Birtley Medical Group, Birtley: patient reviews and CQC rating
Birtley Medical Group is a GP practice in Birtley with 15,157 registered patients (September 2026). In the 2026 GP Patient Survey, 67% of its patients described their overall experience as good, below the England figure of 77% (North East and North Cumbria: 80%). The Care Quality Commission rates it Good overall, in a report published in December 2023. It has 9.9 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs, or 1,534 patients per GP.
Latest data: September 2026. Patient survey 2026; registered patients September 2026; appointments to August 2026.
What patients say about Birtley Medical Group
Its best result against England is the share who said their needs were met at their last appointment: 92%, against 90% across England. Its weakest is the share who described their last contact with the practice as good: 57%, below the England figure of 73%. Of the 11 results in the table, 0 are above England and 5 below by more than the survey's margin of error, and 6 within it.
48% found it easy to get through by phone (England: 57%). The overall experience result is 9 points lower than in 2025 (76%). 130 patients answered the survey (response rate 30%).
| Survey question | Birtley Medical Group | North East and North Cumbria | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overall experience good | 67% | 80% | 77% |
| Easy to contact by phone | 48% | 62% | 57% |
| Easy to contact via the website | 45% | 59% | 58% |
| Easy to contact via the NHS App | 54% | 58% | 54% |
| Reception team helpful | 73% | 88% | 85% |
| Last contact good | 57% | 76% | 73% |
| Wait for appointment about right | 66% | 72% | 69% |
| Listened to well | 88% | 89% | 87% |
| Treated with care and concern | 87% | 88% | 86% |
| Confidence and trust in the clinician | 91% | 93% | 93% |
| Needs met | 92% | 91% | 90% |
CQC's overall rating for Birtley Medical Group is Good, published in December 2023. One key question is rated differently: Responsive Requires Improvement. It held the same rating in the report before (June 2021).
| Key question | Rating |
|---|---|
| Safe | Good |
| Well-led | Good |
| Caring | Good |
| Responsive | Requires Improvement |
| Effective | Good |
15,157 patients were registered at Birtley Medical Group in September 2026, down 1.1% on a year earlier (England: down 1.1%).
24% of its patients are aged 65 or over, against 19% across England. With 9.9 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs, there are 1,534 patients per GP, fewer than the England figure of 2,171 and North East and North Cumbria's 2,088. The practice also has 4.1 nurses and 1.4 other clinical staff such as pharmacists and physiotherapists (full-time equivalent).
| Year | Qualified GPs (FTE) | All GPs incl. trainees (FTE) |
|---|---|---|
| August 2023 | 8.7 | 12.9 |
| August 2024 | 8.7 | 14.5 |
| August 2025 | 8.7 | 14.7 |
| August 2026 | 9.9 | 14.4 |
From June 2026 to August 2026 the practice recorded 7,945 appointments a month, or 524 per 1,000 registered patients (England: 510). 73% were face to face (England: 63%). 44% took place on the day they were booked and 5% more than 28 days after booking (England: 45% and 5%).
49% were with a GP rather than another member of the practice team. 3% of booked patients did not attend.
| Measure | Birtley Medical Group | North East and North Cumbria | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Appointments per 1,000 patients a month | 524 | 550 | 510 |
| Face to face | 73% | 68% | 63% |
| Same day as booked | 44% | 42% | 45% |
| More than 28 days after booking | 5% | 6% | 5% |
| Did not attend | 3% | 4% | 4% |
Compared with England, the practice has a higher share of patients on its registers for osteoporosis (2.9% against 1.2%), dementia (1.4% against 0.8%) and heart failure (1.9% against 1.1%). The practice's patients live in areas with an average deprivation score of 24.6 (England: 21.8; higher is more deprived). Life expectancy for its patients' neighbourhoods is 81.9 years for women and 77.2 for men (England: 83.0 and 79.1).
| Condition register | Age group | Practice (2024/25) | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| High blood pressure | All ages | 21.1% | 15.2% |
| Depression | 18+ yrs | 17.4% | 14.3% |
| Diabetes | 17+ yrs | 9.5% | 7.9% |
| Chronic kidney disease | 18+ yrs | 7.7% | 4.6% |
| Asthma | 6+ yrs | 7.5% | 6.6% |
| Cancer | All ages | 5.2% | 3.8% |
| Coronary heart disease | All ages | 4.2% | 3.0% |
| COPD | All ages | 3.1% | 1.9% |
| Atrial fibrillation | All ages | 3.1% | 2.2% |
| Stroke and TIA | All ages | 3.1% | 1.9% |
| Osteoporosis | 50+ yrs | 2.9% | 1.2% |
| Heart failure | All ages | 1.9% | 1.1% |
| Rheumatoid arthritis | 16+ yrs | 1.4% | 0.8% |
| Dementia | All ages | 1.4% | 0.8% |
| Epilepsy | 18+ yrs | 1.2% | 0.8% |
| Serious mental illness | All ages | 0.9% | 1.0% |
| Peripheral arterial disease | All ages | 0.9% | 0.6% |
| Learning disability | All ages | 0.7% | 0.6% |
| Palliative care | All ages | 0.4% | 0.6% |
| Screening coverage | Period | Practice | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bowel cancer screening (aged 60 to 74) | 2024/25 | 73.9% | 72.9% |
| Breast cancer screening (women aged 53 to 70) | 2024/25 | 77.3% | 72.2% |
| Cervical screening (women aged 25 to 49) | 2023/24 | 73.9% | 67.5% |
| Cervical screening (women aged 50 to 64) | 2023/24 | 75.6% | 74.9% |
Birtley Medical Group, Durham Road, Birtley, DH3 2QT. Phone: 0191 492 1022. Website: www.birtleymedicalgroup.nhs.uk.
| Nearby practice | Distance | Overall experience good |
|---|---|---|
| Rickleton Medical Centre | 2.3 km | 94% |
| The Surgery-Pelton | 2.7 km | 72% |
| Galleries Medical Practice | 3.0 km | 78% |
| Sunderland GP Alliance - Monument Surgeries | 3.0 km | 80% |
| Harraton Surgery | 3.1 km | 80% |
- Bridges Medical Practice (86% overall experience good)
- Oxford Terrace & Rawling Road Medical Group (89% overall experience good)
- Second Street Surgery (85% overall experience good)
How do patients rate Birtley Medical Group?
In the 2026 GP Patient Survey, 67% of patients described their overall experience of Birtley Medical Group as good, below the England figure of 77%. 48% found it easy to get through by phone.
How many patients are registered at Birtley Medical Group?
15,157 patients were registered in September 2026, down 1.1% on a year earlier.
What is Birtley Medical Group's CQC rating?
Good overall, published in December 2023.
How many GPs does Birtley Medical Group have?
9.9 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs (16 qualified GPs by headcount), which is 1,534 patients per GP against 2,171 across England.
Are appointments at Birtley Medical Group face to face?
73% of appointments from June 2026 to August 2026 were face to face, against 63% across England.
What is Birtley Medical Group's phone number?
0191 492 1022.