right | 83% | 70% | 69% |
| Listened to well | 97% | 88% | 87% |
| Treated with care and concern | 98% | 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, 98% of 129 responses rated the practice good or very good (England: 92%).
CQC's overall rating for Bentham Medical Practice is Good, published in June 2017. All 5 key questions are rated Good. It held the same rating in the report before (July 2016).
| Key question | Rating |
|---|---|
| Safe | Good |
| Well-led | Good |
| Caring | Good |
| Responsive | Good |
| Effective | Good |
7,404 patients were registered at Bentham Medical Practice in September 2026, down 0.7% on a year earlier (England: down 1.1%).
34% of its patients are aged 65 or over, against 19% across England. With 6.3 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs, there are 1,181 patients per GP, fewer than the England figure of 2,171 and Lancashire and South Cumbria's 2,288. The practice also has 1.7 nurses and 1.5 other clinical staff such as pharmacists and physiotherapists (full-time equivalent).
| Year | Qualified GPs (FTE) | All GPs incl. trainees (FTE) |
|---|---|---|
| August 2023 | 5.3 | 7.2 |
| August 2024 | 5.4 | 7.6 |
| August 2025 | 4.2 | 6.4 |
| August 2026 | 6.3 | 8.4 |
From June 2026 to August 2026 the practice recorded 4,278 appointments a month, or 578 per 1,000 registered patients (England: 510). 93% were face to face (England: 63%). 50% took place on the day they were booked and 3% more than 28 days after booking (England: 45% and 5%).
65% were with a GP rather than another member of the practice team. 3% of booked patients did not attend.
| Measure | Bentham Medical Practice | Lancashire and South Cumbria | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Appointments per 1,000 patients a month | 578 | 471 | 510 |
| Face to face | 93% | 70% | 63% |
| Same day as booked | 50% | 42% | 45% |
| More than 28 days after booking | 3% | 6% | 5% |
| Did not attend | 3% | 5% | 4% |
Compared with England, the practice has a higher share of patients on its registers for stroke or TIA (3.5% against 1.9%), atrial fibrillation (4.0% against 2.2%) and peripheral arterial disease (0.9% against 0.6%). It has a lower share for osteoporosis (0.3% against 1.2%) and depression (11.3% against 14.3%). The practice's patients live in areas with an average deprivation score of 13.9 (England: 21.8; higher is more deprived).
Life expectancy for its patients' neighbourhoods is 85.5 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 | 20.0% | 15.2% |
| Depression | 18+ yrs | 11.3% | 14.3% |
| Asthma | 6+ yrs | 9.4% | 6.6% |
| Diabetes | 17+ yrs | 8.0% | 7.9% |
| Cancer | All ages | 5.8% | 3.8% |
| Chronic kidney disease | 18+ yrs | 5.6% | 4.6% |
| Coronary heart disease | All ages | 4.7% | 3.0% |
| Atrial fibrillation | All ages | 4.0% | 2.2% |
| Stroke and TIA | All ages | 3.5% | 1.9% |
| COPD | All ages | 2.2% | 1.9% |
| Heart failure | All ages | 1.4% | 1.1% |
| Rheumatoid arthritis | 16+ yrs | 1.3% | 0.8% |
| Epilepsy | 18+ yrs | 1.0% | 0.8% |
| Dementia | All ages | 1.0% | 0.8% |
| Peripheral arterial disease | All ages | 0.9% | 0.6% |
| Serious mental illness | All ages | 0.8% | 1.0% |
| Palliative care | All ages | 0.6% | 0.6% |
| Learning disability | All ages | 0.4% | 0.6% |
| Osteoporosis | 50+ yrs | 0.3% | 1.2% |
| Screening coverage | Period | Practice | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bowel cancer screening (aged 60 to 74) | 2024/25 | 79.7% | 72.9% |
| Breast cancer screening (women aged 53 to 70) | 2024/25 | 67.5% | 72.2% |
| Cervical screening (women aged 25 to 49) | 2023/24 | 76.2% | 67.5% |
| Cervical screening (women aged 50 to 64) | 2023/24 | 79.6% | 74.9% |
Bentham Medical Practice, Grasmere Drive, High Bentham, Lancaster, LA2 7JP. Phone: 01524 261202. Website: www.benthamsurgery.org.uk.
| Nearby practice | Distance | Overall experience good |
|---|---|---|
| Lunesdale Surgery | 10.8 km | 95% |
| Townhead Surgery | 16.2 km | 86% |
| Ash Trees Surgery | 16.8 km | 82% |
| Slaidburn Country Practice | 17.4 km | 99% |
| Lancaster Medical Practice | 20.3 km | 83% |
- Lunesdale Surgery (95% overall experience good)
- Sedbergh Medical Practice (93% overall experience good)
How do patients rate Bentham Medical Practice?
In the 2026 GP Patient Survey, 92% of patients described their overall experience of Bentham Medical Practice as good, above the England figure of 77%. 83% found it easy to get through by phone.
How many patients are registered at Bentham Medical Practice?
7,404 patients were registered in September 2026, down 0.7% on a year earlier.
What is Bentham Medical Practice's CQC rating?
Good overall, published in June 2017.
How many GPs does Bentham Medical Practice have?
6.3 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs (9 qualified GPs by headcount), which is 1,181 patients per GP against 2,171 across England.
Are appointments at Bentham Medical Practice face to face?
93% of appointments from June 2026 to August 2026 were face to face, against 63% across England.
What is Bentham Medical Practice's phone number?
01524 261202.