Well Close Medical Group, Berwick Upon Tweed: patient reviews and CQC rating
Well Close Medical Group is a GP practice in Berwick Upon Tweed with 9,078 registered patients (September 2026). In the 2026 GP Patient Survey, 83% 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 May 2018. It has 4.9 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs, or 1,850 patients per GP.
Latest data: September 2026. Patient survey 2026; registered patients September 2026; appointments to August 2026.
What patients say about Well Close Medical Group
Its best result against England is the share who found it easy to contact the practice using the NHS App: 67%, against 54% across England. Its weakest is the share who said they were treated with care and concern: 82%, against 86% across England. Of the 11 results in the table, 1 is above England and 0 below by more than the survey's margin of error, and 10 within it.
67% found it easy to get through by phone (England: 57%). The overall experience result is 11 points higher than in 2025 (72%). 101 patients answered the survey (response rate 32%).
| Survey question | Well Close Medical Group | North East and North Cumbria | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overall experience good | 83% | 80% | 77% |
| Easy to contact by phone | 67% | 62% | 57% |
| Easy to contact via the website | 56% | 59% | 58% |
| Easy to contact via the NHS App | 67% | 58% | 54% |
| Reception team helpful | 90% | 88% | 85% |
| Last contact good | 73% | 76% | 73% |
| Wait for appointment about right | 76% | 72% | 69% |
| Listened to well | 89% | 89% | 87% |
| Treated with care and concern | 82% | 88% | 86% |
| Confidence and trust in the clinician | 96% | 93% | 93% |
| Needs met | 94% | 91% | 90% |
CQC's overall rating for Well Close Medical Group is Good, published in May 2018. All 5 key questions are rated Good. It held the same rating in the report before (April 2015).
| Key question | Rating |
|---|---|
| Safe | Good |
| Well-led | Good |
| Caring | Good |
| Responsive | Good |
| Effective | Good |
9,078 patients were registered at Well Close Medical Group in September 2026, down 1.3% on a year earlier (England: down 1.1%).
31% of its patients are aged 65 or over, against 19% across England. With 4.9 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs, there are 1,850 patients per GP, fewer than the England figure of 2,171 and North East and North Cumbria's 2,088. The practice also has 4.2 nurses and 4.2 other clinical staff such as pharmacists and physiotherapists (full-time equivalent).
| Year | Qualified GPs (FTE) | All GPs incl. trainees (FTE) |
|---|---|---|
| August 2023 | 4.9 | 6.8 |
| August 2024 | 4.5 | 5.5 |
| August 2025 | 4.5 | 4.5 |
| August 2026 | 4.9 | 6.0 |
From June 2026 to August 2026 the practice recorded 7,482 appointments a month, or 824 per 1,000 registered patients (England: 510). 54% were face to face (England: 63%). 46% took place on the day they were booked and 3% more than 28 days after booking (England: 45% and 5%).
45% were with a GP rather than another member of the practice team. 3% of booked patients did not attend.
| Measure | Well Close Medical Group | North East and North Cumbria | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Appointments per 1,000 patients a month | 824 | 550 | 510 |
| Face to face | 54% | 68% | 63% |
| Same day as booked | 46% | 42% | 45% |
| More than 28 days after booking | 3% | 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 (2.6% against 0.6%), peripheral arterial disease (1.2% against 0.6%) and COPD (3.8% against 1.9%). It has a lower share for depression (4.2% against 14.3%). The practice's patients live in areas with an average deprivation score of 23.0 (England: 21.8; higher is more deprived).
Life expectancy for its patients' neighbourhoods is 82.2 years for women and 78.4 for men (England: 83.0 and 79.1).
| Condition register | Age group | Practice (2024/25) | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| High blood pressure | All ages | 20.9% | 15.2% |
| Diabetes | 17+ yrs | 9.1% | 7.9% |
| Asthma | 6+ yrs | 8.8% | 6.6% |
| Chronic kidney disease | 18+ yrs | 6.0% | 4.6% |
| Cancer | All ages | 5.4% | 3.8% |
| Coronary heart disease | All ages | 5.3% | 3.0% |
| Depression | 18+ yrs | 4.2% | 14.3% |
| COPD | All ages | 3.8% | 1.9% |
| Stroke and TIA | All ages | 3.3% | 1.9% |
| Atrial fibrillation | All ages | 3.2% | 2.2% |
| Palliative care | All ages | 2.6% | 0.6% |
| Rheumatoid arthritis | 16+ yrs | 2.2% | 0.8% |
| Heart failure | All ages | 1.5% | 1.1% |
| Dementia | All ages | 1.3% | 0.8% |
| Serious mental illness | All ages | 1.2% | 1.0% |
| Osteoporosis | 50+ yrs | 1.2% | 1.2% |
| Peripheral arterial disease | All ages | 1.2% | 0.6% |
| Epilepsy | 18+ yrs | 1.0% | 0.8% |
| Learning disability | All ages | 0.7% | 0.6% |
| Screening coverage | Period | Practice | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bowel cancer screening (aged 60 to 74) | 2024/25 | 78.2% | 72.9% |
| Breast cancer screening (women aged 53 to 70) | 2024/25 | 76.8% | 72.2% |
| Cervical screening (women aged 25 to 49) | 2023/24 | 73.5% | 67.5% |
| Cervical screening (women aged 50 to 64) | 2023/24 | 67.4% | 74.9% |
Well Close Medical Group, Well Close Square, Berwick Upon Tweed, TD15 1LL. Phone: 01289 333240. Website: www.wellclosemedicalgroup.com.
| Nearby practice | Distance | Overall experience good |
|---|---|---|
| Union Brae and Norham Practice | 0.7 km | 48% |
| Belford Medical Practice | 22.6 km | 92% |
| Wooler Health | 25.1 km | 96% |
| Alnwick Medical Group | 44.7 km | 86% |
| NPC Rothbury | 52.1 km | 93% |
- Alnwick Medical Group (86% overall experience good)
- Belford Medical Practice (92% overall experience good)
- Drs O'Neill, Evans & Lunn (86% overall experience good)
- Greystoke Surgery (98% overall experience good)
- Union Brae and Norham Practice (48% overall experience good)
- Wooler Health (96% overall experience good)
How do patients rate Well Close Medical Group?
In the 2026 GP Patient Survey, 83% of patients described their overall experience of Well Close Medical Group as good, against 77% across England. 67% found it easy to get through by phone.
How many patients are registered at Well Close Medical Group?
9,078 patients were registered in September 2026, down 1.3% on a year earlier.
What is Well Close Medical Group's CQC rating?
Good overall, published in May 2018.
How many GPs does Well Close Medical Group have?
4.9 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs (7 qualified GPs by headcount), which is 1,850 patients per GP against 2,171 across England.
Are appointments at Well Close Medical Group face to face?
54% of appointments from June 2026 to August 2026 were face to face, against 63% across England.
What is Well Close Medical Group's phone number?
01289 333240.