Old Forge Surgery, Barnard Castle: patient reviews and CQC rating
Old Forge Surgery is a GP practice in Barnard Castle with 2,727 registered patients (September 2026). In the 2026 GP Patient Survey, 90% 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 Good overall, in a report published in March 2017. It has 1.7 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs, or 1,633 patients per GP.
Latest data: September 2026. Patient survey 2026; registered patients September 2026; appointments to August 2026.
What patients say about Old Forge Surgery
Its best result against England is the share who found it easy to contact the practice through its website: 89%, 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: 93%, against 93% across England. Of the 11 results in the table, 5 are above England and 0 below by more than the survey's margin of error, and 6 within it.
86% found it easy to get through by phone (England: 57%). The overall experience result is unchanged from 2025 (90%). 93 patients answered the survey (response rate 35%).
| Survey question | Old Forge Surgery | North East and North Cumbria | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overall experience good | 90% | 80% | 77% |
| Easy to contact by phone | 86% | 62% | 57% |
| Easy to contact via the website | 89% | 59% | 58% |
| Easy to contact via the NHS App | 73% | 58% | 54% |
| Reception team helpful | 90% | 88% | 85% |
| Last contact good | 91% | 76% | 73% |
| Wait for appointment about right | 83% | 72% | 69% |
| Listened to well | 93% | 89% | 87% |
| Treated with care and concern | 88% | 88% | 86% |
| Confidence and trust in the clinician | 93% | 93% | 93% |
| Needs met | 95% | 91% | 90% |
CQC's overall rating for Old Forge Surgery is Good, published in March 2017. All 5 key questions are rated Good.
| Key question | Rating |
|---|---|
| Safe | Good |
| Well-led | Good |
| Caring | Good |
| Responsive | Good |
| Effective | Good |
2,727 patients were registered at Old Forge Surgery in September 2026, up 1.2% on a year earlier (England: down 1.1%).
35% of its patients are aged 65 or over, against 19% across England. With 1.7 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs, there are 1,633 patients per GP, fewer than the England figure of 2,171 and North East and North Cumbria's 2,088. The practice also has 0.8 nurses and 0.9 other clinical staff such as pharmacists and physiotherapists (full-time equivalent).
| Year | Qualified GPs (FTE) | All GPs incl. trainees (FTE) |
|---|---|---|
| August 2023 | 1.7 | 5.9 |
| August 2024 | 1.7 | 4.9 |
| August 2025 | 1.7 | 3.8 |
| August 2026 | 1.7 | 4.9 |
From June 2026 to August 2026 the practice recorded 1,995 appointments a month, or 732 per 1,000 registered patients (England: 510). 74% were face to face (England: 63%). 41% took place on the day they were booked and 10% more than 28 days after booking (England: 45% and 5%).
72% were with a GP rather than another member of the practice team. 4% of booked patients did not attend.
| Measure | Old Forge Surgery | North East and North Cumbria | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Appointments per 1,000 patients a month | 732 | 550 | 510 |
| Face to face | 74% | 68% | 63% |
| Same day as booked | 41% | 42% | 45% |
| More than 28 days after booking | 10% | 6% | 5% |
| Did not attend | 4% | 4% | 4% |
Compared with England, the practice has a higher share of patients on its registers for palliative or supportive care needs (1.6% against 0.6%), peripheral arterial disease (1.3% against 0.6%) and high blood pressure (29.9% against 15.2%). The practice's patients live in areas with an average deprivation score of 23.2 (England: 21.8; higher is more deprived). Life expectancy for its patients' neighbourhoods is 83.1 years for women and 79.5 for men (England: 83.0 and 79.1).
| Condition register | Age group | Practice (2024/25) | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| High blood pressure | All ages | 29.9% | 15.2% |
| Depression | 18+ yrs | 18.4% | 14.3% |
| Diabetes | 17+ yrs | 12.2% | 7.9% |
| Chronic kidney disease | 18+ yrs | 9.1% | 4.6% |
| Asthma | 6+ yrs | 8.4% | 6.6% |
| Cancer | All ages | 5.2% | 3.8% |
| Coronary heart disease | All ages | 4.4% | 3.0% |
| Atrial fibrillation | All ages | 3.6% | 2.2% |
| Stroke and TIA | All ages | 3.3% | 1.9% |
| COPD | All ages | 2.7% | 1.9% |
| Palliative care | All ages | 1.6% | 0.6% |
| Serious mental illness | All ages | 1.4% | 1.0% |
| Peripheral arterial disease | All ages | 1.3% | 0.6% |
| Heart failure | All ages | 1.2% | 1.1% |
| Osteoporosis | 50+ yrs | 1.0% | 1.2% |
| Rheumatoid arthritis | 16+ yrs | 0.9% | 0.8% |
| Dementia | All ages | 0.8% | 0.8% |
| Epilepsy | 18+ yrs | 0.7% | 0.8% |
| Learning disability | All ages | 0.6% | 0.6% |
| Screening coverage | Period | Practice | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bowel cancer screening (aged 60 to 74) | 2024/25 | 77.9% | 72.9% |
| Breast cancer screening (women aged 53 to 70) | 2024/25 | 78.2% | 72.2% |
| Cervical screening (women aged 25 to 49) | 2023/24 | 77.8% | 67.5% |
| Cervical screening (women aged 50 to 64) | 2023/24 | 76.9% | 74.9% |
Old Forge Surgery, Middleton In Teesdale, Barnard Castle, DL12 0QE. Phone: 01833 640217. Website: www.oldforgesurgery.net.
| Nearby practice | Distance | Overall experience good |
|---|---|---|
| Barnard Castle Surgery | 13.6 km | 84% |
| The Weardale Practice | 14.5 km | 84% |
| Pinfold Medical Practice | 15.7 km | 91% |
| Woodview Medical Practice | 17.8 km | 95% |
| Evenwood Medical Practice | 20.7 km | 93% |
- Barnard Castle Surgery (84% overall experience good)
- Evenwood Medical Practice (93% overall experience good)
- Gainford Surgery (100% overall experience good)
- Pinfold Medical Practice (91% overall experience good)
- Woodview Medical Practice (95% overall experience good)
How do patients rate Old Forge Surgery?
In the 2026 GP Patient Survey, 90% of patients described their overall experience of Old Forge Surgery as good, above the England figure of 77%. 86% found it easy to get through by phone.
How many patients are registered at Old Forge Surgery?
2,727 patients were registered in September 2026, up 1.2% on a year earlier.
What is Old Forge Surgery's CQC rating?
Good overall, published in March 2017.
How many GPs does Old Forge Surgery have?
1.7 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs (2 qualified GPs by headcount), which is 1,633 patients per GP against 2,171 across England.
Are appointments at Old Forge Surgery face to face?
74% of appointments from June 2026 to August 2026 were face to face, against 63% across England.
What is Old Forge Surgery's phone number?
01833 640217.