Gatacre Street Surgery, Blyth: patient reviews and CQC rating
Gatacre Street Surgery is a GP practice in Blyth with 26,894 registered patients (September 2026). In the 2026 GP Patient Survey, 71% 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 December 2023. It has 14.2 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs, or 1,899 patients per GP.
Latest data: September 2026. Patient survey 2026; registered patients September 2026; appointments to August 2026.
What patients say about Gatacre Street Surgery
Its best result against England is the share who said the wait for their last appointment was about right: 72%, against 69% across England. Its weakest is the share who found it easy to contact the practice through its website: 39%, below the England figure of 58%. Of the 11 results in the table, 0 are above England and 4 below by more than the survey's margin of error, and 7 within it.
45% found it easy to get through by phone (England: 57%). The overall experience result is 7 points lower than in 2025 (78%). 104 patients answered the survey (response rate 27%).
| Survey question | Gatacre Street Surgery | North East and North Cumbria | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overall experience good | 71% | 80% | 77% |
| Easy to contact by phone | 45% | 62% | 57% |
| Easy to contact via the website | 39% | 59% | 58% |
| Easy to contact via the NHS App | 44% | 58% | 54% |
| Reception team helpful | 75% | 88% | 85% |
| Last contact good | 59% | 76% | 73% |
| Wait for appointment about right | 72% | 72% | 69% |
| Listened to well | 82% | 89% | 87% |
| Treated with care and concern | 84% | 88% | 86% |
| Confidence and trust in the clinician | 89% | 93% | 93% |
| Needs met | 86% | 91% | 90% |
In the Friends and Family Test for July 2026, 94% of 42,038 responses rated the practice good or very good (England: 92%).
CQC's overall rating for Gatacre Street Surgery is Good, published in December 2023. One key question is rated differently: Responsive Requires Improvement. It held the same rating in the report before (December 2019).
| Key question | Rating |
|---|---|
| Safe | Good |
| Well-led | Good |
| Caring | Good |
| Responsive | Requires Improvement |
| Effective | Good |
26,894 patients were registered at Gatacre Street Surgery in September 2026, almost the same as a year earlier.
21% of its patients are aged 65 or over, against 19% across England. With 14.2 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs, there are 1,899 patients per GP, fewer than the England figure of 2,171 and North East and North Cumbria's 2,088. The practice also has 6.3 nurses and 8.6 other clinical staff such as pharmacists and physiotherapists (full-time equivalent).
| Year | Qualified GPs (FTE) | All GPs incl. trainees (FTE) |
|---|---|---|
| August 2023 | 12.8 | 13.5 |
| August 2024 | 13.8 | 16.0 |
| August 2025 | 13.5 | 14.3 |
| August 2026 | 14.2 | 17.2 |
From June 2026 to August 2026 the practice recorded 16,311 appointments a month, or 606 per 1,000 registered patients (England: 510). 60% were face to face (England: 63%). 43% took place on the day they were booked and 5% more than 28 days after booking (England: 45% and 5%).
39% were with a GP rather than another member of the practice team. 6% of booked patients did not attend.
| Measure | Gatacre Street Surgery | North East and North Cumbria | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Appointments per 1,000 patients a month | 606 | 550 | 510 |
| Face to face | 60% | 68% | 63% |
| Same day as booked | 43% | 42% | 45% |
| More than 28 days after booking | 5% | 6% | 5% |
| Did not attend | 6% | 4% | 4% |
Compared with England, the practice has a higher share of patients on its registers for a learning disability (1.1% against 0.6%), osteoporosis (2.3% against 1.2%) and heart failure (1.9% against 1.1%). The practice's patients live in areas with an average deprivation score of 34.3 (England: 21.8; higher is more deprived). Life expectancy for its patients' neighbourhoods is 80.6 years for women and 75.2 for men (England: 83.0 and 79.1).
| Condition register | Age group | Practice (2024/25) | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Depression | 18+ yrs | 19.7% | 14.3% |
| High blood pressure | All ages | 18.2% | 15.2% |
| Diabetes | 17+ yrs | 10.3% | 7.9% |
| Asthma | 6+ yrs | 7.7% | 6.6% |
| Chronic kidney disease | 18+ yrs | 7.2% | 4.6% |
| Cancer | All ages | 4.2% | 3.8% |
| Coronary heart disease | All ages | 4.1% | 3.0% |
| COPD | All ages | 3.0% | 1.9% |
| Stroke and TIA | All ages | 2.6% | 1.9% |
| Atrial fibrillation | All ages | 2.6% | 2.2% |
| Osteoporosis | 50+ yrs | 2.3% | 1.2% |
| Heart failure | All ages | 1.9% | 1.1% |
| Serious mental illness | All ages | 1.4% | 1.0% |
| Rheumatoid arthritis | 16+ yrs | 1.2% | 0.8% |
| Epilepsy | 18+ yrs | 1.1% | 0.8% |
| Learning disability | All ages | 1.1% | 0.6% |
| Peripheral arterial disease | All ages | 0.9% | 0.6% |
| Dementia | All ages | 0.9% | 0.8% |
| Palliative care | All ages | 0.5% | 0.6% |
| Screening coverage | Period | Practice | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bowel cancer screening (aged 60 to 74) | 2024/25 | 74.5% | 72.9% |
| Breast cancer screening (women aged 53 to 70) | 2024/25 | 72.9% | 72.2% |
| Cervical screening (women aged 25 to 49) | 2023/24 | 65.1% | 67.5% |
| Cervical screening (women aged 50 to 64) | 2023/24 | 68.5% | 74.9% |
Gatacre Street Surgery, Gatacre Street, Blyth, NE24 1HD. Phone: 01670 542630.
| Nearby practice | Distance | Overall experience good |
|---|---|---|
| Marine Medical Group | 0.1 km | 83% |
| The Gables Medical Group | 3.5 km | 77% |
| Bedlingtonshire Medical Group | 5.4 km | 91% |
| Seaton Park Medical Group | 5.5 km | 78% |
| NPC Elsdon | 6.5 km | 86% |
- Marine Medical Group (83% overall experience good)
How do patients rate Gatacre Street Surgery?
In the 2026 GP Patient Survey, 71% of patients described their overall experience of Gatacre Street Surgery as good, against 77% across England. 45% found it easy to get through by phone.
How many patients are registered at Gatacre Street Surgery?
26,894 patients were registered in September 2026, down 0.3% on a year earlier.
What is Gatacre Street Surgery's CQC rating?
Good overall, published in December 2023.
How many GPs does Gatacre Street Surgery have?
14.2 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs (23 qualified GPs by headcount), which is 1,899 patients per GP against 2,171 across England.
Are appointments at Gatacre Street Surgery face to face?
60% of appointments from June 2026 to August 2026 were face to face, against 63% across England.
What is Gatacre Street Surgery's phone number?
01670 542630.