The Weardale Practice, Bishop Auckland: patient reviews and CQC rating
The Weardale Practice is a GP practice in Bishop Auckland with 7,112 registered patients (September 2026). In the 2026 GP Patient Survey, 84% 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 April 2017. It has 4.8 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs, or 1,467 patients per GP.
Latest data: September 2026. Patient survey 2026; registered patients September 2026; appointments to August 2026.
What patients say about The Weardale Practice
Its best result against England is the share who described their overall experience of the practice as good: 84%, against 77% across England. Its weakest is the share who found it easy to contact the practice using the NHS App: 30%, below the England figure of 54%. Of the 11 results in the table, 0 are above England and 2 below by more than the survey's margin of error, and 9 within it.
On overall experience it is 6th of the 7 practices in Bishop Auckland with 50 or more responses. 48% found it easy to get through by phone (England: 57%). The overall experience result is 11 points higher than in 2025 (73%). 98 patients answered the survey (response rate 37%).
| Survey question | The Weardale Practice | North East and North Cumbria | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overall experience good | 84% | 80% | 77% |
| Easy to contact by phone | 48% | 62% | 57% |
| Easy to contact via the website | 55% | 59% | 58% |
| Easy to contact via the NHS App | 30% | 58% | 54% |
| Reception team helpful | 82% | 88% | 85% |
| Last contact good | 66% | 76% | 73% |
| Wait for appointment about right | 52% | 72% | 69% |
| Listened to well | 90% | 89% | 87% |
| Treated with care and concern | 86% | 88% | 86% |
| Confidence and trust in the clinician | 93% | 93% | 93% |
| Needs met | 91% | 91% | 90% |
In the Friends and Family Test for July 2026, 83% of 515 responses rated the practice good or very good (England: 92%).
CQC's overall rating for The Weardale Practice is Good, published in April 2017. All 5 key questions are rated Good.
| Key question | Rating |
|---|---|
| Safe | Good |
| Well-led | Good |
| Caring | Good |
| Responsive | Good |
| Effective | Good |
7,112 patients were registered at The Weardale Practice in September 2026, down 0.6% on a year earlier (England: down 1.1%).
33% of its patients are aged 65 or over, against 19% across England. With 4.8 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs, there are 1,467 patients per GP, fewer than the England figure of 2,171 and North East and North Cumbria's 2,088. The practice also has 2.0 nurses and 3.7 other clinical staff such as pharmacists and physiotherapists (full-time equivalent).
| Year | Qualified GPs (FTE) | All GPs incl. trainees (FTE) |
|---|---|---|
| August 2023 | 4.3 | 6.4 |
| August 2024 | 4.8 | 7.0 |
| August 2025 | 4.6 | 6.6 |
| August 2026 | 4.8 | 4.8 |
From June 2026 to August 2026 the practice recorded 5,205 appointments a month, or 732 per 1,000 registered patients (England: 510). 51% were face to face (England: 63%). 54% took place on the day they were booked and 7% more than 28 days after booking (England: 45% and 5%).
30% were with a GP rather than another member of the practice team. 2% of booked patients did not attend.
| Measure | The Weardale Practice | North East and North Cumbria | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Appointments per 1,000 patients a month | 732 | 550 | 510 |
| Face to face | 51% | 68% | 63% |
| Same day as booked | 54% | 42% | 45% |
| More than 28 days after booking | 7% | 6% | 5% |
| Did not attend | 2% | 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%), COPD (3.4% against 1.9%) and peripheral arterial disease (1.0% against 0.6%). It has a lower share for osteoporosis (0.2% against 1.2%). 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 85.1 years for women and 81.9 for men (England: 83.0 and 79.1).
| Condition register | Age group | Practice (2024/25) | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| High blood pressure | All ages | 25.8% | 15.2% |
| Depression | 18+ yrs | 14.4% | 14.3% |
| Diabetes | 17+ yrs | 9.9% | 7.9% |
| Asthma | 6+ yrs | 8.5% | 6.6% |
| Cancer | All ages | 6.5% | 3.8% |
| Coronary heart disease | All ages | 4.9% | 3.0% |
| Chronic kidney disease | 18+ yrs | 3.9% | 4.6% |
| Atrial fibrillation | All ages | 3.7% | 2.2% |
| COPD | All ages | 3.4% | 1.9% |
| Stroke and TIA | All ages | 3.2% | 1.9% |
| Heart failure | All ages | 1.8% | 1.1% |
| Palliative care | All ages | 1.5% | 0.6% |
| Rheumatoid arthritis | 16+ yrs | 1.2% | 0.8% |
| Serious mental illness | All ages | 1.0% | 1.0% |
| Peripheral arterial disease | All ages | 1.0% | 0.6% |
| Dementia | All ages | 0.9% | 0.8% |
| Epilepsy | 18+ yrs | 0.7% | 0.8% |
| Learning disability | All ages | 0.4% | 0.6% |
| Osteoporosis | 50+ yrs | 0.2% | 1.2% |
| Screening coverage | Period | Practice | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bowel cancer screening (aged 60 to 74) | 2024/25 | 80.1% | 72.9% |
| Breast cancer screening (women aged 53 to 70) | 2024/25 | 73.7% | 72.2% |
| Cervical screening (women aged 25 to 49) | 2023/24 | 81.6% | 67.5% |
| Cervical screening (women aged 50 to 64) | 2023/24 | 78.4% | 74.9% |
The Weardale Practice, Dale Street, Stanhope, Bishop Auckland, DL13 2XD. Phone: 01388 528555.
| Nearby practice | Distance | Overall experience good |
|---|---|---|
| Old Forge Surgery | 14.5 km | 90% |
| Consett Medical Centre | 16.2 km | 79% |
| North House Surgery | 16.7 km | 75% |
| Queens Road Surgery | 16.9 km | 95% |
| Pinfold Medical Practice | 17.1 km | 91% |
- North House Surgery (75% overall experience good)
- Willington Medical Group (87% overall experience good)
How do patients rate The Weardale Practice?
In the 2026 GP Patient Survey, 84% of patients described their overall experience of The Weardale Practice as good, against 77% across England. 48% found it easy to get through by phone.
How many patients are registered at The Weardale Practice?
7,112 patients were registered in September 2026, down 0.6% on a year earlier.
What is The Weardale Practice's CQC rating?
Good overall, published in April 2017.
How many GPs does The Weardale Practice have?
4.8 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs (9 qualified GPs by headcount), which is 1,467 patients per GP against 2,171 across England.
Are appointments at The Weardale Practice face to face?
51% of appointments from June 2026 to August 2026 were face to face, against 63% across England.
What is The Weardale Practice's phone number?
01388 528555.