Alston Medical Practice, Alston: patient reviews and CQC rating
Alston Medical Practice is a GP practice in Alston with 2,212 registered patients (September 2026). In the 2026 GP Patient Survey, 89% 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 February 2016. It has 2.1 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs, or 1,070 patients per GP.
Latest data: September 2026. Patient survey 2026; registered patients September 2026; appointments to August 2026.
What patients say about Alston Medical Practice
Its best result against England is the share who found it easy to get through to the practice by phone: 99%, above the England figure of 57%. Its weakest is the share who said their needs were met at their last appointment: 89%, against 90% 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.
99% found it easy to get through by phone (England: 57%). The overall experience result is 2 points lower than in 2025 (91%). 111 patients answered the survey (response rate 35%).
| Survey question | Alston Medical Practice | North East and North Cumbria | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overall experience good | 89% | 80% | 77% |
| Easy to contact by phone | 99% | 62% | 57% |
| Easy to contact via the website | 94% | 59% | 58% |
| Easy to contact via the NHS App | 92% | 58% | 54% |
| Reception team helpful | 92% | 88% | 85% |
| Last contact good | 92% | 76% | 73% |
| Wait for appointment about right | 90% | 72% | 69% |
| Listened to well | 91% | 89% | 87% |
| Treated with care and concern | 91% | 88% | 86% |
| Confidence and trust in the clinician | 91% | 93% | 93% |
| Needs met | 89% | 91% | 90% |
In the Friends and Family Test for July 2026, 99% of 97 responses rated the practice good or very good (England: 92%).
CQC's overall rating for Alston Medical Practice is Outstanding, published in February 2016. 3 key questions are rated differently: Safe Good, Well-led Good and Effective Good.
| Key question | Rating |
|---|---|
| Safe | Good |
| Well-led | Good |
| Caring | Outstanding |
| Responsive | Outstanding |
| Effective | Good |
2,212 patients were registered at Alston Medical Practice in September 2026, almost the same as a year earlier.
31% of its patients are aged 65 or over, against 19% across England. With 2.1 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs, there are 1,070 patients per GP, fewer than the England figure of 2,171 and North East and North Cumbria's 2,088. The practice also has 2.8 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 | 2.1 | 3.1 |
| August 2024 | 1.5 | 3.7 |
| August 2025 | 1.8 | 2.9 |
| August 2026 | 2.1 | 3.1 |
From June 2026 to August 2026 the practice recorded 1,432 appointments a month, or 647 per 1,000 registered patients (England: 510). 69% were face to face (England: 63%). 29% took place on the day they were booked and 7% more than 28 days after booking (England: 45% and 5%).
55% were with a GP rather than another member of the practice team. 3% of booked patients did not attend.
| Measure | Alston Medical Practice | North East and North Cumbria | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Appointments per 1,000 patients a month | 647 | 550 | 510 |
| Face to face | 69% | 68% | 63% |
| Same day as booked | 29% | 42% | 45% |
| More than 28 days after booking | 7% | 6% | 5% |
| Did not attend | 3% | 4% | 4% |
Compared with England, the practice has a higher share of patients on its registers for palliative or supportive care needs (1.5% against 0.6%), chronic kidney disease (8.4% against 4.6%) and COPD (3.3% against 1.9%). The practice's patients live in areas with an average deprivation score of 23.3 (England: 21.8; higher is more deprived). Life expectancy for its patients' neighbourhoods is 86.4 years for women and 82.6 for men (England: 83.0 and 79.1).
| Condition register | Age group | Practice (2024/25) | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| High blood pressure | All ages | 23.8% | 15.2% |
| Depression | 18+ yrs | 17.2% | 14.3% |
| Diabetes | 17+ yrs | 8.8% | 7.9% |
| Chronic kidney disease | 18+ yrs | 8.4% | 4.6% |
| Asthma | 6+ yrs | 7.6% | 6.6% |
| Cancer | All ages | 6.6% | 3.8% |
| Coronary heart disease | All ages | 3.8% | 3.0% |
| COPD | All ages | 3.3% | 1.9% |
| Atrial fibrillation | All ages | 3.1% | 2.2% |
| Stroke and TIA | All ages | 3.0% | 1.9% |
| Heart failure | All ages | 1.5% | 1.1% |
| Palliative care | All ages | 1.5% | 0.6% |
| Rheumatoid arthritis | 16+ yrs | 1.1% | 0.8% |
| Serious mental illness | All ages | 0.9% | 1.0% |
| Peripheral arterial disease | All ages | 0.7% | 0.6% |
| Learning disability | All ages | 0.6% | 0.6% |
| Dementia | All ages | 0.5% | 0.8% |
| Epilepsy | 18+ yrs | 0.5% | 0.8% |
| Osteoporosis | 50+ yrs | 0.3% | 1.2% |
| Screening coverage | Period | Practice | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bowel cancer screening (aged 60 to 74) | 2024/25 | 75.4% | 72.9% |
| Breast cancer screening (women aged 53 to 70) | 2024/25 | 68.0% | 72.2% |
| Cervical screening (women aged 25 to 49) | 2023/24 | 79.6% | 67.5% |
| Cervical screening (women aged 50 to 64) | 2023/24 | 78.2% | 74.9% |
Alston Medical Practice, Ruth Lancaster James Hospital, Church Road, Alston, CA9 3QX. Phone: 01228 514830.
| Nearby practice | Distance | Overall experience good |
|---|---|---|
| Kirkoswald Surgery | 17.0 km | 87% |
| Haltwhistle Medical Group | 17.8 km | 93% |
| NPC Haydon Bridge and Allendale | 22.0 km | 91% |
| Temple Sowerby Medical Practice | 22.1 km | 83% |
| Brampton Medical Practice | 23.9 km | 76% |
- 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)
- 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 Alston Medical Practice?
In the 2026 GP Patient Survey, 89% of patients described their overall experience of Alston Medical Practice as good, above the England figure of 77%. 99% found it easy to get through by phone.
How many patients are registered at Alston Medical Practice?
2,212 patients were registered in September 2026, down 0.1% on a year earlier.
What is Alston Medical Practice's CQC rating?
Outstanding overall, published in February 2016.
How many GPs does Alston Medical Practice have?
2.1 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs (4 qualified GPs by headcount), which is 1,070 patients per GP against 2,171 across England.
Are appointments at Alston Medical Practice face to face?
69% of appointments from June 2026 to August 2026 were face to face, against 63% across England.
What is Alston Medical Practice's phone number?
01228 514830.