Drs Irving, Smith, Hacking & Rylance, Milnthorpe: patient reviews and CQC rating
Drs Irving, Smith, Hacking & Rylance is a GP practice in Milnthorpe with 8,028 registered patients (September 2026). In the 2026 GP Patient Survey, 85% 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 Outstanding overall, in a report published in December 2016. It has 4.7 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs, or 1,701 patients per GP.
Latest data: September 2026. Patient survey 2026; registered patients September 2026; appointments to August 2026.
What patients say about Drs Irving, Smith, Hacking & Rylance
Its best result against England is the share who found it easy to get through to the practice by phone: 98%, 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: 88%, against 87% across England. Of the 11 results in the table, 6 are above England and 0 below by more than the survey's margin of error, and 5 within it.
98% found it easy to get through by phone (England: 57%). The overall experience result is 2 points lower than in 2025 (87%). 107 patients answered the survey (response rate 37%).
| Survey question | Drs Irving, Smith, Hacking & Rylance | Lancashire and South Cumbria | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overall experience good | 85% | 78% | 77% |
| Easy to contact by phone | 98% | 61% | 57% |
| Easy to contact via the website | 84% | 55% | 58% |
| Easy to contact via the NHS App | 88% | 57% | 54% |
| Reception team helpful | 90% | 86% | 85% |
| Last contact good | 80% | 74% | 73% |
| Wait for appointment about right | 84% | 70% | 69% |
| Listened to well | 88% | 88% | 87% |
| Treated with care and concern | 88% | 87% | 86% |
| Confidence and trust in the clinician | 97% | 93% | 93% |
| Needs met | 96% | 91% | 90% |
In the Friends and Family Test for July 2026, 97% of 507 responses rated the practice good or very good (England: 92%).
CQC's overall rating for Drs Irving, Smith, Hacking & Rylance is Outstanding, published in December 2016. 3 key questions are rated differently: Safe Good, Responsive Good and Effective Good.
| Key question | Rating |
|---|---|
| Safe | Good |
| Well-led | Outstanding |
| Caring | Outstanding |
| Responsive | Good |
| Effective | Good |
8,028 patients were registered at Drs Irving, Smith, Hacking & Rylance in September 2026, up 4.9% on a year earlier (England: down 1.1%).
30% of its patients are aged 65 or over, against 19% across England. With 4.7 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs, there are 1,701 patients per GP, fewer than the England figure of 2,171 and Lancashire and South Cumbria's 2,288. The practice also has 2.2 nurses and 2.1 other clinical staff such as pharmacists and physiotherapists (full-time equivalent).
| Year | Qualified GPs (FTE) | All GPs incl. trainees (FTE) |
|---|---|---|
| August 2023 | 3.9 | 3.9 |
| August 2024 | 3.9 | 3.9 |
| August 2025 | 4.6 | 4.6 |
| August 2026 | 4.7 | 4.7 |
From June 2026 to August 2026 the practice recorded 4,915 appointments a month, or 612 per 1,000 registered patients (England: 510). 57% were face to face (England: 63%). 34% took place on the day they were booked and 5% more than 28 days after booking (England: 45% and 5%).
38% were with a GP rather than another member of the practice team. 2% of booked patients did not attend.
| Measure | Drs Irving, Smith, Hacking & Rylance | Lancashire and South Cumbria | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Appointments per 1,000 patients a month | 612 | 471 | 510 |
| Face to face | 57% | 70% | 63% |
| Same day as booked | 34% | 42% | 45% |
| More than 28 days after booking | 5% | 6% | 5% |
| Did not attend | 2% | 5% | 4% |
Compared with England, the practice has a higher share of patients on its registers for osteoporosis (3.6% against 1.2%), cancer (6.2% against 3.8%) and peripheral arterial disease (0.8% against 0.6%). The practice's patients live in areas with an average deprivation score of 11.6 (England: 21.8; higher is more deprived). Life expectancy for its patients' neighbourhoods is 84.9 years for women and 80.9 for men (England: 83.0 and 79.1).
| Condition register | Age group | Practice (2024/25) | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| High blood pressure | All ages | 19.1% | 15.2% |
| Depression | 18+ yrs | 17.7% | 14.3% |
| Asthma | 6+ yrs | 8.6% | 6.6% |
| Diabetes | 17+ yrs | 7.0% | 7.9% |
| Chronic kidney disease | 18+ yrs | 6.3% | 4.6% |
| Cancer | All ages | 6.2% | 3.8% |
| Coronary heart disease | All ages | 4.1% | 3.0% |
| Osteoporosis | 50+ yrs | 3.6% | 1.2% |
| Atrial fibrillation | All ages | 3.3% | 2.2% |
| Stroke and TIA | All ages | 2.7% | 1.9% |
| COPD | All ages | 1.5% | 1.9% |
| Rheumatoid arthritis | 16+ yrs | 1.0% | 0.8% |
| Dementia | All ages | 1.0% | 0.8% |
| Heart failure | All ages | 0.8% | 1.1% |
| Peripheral arterial disease | All ages | 0.8% | 0.6% |
| Palliative care | All ages | 0.7% | 0.6% |
| Serious mental illness | All ages | 0.7% | 1.0% |
| Learning disability | All ages | 0.6% | 0.6% |
| Epilepsy | 18+ yrs | 0.6% | 0.8% |
| Screening coverage | Period | Practice | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bowel cancer screening (aged 60 to 74) | 2024/25 | 84.3% | 72.9% |
| Breast cancer screening (women aged 53 to 70) | 2024/25 | 83.0% | 72.2% |
| Cervical screening (women aged 25 to 49) | 2023/24 | 76.7% | 67.5% |
| Cervical screening (women aged 50 to 64) | 2023/24 | 79.4% | 74.9% |
Drs Irving, Smith, Hacking & Rylance, Haverflatts Lane, Milnthorpe, LA7 7PS. Phone: 01539 715555. Website: www.park-view-surgery.co.uk.
| Nearby practice | Distance | Overall experience good |
|---|---|---|
| The James Cochrane Practice | 9.7 km | 76% |
| Nutwood Medical Practice | 10.4 km | 94% |
| Captain French Surgery | 10.8 km | 95% |
| Ash Trees Surgery | 10.9 km | 82% |
| Lunesdale Surgery | 11.4 km | 95% |
- Ash Trees Surgery (82% overall experience good)
How do patients rate Drs Irving, Smith, Hacking & Rylance?
In the 2026 GP Patient Survey, 85% of patients described their overall experience of Drs Irving, Smith, Hacking & Rylance as good, above the England figure of 77%. 98% found it easy to get through by phone.
How many patients are registered at Drs Irving, Smith, Hacking & Rylance?
8,028 patients were registered in September 2026, up 4.9% on a year earlier.
What is Drs Irving, Smith, Hacking & Rylance's CQC rating?
Outstanding overall, published in December 2016.
How many GPs does Drs Irving, Smith, Hacking & Rylance have?
4.7 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs (6 qualified GPs by headcount), which is 1,701 patients per GP against 2,171 across England.
Are appointments at Drs Irving, Smith, Hacking & Rylance face to face?
57% of appointments from June 2026 to August 2026 were face to face, against 63% across England.
What is Drs Irving, Smith, Hacking & Rylance's phone number?
01539 715555.