Middle Chare Medical Group, Chester Le Street: patient reviews and CQC rating
Middle Chare Medical Group is a GP practice in Chester Le Street with 9,178 registered patients (September 2026). In the 2026 GP Patient Survey, 79% 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 June 2016. It has 3.2 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs, or 2,895 patients per GP.
Latest data: September 2026. Patient survey 2026; registered patients September 2026; appointments to August 2026.
What patients say about Middle Chare Medical Group
Its best result against England is the share who found the reception and administrative team helpful: 92%, against 85% across England. Its weakest is the share who found it easy to contact the practice through its website: 34%, below the England figure of 58%. 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 3rd of the 6 practices in Chester Le Street with 50 or more responses. 35% found it easy to get through by phone (England: 57%). The overall experience result is 2 points lower than in 2025 (81%). 93 patients answered the survey (response rate 28%).
| Survey question | Middle Chare Medical Group | North East and North Cumbria | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overall experience good | 79% | 80% | 77% |
| Easy to contact by phone | 35% | 62% | 57% |
| Easy to contact via the website | 34% | 59% | 58% |
| Easy to contact via the NHS App | 44% | 58% | 54% |
| Reception team helpful | 92% | 88% | 85% |
| Last contact good | 75% | 76% | 73% |
| Wait for appointment about right | 62% | 72% | 69% |
| Listened to well | 92% | 89% | 87% |
| Treated with care and concern | 91% | 88% | 86% |
| Confidence and trust in the clinician | 97% | 93% | 93% |
| Needs met | 95% | 91% | 90% |
In the Friends and Family Test for July 2026, 88% of 119 responses rated the practice good or very good (England: 92%).
CQC's overall rating for Middle Chare Medical Group is Good, published in June 2016. All 5 key questions are rated Good.
| Key question | Rating |
|---|---|
| Safe | Good |
| Well-led | Good |
| Caring | Good |
| Responsive | Good |
| Effective | Good |
9,178 patients were registered at Middle Chare Medical Group in September 2026, down 2.1% on a year earlier (England: down 1.1%).
27% of its patients are aged 65 or over, against 19% across England. With 3.2 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs, there are 2,895 patients per GP, more than the England figure of 2,171 and North East and North Cumbria's 2,088. The practice also has 4.6 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 | 3.4 | 3.4 |
| August 2024 | 3.0 | 3.9 |
| August 2025 | 3.8 | 3.8 |
| August 2026 | 3.2 | 3.2 |
From June 2026 to August 2026 the practice recorded 4,594 appointments a month, or 501 per 1,000 registered patients (England: 510). 73% were face to face (England: 63%). 49% took place on the day they were booked and 6% more than 28 days after booking (England: 45% and 5%).
25% were with a GP rather than another member of the practice team. 4% of booked patients did not attend.
| Measure | Middle Chare Medical Group | North East and North Cumbria | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Appointments per 1,000 patients a month | 501 | 550 | 510 |
| Face to face | 73% | 68% | 63% |
| Same day as booked | 49% | 42% | 45% |
| More than 28 days after booking | 6% | 6% | 5% |
| Did not attend | 4% | 4% | 4% |
Compared with England, the practice has a higher share of patients on its registers for stroke or TIA (3.1% against 1.9%), heart failure (1.7% against 1.1%) and peripheral arterial disease (0.8% against 0.6%). The practice's patients live in areas with an average deprivation score of 21.6 (England: 21.8; higher is more deprived). Life expectancy for its patients' neighbourhoods is 83.2 years for women and 78.5 for men (England: 83.0 and 79.1).
| Condition register | Age group | Practice (2024/25) | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| High blood pressure | All ages | 21.0% | 15.2% |
| Depression | 18+ yrs | 17.6% | 14.3% |
| Diabetes | 17+ yrs | 9.4% | 7.9% |
| Asthma | 6+ yrs | 7.6% | 6.6% |
| Chronic kidney disease | 18+ yrs | 6.4% | 4.6% |
| Cancer | All ages | 5.6% | 3.8% |
| Coronary heart disease | All ages | 3.8% | 3.0% |
| Atrial fibrillation | All ages | 3.2% | 2.2% |
| Stroke and TIA | All ages | 3.1% | 1.9% |
| COPD | All ages | 2.3% | 1.9% |
| Heart failure | All ages | 1.7% | 1.1% |
| Osteoporosis | 50+ yrs | 1.5% | 1.2% |
| Rheumatoid arthritis | 16+ yrs | 1.2% | 0.8% |
| Serious mental illness | All ages | 1.0% | 1.0% |
| Peripheral arterial disease | All ages | 0.8% | 0.6% |
| Dementia | All ages | 0.8% | 0.8% |
| Epilepsy | 18+ yrs | 0.7% | 0.8% |
| Learning disability | All ages | 0.6% | 0.6% |
| Palliative care | All ages | 0.4% | 0.6% |
| Screening coverage | Period | Practice | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bowel cancer screening (aged 60 to 74) | 2024/25 | 79.6% | 72.9% |
| Breast cancer screening (women aged 53 to 70) | 2024/25 | 80.1% | 72.2% |
| Cervical screening (women aged 25 to 49) | 2023/24 | 69.5% | 67.5% |
| Cervical screening (women aged 50 to 64) | 2023/24 | 73.2% | 74.9% |
Middle Chare Medical Group, Middle Chare Surgery, Chester Le Street, DH3 3QD. Phone: 0191 594 7654. Website: www.middlecharemedicalgroup.co.uk.
| Nearby practice | Distance | Overall experience good |
|---|---|---|
| Bridge End Surgery | 0.4 km | 78% |
| Cestria Health Centre | 1.6 km | 68% |
| Gardiner Crescent Surgery | 2.4 km | 83% |
| The Surgery-Pelton | 2.8 km | 72% |
| The Surgery - Great Lumley | 2.8 km | 93% |
- Bridge End Surgery (78% overall experience good)
- Cestria Health Centre (68% overall experience good)
- Gardiner Crescent Surgery (83% 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 Middle Chare Medical Group?
In the 2026 GP Patient Survey, 79% of patients described their overall experience of Middle Chare Medical Group as good, against 77% across England. 35% found it easy to get through by phone.
How many patients are registered at Middle Chare Medical Group?
9,178 patients were registered in September 2026, down 2.1% on a year earlier.
What is Middle Chare Medical Group's CQC rating?
Good overall, published in June 2016.
How many GPs does Middle Chare Medical Group have?
3.2 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs (5 qualified GPs by headcount), which is 2,895 patients per GP against 2,171 across England.
Are appointments at Middle Chare Medical Group face to face?
73% of appointments from June 2026 to August 2026 were face to face, against 63% across England.
What is Middle Chare Medical Group's phone number?
0191 594 7654.