Kirkoswald Surgery, Penrith: patient reviews and CQC rating
Kirkoswald Surgery is a GP practice in Penrith with 2,788 registered patients (September 2026). In the 2026 GP Patient Survey, 87% of its patients described their overall experience as good, above the England figure of 77% (North East and North Cumbria: 80%). The Care Quality Commission rates it Outstanding overall, in a report published in August 2019. It has 1.6 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs, or 1,787 patients per GP.
Latest data: September 2026. Patient survey 2026; registered patients September 2026; appointments to August 2026.
What patients say about Kirkoswald Surgery
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 their needs were met at their last appointment: 91%, against 90% across England. Of the 11 results in the table, 10 are above England and 0 below by more than the survey's margin of error, and 1 within it.
On overall experience it is 3rd of the 6 practices in Penrith with 50 or more responses. 88% found it easy to get through by phone (England: 57%). The overall experience result is 4 points lower than in 2025 (91%). 103 patients answered the survey (response rate 40%).
| Survey question | Kirkoswald Surgery | North East and North Cumbria | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overall experience good | 87% | 80% | 77% |
| Easy to contact by phone | 88% | 62% | 57% |
| Easy to contact via the website | 78% | 59% | 58% |
| Easy to contact via the NHS App | 72% | 58% | 54% |
| Reception team helpful | 96% | 88% | 85% |
| Last contact good | 86% | 76% | 73% |
| Wait for appointment about right | 92% | 72% | 69% |
| Listened to well | 95% | 89% | 87% |
| Treated with care and concern | 98% | 88% | 86% |
| Confidence and trust in the clinician | 98% | 93% | 93% |
| Needs met | 91% | 91% | 90% |
In the Friends and Family Test for July 2026, 98% of 50 responses rated the practice good or very good (England: 92%).
CQC's overall rating for Kirkoswald Surgery is Outstanding, published in August 2019. 2 key questions are rated differently: Safe Good and Effective Good.
| Key question | Rating |
|---|---|
| Safe | Good |
| Well-led | Outstanding |
| Caring | Outstanding |
| Responsive | Outstanding |
| Effective | Good |
2,788 patients were registered at Kirkoswald Surgery in September 2026, down 0.7% on a year earlier (England: down 1.1%).
32% of its patients are aged 65 or over, against 19% across England. With 1.6 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs, there are 1,787 patients per GP, fewer than the England figure of 2,171 and North East and North Cumbria's 2,088. The practice also has 0.4 nurses and 1.0 other clinical staff such as pharmacists and physiotherapists (full-time equivalent).
| Year | Qualified GPs (FTE) | All GPs incl. trainees (FTE) |
|---|---|---|
| August 2023 | 2.1 | 2.1 |
| August 2024 | 2.1 | 2.1 |
| August 2025 | 2.0 | 2.0 |
| August 2026 | 1.6 | 1.6 |
From June 2026 to August 2026 the practice recorded 2,188 appointments a month, or 785 per 1,000 registered patients (England: 510). 40% were face to face (England: 63%). 56% took place on the day they were booked and 4% more than 28 days after booking (England: 45% and 5%).
44% were with a GP rather than another member of the practice team. 2% of booked patients did not attend.
| Measure | Kirkoswald Surgery | North East and North Cumbria | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Appointments per 1,000 patients a month | 785 | 550 | 510 |
| Face to face | 40% | 68% | 63% |
| Same day as booked | 56% | 42% | 45% |
| More than 28 days after booking | 4% | 6% | 5% |
| Did not attend | 2% | 4% | 4% |
Compared with England, the practice has a higher share of patients on its registers for cancer (6.4% against 3.8%), atrial fibrillation (3.7% against 2.2%) and coronary heart disease (4.4% against 3.0%). It has a lower share for serious mental illness (0.4% against 1.0%). The practice's patients live in areas with an average deprivation score of 15.3 (England: 21.8; higher is more deprived).
Life expectancy for its patients' neighbourhoods is 86.1 years for women and 83.2 for men (England: 83.0 and 79.1).
| Condition register | Age group | Practice (2024/25) | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| High blood pressure | All ages | 19.5% | 15.2% |
| Depression | 18+ yrs | 11.9% | 14.3% |
| Asthma | 6+ yrs | 8.4% | 6.6% |
| Diabetes | 17+ yrs | 7.0% | 7.9% |
| Cancer | All ages | 6.4% | 3.8% |
| Chronic kidney disease | 18+ yrs | 5.6% | 4.6% |
| Coronary heart disease | All ages | 4.4% | 3.0% |
| Atrial fibrillation | All ages | 3.7% | 2.2% |
| Stroke and TIA | All ages | 2.2% | 1.9% |
| COPD | All ages | 1.4% | 1.9% |
| Heart failure | All ages | 1.4% | 1.1% |
| Rheumatoid arthritis | 16+ yrs | 1.2% | 0.8% |
| Peripheral arterial disease | All ages | 0.9% | 0.6% |
| Osteoporosis | 50+ yrs | 0.7% | 1.2% |
| Dementia | All ages | 0.6% | 0.8% |
| Serious mental illness | All ages | 0.4% | 1.0% |
| Epilepsy | 18+ yrs | 0.4% | 0.8% |
| Palliative care | All ages | 0.4% | 0.6% |
| Learning disability | All ages | 0.3% | 0.6% |
| Screening coverage | Period | Practice | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bowel cancer screening (aged 60 to 74) | 2024/25 | 84.5% | 72.9% |
| Breast cancer screening (women aged 53 to 70) | 2024/25 | 85.7% | 72.2% |
| Cervical screening (women aged 25 to 49) | 2023/24 | 87.3% | 67.5% |
| Cervical screening (women aged 50 to 64) | 2023/24 | 82.4% | 74.9% |
Kirkoswald Surgery, Ravenghyll, Kirkoswald, Penrith, CA10 1DQ. Phone: 01768 898560.
| Nearby practice | Distance | Overall experience good |
|---|---|---|
| Court Thorn Surgery | 9.6 km | 83% |
| Birbeck Medical Group | 12.4 km | 82% |
| The Lakes Medical Practice | 12.4 km | 83% |
| Temple Sowerby Medical Practice | 15.2 km | 83% |
| Alston Medical Practice | 17.0 km | 89% |
- Alston Medical Practice (89% overall experience good)
- Appleby Medical Practice (91% overall experience good)
- Birbeck Medical Group (82% overall experience good)
- Court Thorn Surgery (83% overall experience good)
- Glenridding Health Centre (100% 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 Kirkoswald Surgery?
In the 2026 GP Patient Survey, 87% of patients described their overall experience of Kirkoswald Surgery as good, above the England figure of 77%. 88% found it easy to get through by phone.
How many patients are registered at Kirkoswald Surgery?
2,788 patients were registered in September 2026, down 0.7% on a year earlier.
What is Kirkoswald Surgery's CQC rating?
Outstanding overall, published in August 2019.
How many GPs does Kirkoswald Surgery have?
1.6 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs (2 qualified GPs by headcount), which is 1,787 patients per GP against 2,171 across England.
Are appointments at Kirkoswald Surgery face to face?
40% of appointments from June 2026 to August 2026 were face to face, against 63% across England.
What is Kirkoswald Surgery's phone number?
01768 898560.