Birbeck Medical Group, Penrith: patient reviews and CQC rating
Birbeck Medical Group is a GP practice in Penrith with 14,270 registered patients (September 2026). In the 2026 GP Patient Survey, 82% 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 September 2018. It has 8.1 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs, or 1,772 patients per GP.
Latest data: September 2026. Patient survey 2026; registered patients September 2026; appointments to August 2026.
What patients say about Birbeck Medical Group
Its best result against England is the share who described their overall experience of the practice as good: 82%, against 77% across England. Its weakest is the share who said the healthcare professional was good at listening to them: 86%, against 87% across England. With 112 responses, none of its 11 results differs from England by more than the survey's margin of error.
On overall experience it is 6th of the 6 practices in Penrith with 50 or more responses. 62% found it easy to get through by phone (England: 57%). The overall experience result is 8 points higher than in 2025 (74%). 112 patients answered the survey (response rate 34%).
| Survey question | Birbeck Medical Group | North East and North Cumbria | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overall experience good | 82% | 80% | 77% |
| Easy to contact by phone | 62% | 62% | 57% |
| Easy to contact via the website | 61% | 59% | 58% |
| Easy to contact via the NHS App | 57% | 58% | 54% |
| Reception team helpful | 90% | 88% | 85% |
| Last contact good | 74% | 76% | 73% |
| Wait for appointment about right | 69% | 72% | 69% |
| Listened to well | 86% | 89% | 87% |
| Treated with care and concern | 88% | 88% | 86% |
| Confidence and trust in the clinician | 94% | 93% | 93% |
| Needs met | 91% | 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 Birbeck Medical Group is Good, published in September 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 |
14,270 patients were registered at Birbeck Medical Group in September 2026, down 1.3% on a year earlier (England: down 1.1%).
29% of its patients are aged 65 or over, against 19% across England. With 8.1 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs, there are 1,772 patients per GP, fewer than the England figure of 2,171 and North East and North Cumbria's 2,088. The practice also has 5.3 nurses and 3.6 other clinical staff such as pharmacists and physiotherapists (full-time equivalent).
| Year | Qualified GPs (FTE) | All GPs incl. trainees (FTE) |
|---|---|---|
| August 2023 | 7.1 | 9.2 |
| August 2024 | 7.7 | 10.9 |
| August 2025 | 8.3 | 11.5 |
| August 2026 | 8.1 | 11.0 |
From June 2026 to August 2026 the practice recorded 7,801 appointments a month, or 547 per 1,000 registered patients (England: 510). 55% were face to face (England: 63%). 36% took place on the day they were booked and 2% more than 28 days after booking (England: 45% and 5%).
26% were with a GP rather than another member of the practice team. 3% of booked patients did not attend.
| Measure | Birbeck Medical Group | North East and North Cumbria | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Appointments per 1,000 patients a month | 547 | 550 | 510 |
| Face to face | 55% | 68% | 63% |
| Same day as booked | 36% | 42% | 45% |
| More than 28 days after booking | 2% | 6% | 5% |
| Did not attend | 3% | 4% | 4% |
Compared with England, the practice has a higher share of patients on its registers for osteoporosis (3.1% against 1.2%), chronic kidney disease (10.2% against 4.6%) and palliative or supportive care needs (1.0% against 0.6%). The practice's patients live in areas with an average deprivation score of 14.6 (England: 21.8; higher is more deprived). Life expectancy for its patients' neighbourhoods is 84.5 years for women and 80.0 for men (England: 83.0 and 79.1).
| Condition register | Age group | Practice (2024/25) | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| High blood pressure | All ages | 20.1% | 15.2% |
| Depression | 18+ yrs | 14.8% | 14.3% |
| Chronic kidney disease | 18+ yrs | 10.2% | 4.6% |
| Diabetes | 17+ yrs | 7.7% | 7.9% |
| Asthma | 6+ yrs | 7.6% | 6.6% |
| Cancer | All ages | 6.0% | 3.8% |
| Coronary heart disease | All ages | 4.5% | 3.0% |
| Atrial fibrillation | All ages | 3.5% | 2.2% |
| Osteoporosis | 50+ yrs | 3.1% | 1.2% |
| Stroke and TIA | All ages | 2.8% | 1.9% |
| COPD | All ages | 1.8% | 1.9% |
| Heart failure | All ages | 1.3% | 1.1% |
| Rheumatoid arthritis | 16+ yrs | 1.1% | 0.8% |
| Palliative care | All ages | 1.0% | 0.6% |
| Serious mental illness | All ages | 1.0% | 1.0% |
| Peripheral arterial disease | All ages | 1.0% | 0.6% |
| Epilepsy | 18+ yrs | 0.9% | 0.8% |
| Dementia | All ages | 0.9% | 0.8% |
| Learning disability | All ages | 0.5% | 0.6% |
| Screening coverage | Period | Practice | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bowel cancer screening (aged 60 to 74) | 2024/25 | 80.4% | 72.9% |
| Breast cancer screening (women aged 53 to 70) | 2024/25 | 81.4% | 72.2% |
| Cervical screening (women aged 25 to 49) | 2023/24 | 75.5% | 67.5% |
| Cervical screening (women aged 50 to 64) | 2023/24 | 77.8% | 74.9% |
Birbeck Medical Group, Penrith Health Centre, Bridge Lane, Penrith, CA11 8HW. Phone: 01768 214620. Website: www.birbeckmedicalgroup.co.uk.
| Nearby practice | Distance | Overall experience good |
|---|---|---|
| The Lakes Medical Practice | 0.0 km | 83% |
| Temple Sowerby Medical Practice | 9.2 km | 83% |
| Kirkoswald Surgery | 12.4 km | 87% |
| Shap Medical Practice | 14.8 km | 98% |
| Court Thorn Surgery | 17.0 km | 83% |
- Alston Medical Practice (89% overall experience good)
- Appleby Medical Practice (91% overall experience good)
- Court Thorn Surgery (83% overall experience good)
- Glenridding Health Centre (100% overall experience good)
- Kirkoswald Surgery (87% overall experience good)
- Shap Medical Practice (98% overall experience good)
- Temple Sowerby Medical Practice (83% overall experience good)
- The Lakes Medical Practice (83% overall experience good)
- Upper Eden Medical Practice (84% overall experience good)
How do patients rate Birbeck Medical Group?
In the 2026 GP Patient Survey, 82% of patients described their overall experience of Birbeck Medical Group as good, against 77% across England. 62% found it easy to get through by phone.
How many patients are registered at Birbeck Medical Group?
14,270 patients were registered in September 2026, down 1.3% on a year earlier.
What is Birbeck Medical Group's CQC rating?
Good overall, published in September 2018.
How many GPs does Birbeck Medical Group have?
8.1 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs (11 qualified GPs by headcount), which is 1,772 patients per GP against 2,171 across England.
Are appointments at Birbeck Medical Group face to face?
55% of appointments from June 2026 to August 2026 were face to face, against 63% across England.
What is Birbeck Medical Group's phone number?
01768 214620.