Gardiner Crescent Surgery, Chester Le Street: patient reviews and CQC rating
Gardiner Crescent Surgery is a GP practice in Chester Le Street with 4,111 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 Requires Improvement overall, in a report published in December 2023. It has 1.9 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs, or 2,202 patients per GP.
Latest data: September 2026. Patient survey 2026; registered patients September 2026; appointments to August 2026.
What patients say about Gardiner Crescent Surgery
Its best result against England is the share who found it easy to contact the practice using the NHS App: 85%, above the England figure of 54%. Its weakest is the share who said their needs were met at their last appointment: 88%, against 90% across England. Of the 11 results in the table, 4 are above England and 0 below by more than the survey's margin of error, and 7 within it.
On overall experience it is 2nd of the 6 practices in Chester Le Street with 50 or more responses. 81% found it easy to get through by phone (England: 57%). The overall experience result is 2 points lower than in 2025 (85%). 73 patients answered the survey (response rate 22%).
| Survey question | Gardiner Crescent Surgery | North East and North Cumbria | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overall experience good | 83% | 80% | 77% |
| Easy to contact by phone | 81% | 62% | 57% |
| Easy to contact via the website | 56% | 59% | 58% |
| Easy to contact via the NHS App | 85% | 58% | 54% |
| Reception team helpful | 90% | 88% | 85% |
| Last contact good | 86% | 76% | 73% |
| Wait for appointment about right | 95% | 72% | 69% |
| Listened to well | 93% | 89% | 87% |
| Treated with care and concern | 86% | 88% | 86% |
| Confidence and trust in the clinician | 95% | 93% | 93% |
| Needs met | 88% | 91% | 90% |
CQC's overall rating for Gardiner Crescent Surgery is Requires Improvement, published in December 2023. One key question is rated differently: Caring Good. Its previous overall rating was Inadequate (July 2022).
| Key question | Rating |
|---|---|
| Safe | Requires Improvement |
| Well-led | Requires Improvement |
| Caring | Good |
| Responsive | Requires Improvement |
| Effective | Requires Improvement |
4,111 patients were registered at Gardiner Crescent Surgery in September 2026, almost the same as a year earlier.
24% of its patients are aged 65 or over, against 19% across England. With 1.9 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs, there are 2,202 patients per GP, close to the England figure of 2,171 and North East and North Cumbria's 2,088. The practice also has 3.8 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 | 2.1 | 2.1 |
| August 2024 | 2.1 | 2.1 |
| August 2025 | 1.3 | 1.3 |
| August 2026 | 1.9 | 1.9 |
From June 2026 to August 2026 the practice recorded 2,208 appointments a month, or 537 per 1,000 registered patients (England: 510). 79% were face to face (England: 63%). 46% took place on the day they were booked and 1% more than 28 days after booking (England: 45% and 5%).
30% were with a GP rather than another member of the practice team. 3% of booked patients did not attend.
| Measure | Gardiner Crescent Surgery | North East and North Cumbria | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Appointments per 1,000 patients a month | 537 | 550 | 510 |
| Face to face | 79% | 68% | 63% |
| Same day as booked | 46% | 42% | 45% |
| More than 28 days after booking | 1% | 6% | 5% |
| Did not attend | 3% | 4% | 4% |
Compared with England, the practice has a higher share of patients on its registers for COPD (4.2% against 1.9%), peripheral arterial disease (1.2% against 0.6%) and osteoporosis (2.1% against 1.2%). The practice's patients live in areas with an average deprivation score of 34.0 (England: 21.8; higher is more deprived). Life expectancy for its patients' neighbourhoods is 78.8 years for women and 76.3 for men (England: 83.0 and 79.1).
| Condition register | Age group | Practice (2024/25) | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| High blood pressure | All ages | 21.7% | 15.2% |
| Depression | 18+ yrs | 12.4% | 14.3% |
| Diabetes | 17+ yrs | 11.3% | 7.9% |
| Asthma | 6+ yrs | 8.1% | 6.6% |
| Chronic kidney disease | 18+ yrs | 7.2% | 4.6% |
| Coronary heart disease | All ages | 4.8% | 3.0% |
| COPD | All ages | 4.2% | 1.9% |
| Cancer | All ages | 4.0% | 3.8% |
| Stroke and TIA | All ages | 3.1% | 1.9% |
| Atrial fibrillation | All ages | 2.2% | 2.2% |
| Osteoporosis | 50+ yrs | 2.1% | 1.2% |
| Heart failure | All ages | 1.8% | 1.1% |
| Rheumatoid arthritis | 16+ yrs | 1.4% | 0.8% |
| Peripheral arterial disease | All ages | 1.2% | 0.6% |
| Epilepsy | 18+ yrs | 1.0% | 0.8% |
| Dementia | All ages | 1.0% | 0.8% |
| Palliative care | All ages | 0.9% | 0.6% |
| Serious mental illness | All ages | 0.8% | 1.0% |
| Learning disability | All ages | 0.8% | 0.6% |
| Screening coverage | Period | Practice | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bowel cancer screening (aged 60 to 74) | 2024/25 | 69.9% | 72.9% |
| Breast cancer screening (women aged 53 to 70) | 2024/25 | 72.1% | 72.2% |
| Cervical screening (women aged 25 to 49) | 2023/24 | 71.9% | 67.5% |
| Cervical screening (women aged 50 to 64) | 2023/24 | 69.2% | 74.9% |
Gardiner Crescent Surgery, 21 Gardiner Crescent, Pelton Fell, Chester Le Street, DH2 2NJ. Phone: 0191 387 3558.
| Nearby practice | Distance | Overall experience good |
|---|---|---|
| Cestria Health Centre | 1.0 km | 68% |
| The Surgery-Pelton | 1.8 km | 72% |
| Bridge End Surgery | 2.3 km | 78% |
| Middle Chare Medical Group | 2.4 km | 79% |
| Birtley Medical Group | 4.3 km | 67% |
- Bridge End Surgery (78% overall experience good)
- Cestria Health Centre (68% overall experience good)
- Middle Chare Medical Group (79% overall experience good)
- Sacriston Medical Centre (75% overall experience good)
- The Surgery - Great Lumley (93% overall experience good)
- The Surgery-Pelton (72% overall experience good)
How do patients rate Gardiner Crescent Surgery?
In the 2026 GP Patient Survey, 83% of patients described their overall experience of Gardiner Crescent Surgery as good, against 77% across England. 81% found it easy to get through by phone.
How many patients are registered at Gardiner Crescent Surgery?
4,111 patients were registered in September 2026, down 0.1% on a year earlier.
What is Gardiner Crescent Surgery's CQC rating?
Requires Improvement overall, published in December 2023.
How many GPs does Gardiner Crescent Surgery have?
1.9 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs (3 qualified GPs by headcount), which is 2,202 patients per GP against 2,171 across England.
Are appointments at Gardiner Crescent Surgery face to face?
79% of appointments from June 2026 to August 2026 were face to face, against 63% across England.
What is Gardiner Crescent Surgery's phone number?
0191 387 3558.