Lowther Medical Centre, Whitehaven: patient reviews and CQC rating
Lowther Medical Centre is a GP practice in Whitehaven with 13,627 registered patients (September 2026). In the 2026 GP Patient Survey, 71% 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 January 2024. It has 0.9 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs, or 15,969 patients per GP.
Latest data: September 2026. Patient survey 2026; registered patients September 2026; appointments to August 2026.
What patients say about Lowther Medical Centre
Its best result against England is the share who said the wait for their last appointment was about right: 75%, against 69% across England. Its weakest is the share who described their last contact with the practice as good: 54%, below the England figure of 73%. Of the 11 results in the table, 0 are above England and 3 below by more than the survey's margin of error, and 8 within it.
On overall experience it is 2nd of the 3 practices in Whitehaven with 50 or more responses. 39% found it easy to get through by phone (England: 57%). The overall experience result is 11 points higher than in 2025 (60%). 109 patients answered the survey (response rate 29%).
| Survey question | Lowther Medical Centre | North East and North Cumbria | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overall experience good | 71% | 80% | 77% |
| Easy to contact by phone | 39% | 62% | 57% |
| Easy to contact via the website | 56% | 59% | 58% |
| Easy to contact via the NHS App | 55% | 58% | 54% |
| Reception team helpful | 85% | 88% | 85% |
| Last contact good | 54% | 76% | 73% |
| Wait for appointment about right | 75% | 72% | 69% |
| Listened to well | 80% | 89% | 87% |
| Treated with care and concern | 82% | 88% | 86% |
| Confidence and trust in the clinician | 91% | 93% | 93% |
| Needs met | 90% | 91% | 90% |
In the Friends and Family Test for July 2026, 84% of 50 responses rated the practice good or very good (England: 92%).
CQC's overall rating for Lowther Medical Centre is Good, published in January 2024. One key question is rated differently: Responsive Requires Improvement. It held the same rating in the report before (May 2022).
| Key question | Rating |
|---|---|
| Safe | Good |
| Well-led | Good |
| Caring | Good |
| Responsive | Requires Improvement |
| Effective | Good |
13,627 patients were registered at Lowther Medical Centre in September 2026, down 1.3% on a year earlier (England: down 1.1%).
23% of its patients are aged 65 or over, against 19% across England. With 0.9 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs, there are 15,969 patients per GP, more than the England figure of 2,171 and North East and North Cumbria's 2,088. The practice also has 4.3 nurses and 1.3 other clinical staff such as pharmacists and physiotherapists (full-time equivalent).
| Year | Qualified GPs (FTE) | All GPs incl. trainees (FTE) |
|---|---|---|
| August 2023 | 0.9 | 2.8 |
| August 2024 | 0.9 | 4.7 |
| August 2025 | 0.9 | 5.1 |
| August 2026 | 0.9 | 7.6 |
From June 2026 to August 2026 the practice recorded 9,346 appointments a month, or 686 per 1,000 registered patients (England: 510). 64% were face to face (England: 63%). 40% took place on the day they were booked and 3% more than 28 days after booking (England: 45% and 5%).
32% were with a GP rather than another member of the practice team. 4% of booked patients did not attend.
| Measure | Lowther Medical Centre | North East and North Cumbria | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Appointments per 1,000 patients a month | 686 | 550 | 510 |
| Face to face | 64% | 68% | 63% |
| Same day as booked | 40% | 42% | 45% |
| More than 28 days after booking | 3% | 6% | 5% |
| Did not attend | 4% | 4% | 4% |
Compared with England, the practice has a higher share of patients on its registers for peripheral arterial disease (1.1% against 0.6%), COPD (3.1% against 1.9%) and coronary heart disease (4.8% against 3.0%). It has a lower share for osteoporosis (0.5% against 1.2%). The practice's patients live in areas with an average deprivation score of 26.7 (England: 21.8; higher is more deprived).
Life expectancy for its patients' neighbourhoods is 78.9 years for women and 76.1 for men (England: 83.0 and 79.1).
| Condition register | Age group | Practice (2024/25) | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Depression | 18+ yrs | 19.7% | 14.3% |
| High blood pressure | All ages | 17.7% | 15.2% |
| Diabetes | 17+ yrs | 10.9% | 7.9% |
| Asthma | 6+ yrs | 7.0% | 6.6% |
| Chronic kidney disease | 18+ yrs | 5.6% | 4.6% |
| Coronary heart disease | All ages | 4.8% | 3.0% |
| Cancer | All ages | 4.5% | 3.8% |
| COPD | All ages | 3.1% | 1.9% |
| Atrial fibrillation | All ages | 2.9% | 2.2% |
| Stroke and TIA | All ages | 2.9% | 1.9% |
| Heart failure | All ages | 1.7% | 1.1% |
| Rheumatoid arthritis | 16+ yrs | 1.4% | 0.8% |
| Epilepsy | 18+ yrs | 1.1% | 0.8% |
| Peripheral arterial disease | All ages | 1.1% | 0.6% |
| Serious mental illness | All ages | 1.0% | 1.0% |
| Dementia | All ages | 1.0% | 0.8% |
| Learning disability | All ages | 0.8% | 0.6% |
| Palliative care | All ages | 0.7% | 0.6% |
| Osteoporosis | 50+ yrs | 0.5% | 1.2% |
| Screening coverage | Period | Practice | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bowel cancer screening (aged 60 to 74) | 2024/25 | 74.4% | 72.9% |
| Breast cancer screening (women aged 53 to 70) | 2024/25 | 77.1% | 72.2% |
| Cervical screening (women aged 25 to 49) | 2023/24 | 73.3% | 67.5% |
| Cervical screening (women aged 50 to 64) | 2023/24 | 73.5% | 74.9% |
Lowther Medical Centre, 1 Castle Meadows, Whitehaven, CA28 7RG. Phone: 07787 433340. Website: www.lowthermedical.co.uk.
| Nearby practice | Distance | Overall experience good |
|---|---|---|
| Mansion House Surgery | 0.2 km | 88% |
| Distington Surgery | 6.3 km | 87% |
| Fellview Healthcare | 7.8 km | 68% |
| Westcroft House Surgery | 7.8 km | 83% |
| James Street Group Practice | 11.3 km | 66% |
- Fellview Healthcare (68% overall experience good)
- Seascale Health Centre (85% overall experience good)
How do patients rate Lowther Medical Centre?
In the 2026 GP Patient Survey, 71% of patients described their overall experience of Lowther Medical Centre as good, against 77% across England. 39% found it easy to get through by phone.
How many patients are registered at Lowther Medical Centre?
13,627 patients were registered in September 2026, down 1.3% on a year earlier.
What is Lowther Medical Centre's CQC rating?
Good overall, published in January 2024.
How many GPs does Lowther Medical Centre have?
0.9 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs (1 qualified GP by headcount), which is 15,969 patients per GP against 2,171 across England.
Are appointments at Lowther Medical Centre face to face?
64% of appointments from June 2026 to August 2026 were face to face, against 63% across England.
What is Lowther Medical Centre's phone number?
07787 433340.