Distington Surgery, Workington: patient reviews and CQC rating
Distington Surgery is a GP practice in Workington with 6,696 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 January 2017. It has 3.7 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs, or 1,794 patients per GP.
Latest data: September 2026. Patient survey 2026; registered patients September 2026; appointments to August 2026.
What patients say about Distington Surgery
Its best result against England is the share who found it easy to contact the practice through its website: 76%, above the England figure of 58%. Its result closest to England is the share who had confidence and trust in the healthcare professional they saw: 94%, against 93% across England. Of the 11 results in the table, 7 are above England and 0 below by more than the survey's margin of error, and 4 within it.
75% found it easy to get through by phone (England: 57%). The overall experience result is 11 points higher than in 2025 (76%). 145 patients answered the survey (response rate 35%).
| Survey question | Distington Surgery | North East and North Cumbria | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overall experience good | 87% | 80% | 77% |
| Easy to contact by phone | 75% | 62% | 57% |
| Easy to contact via the website | 76% | 59% | 58% |
| Easy to contact via the NHS App | 57% | 58% | 54% |
| Reception team helpful | 95% | 88% | 85% |
| Last contact good | 81% | 76% | 73% |
| Wait for appointment about right | 76% | 72% | 69% |
| Listened to well | 91% | 89% | 87% |
| Treated with care and concern | 94% | 88% | 86% |
| Confidence and trust in the clinician | 94% | 93% | 93% |
| Needs met | 95% | 91% | 90% |
In the Friends and Family Test for July 2026, 95% of 44 responses rated the practice good or very good (England: 92%).
CQC's overall rating for Distington Surgery is Outstanding, published in January 2017. 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 |
6,696 patients were registered at Distington Surgery in September 2026, up 3.7% on a year earlier (England: down 1.1%).
27% of its patients are aged 65 or over, against 19% across England. With 3.7 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs, there are 1,794 patients per GP, fewer than the England figure of 2,171 and North East and North Cumbria's 2,088. The practice also has 2.1 nurses and 7.5 other clinical staff such as pharmacists and physiotherapists (full-time equivalent).
| Year | Qualified GPs (FTE) | All GPs incl. trainees (FTE) |
|---|---|---|
| August 2023 | 3.7 | 6.9 |
| August 2024 | 3.7 | 8.0 |
| August 2025 | 3.7 | 6.9 |
| August 2026 | 3.7 | 5.7 |
From June 2026 to August 2026 the practice recorded 4,707 appointments a month, or 703 per 1,000 registered patients (England: 510). 45% were face to face (England: 63%). 51% took place on the day they were booked and 7% more than 28 days after booking (England: 45% and 5%).
48% were with a GP rather than another member of the practice team. 6% of booked patients did not attend.
| Measure | Distington Surgery | North East and North Cumbria | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Appointments per 1,000 patients a month | 703 | 550 | 510 |
| Face to face | 45% | 68% | 63% |
| Same day as booked | 51% | 42% | 45% |
| More than 28 days after booking | 7% | 6% | 5% |
| Did not attend | 6% | 4% | 4% |
Compared with England, the practice has a higher share of patients on its registers for chronic kidney disease (8.6% against 4.6%), peripheral arterial disease (1.0% against 0.6%) and coronary heart disease (5.3% against 3.0%). It has a lower share for osteoporosis (0.6% against 1.2%). The practice's patients live in areas with an average deprivation score of 22.1 (England: 21.8; higher is more deprived).
Life expectancy for its patients' neighbourhoods is 80.3 years for women and 77.5 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 | 17.0% | 14.3% |
| Diabetes | 17+ yrs | 9.8% | 7.9% |
| Asthma | 6+ yrs | 9.5% | 6.6% |
| Chronic kidney disease | 18+ yrs | 8.6% | 4.6% |
| Cancer | All ages | 5.4% | 3.8% |
| Coronary heart disease | All ages | 5.3% | 3.0% |
| Stroke and TIA | All ages | 3.2% | 1.9% |
| Atrial fibrillation | All ages | 3.2% | 2.2% |
| COPD | All ages | 3.1% | 1.9% |
| Heart failure | All ages | 1.5% | 1.1% |
| Rheumatoid arthritis | 16+ yrs | 1.2% | 0.8% |
| Peripheral arterial disease | All ages | 1.0% | 0.6% |
| Serious mental illness | All ages | 1.0% | 1.0% |
| Palliative care | All ages | 0.9% | 0.6% |
| Epilepsy | 18+ yrs | 0.8% | 0.8% |
| Dementia | All ages | 0.8% | 0.8% |
| Learning disability | All ages | 0.7% | 0.6% |
| Osteoporosis | 50+ yrs | 0.6% | 1.2% |
| Screening coverage | Period | Practice | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bowel cancer screening (aged 60 to 74) | 2024/25 | 78.6% | 72.9% |
| Breast cancer screening (women aged 53 to 70) | 2024/25 | 79.4% | 72.2% |
| Cervical screening (women aged 25 to 49) | 2023/24 | 79.3% | 67.5% |
| Cervical screening (women aged 50 to 64) | 2023/24 | 77.6% | 74.9% |
Distington Surgery, Hinnings Road, Distington, Workington, CA14 5UR. Phone: 01946 830207.
| Nearby practice | Distance | Overall experience good |
|---|---|---|
| James Street Group Practice | 5.5 km | 66% |
| Mansion House Surgery | 6.3 km | 88% |
| Lowther Medical Centre | 6.3 km | 71% |
| Westcroft House Surgery | 12.5 km | 83% |
| Fellview Healthcare | 12.6 km | 68% |
- Mansion House Surgery (88% overall experience good)
- Westcroft House Surgery (83% overall experience good)
How do patients rate Distington Surgery?
In the 2026 GP Patient Survey, 87% of patients described their overall experience of Distington Surgery as good, above the England figure of 77%. 75% found it easy to get through by phone.
How many patients are registered at Distington Surgery?
6,696 patients were registered in September 2026, up 3.7% on a year earlier.
What is Distington Surgery's CQC rating?
Outstanding overall, published in January 2017.
How many GPs does Distington Surgery have?
3.7 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs (6 qualified GPs by headcount), which is 1,794 patients per GP against 2,171 across England.
Are appointments at Distington Surgery face to face?
45% of appointments from June 2026 to August 2026 were face to face, against 63% across England.
What is Distington Surgery's phone number?
01946 830207.