The Surgery - Great Lumley, Chester Le Street: patient reviews and CQC rating
The Surgery - Great Lumley is a GP practice in Chester Le Street with 5,287 registered patients (September 2026). In the 2026 GP Patient Survey, 93% of its patients described their overall experience as good, above the England figure of 77% (North East and North Cumbria: 80%). The Care Quality Commission rates it Outstanding overall, in a report published in October 2016. It has 3.2 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs, or 1,652 patients per GP.
Latest data: September 2026. Patient survey 2026; registered patients September 2026; appointments to August 2026.
What patients say about The Surgery - Great Lumley
Its best result against England is the share who found it easy to get through to the practice by phone: 87%, above the England figure of 57%. Its weakest is the share who said the healthcare professional was good at listening to them: 86%, against 87% across England. Of the 11 results in the table, 10 are above England and 0 below by more than the survey's margin of error, and 1 within it.
On overall experience it is 1st of the 6 practices in Chester Le Street with 50 or more responses. 87% found it easy to get through by phone (England: 57%). The overall experience result is 2 points higher than in 2025 (91%). 106 patients answered the survey (response rate 33%).
| Survey question | The Surgery - Great Lumley | North East and North Cumbria | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overall experience good | 93% | 80% | 77% |
| Easy to contact by phone | 87% | 62% | 57% |
| Easy to contact via the website | 79% | 59% | 58% |
| Easy to contact via the NHS App | 82% | 58% | 54% |
| Reception team helpful | 96% | 88% | 85% |
| Last contact good | 91% | 76% | 73% |
| Wait for appointment about right | 93% | 72% | 69% |
| Listened to well | 86% | 89% | 87% |
| Treated with care and concern | 95% | 88% | 86% |
| Confidence and trust in the clinician | 99% | 93% | 93% |
| Needs met | 98% | 91% | 90% |
In the Friends and Family Test for July 2026, 97% of 272 responses rated the practice good or very good (England: 92%).
CQC's overall rating for The Surgery - Great Lumley is Outstanding, published in October 2016. 2 key questions are rated differently: Safe Good and Effective Good.
| Key question | Rating |
|---|---|
| Safe | Good |
| Well-led | Outstanding |
| Caring | Outstanding |
| Responsive | Outstanding |
| Effective | Good |
5,287 patients were registered at The Surgery - Great Lumley in September 2026, almost the same as a year earlier.
26% of its patients are aged 65 or over, against 19% across England. With 3.2 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs, there are 1,652 patients per GP, fewer than the England figure of 2,171 and North East and North Cumbria's 2,088. The practice also has 1.8 nurses and 1.7 other clinical staff such as pharmacists and physiotherapists (full-time equivalent).
| Year | Qualified GPs (FTE) | All GPs incl. trainees (FTE) |
|---|---|---|
| August 2023 | 2.7 | 5.9 |
| August 2024 | 2.7 | 5.7 |
| August 2025 | 3.5 | 6.3 |
| August 2026 | 3.2 | 7.5 |
From June 2026 to August 2026 the practice recorded 3,687 appointments a month, or 697 per 1,000 registered patients (England: 510). 78% were face to face (England: 63%). 37% took place on the day they were booked and 4% more than 28 days after booking (England: 45% and 5%).
40% were with a GP rather than another member of the practice team. 4% of booked patients did not attend.
| Measure | The Surgery - Great Lumley | North East and North Cumbria | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Appointments per 1,000 patients a month | 697 | 550 | 510 |
| Face to face | 78% | 68% | 63% |
| Same day as booked | 37% | 42% | 45% |
| More than 28 days after booking | 4% | 6% | 5% |
| Did not attend | 4% | 4% | 4% |
Compared with England, the practice has a higher share of patients on its registers for heart failure (3.3% against 1.1%), palliative or supportive care needs (1.3% against 0.6%) and osteoporosis (2.5% against 1.2%). The practice's patients live in areas with an average deprivation score of 18.9 (England: 21.8; higher is more deprived). Life expectancy for its patients' neighbourhoods is 81.3 years for women and 80.1 for men (England: 83.0 and 79.1).
| Condition register | Age group | Practice (2024/25) | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| High blood pressure | All ages | 20.5% | 15.2% |
| Depression | 18+ yrs | 18.5% | 14.3% |
| Diabetes | 17+ yrs | 9.4% | 7.9% |
| Asthma | 6+ yrs | 8.4% | 6.6% |
| Chronic kidney disease | 18+ yrs | 6.1% | 4.6% |
| Cancer | All ages | 5.7% | 3.8% |
| Coronary heart disease | All ages | 4.4% | 3.0% |
| Atrial fibrillation | All ages | 3.4% | 2.2% |
| Stroke and TIA | All ages | 3.3% | 1.9% |
| Heart failure | All ages | 3.3% | 1.1% |
| Osteoporosis | 50+ yrs | 2.5% | 1.2% |
| COPD | All ages | 2.2% | 1.9% |
| Palliative care | All ages | 1.3% | 0.6% |
| Serious mental illness | All ages | 1.3% | 1.0% |
| Dementia | All ages | 1.1% | 0.8% |
| Peripheral arterial disease | All ages | 1.0% | 0.6% |
| Epilepsy | 18+ yrs | 0.8% | 0.8% |
| Rheumatoid arthritis | 16+ yrs | 0.8% | 0.8% |
| Learning disability | All ages | 0.4% | 0.6% |
| Screening coverage | Period | Practice | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bowel cancer screening (aged 60 to 74) | 2024/25 | 83.6% | 72.9% |
| Breast cancer screening (women aged 53 to 70) | 2024/25 | 80.5% | 72.2% |
| Cervical screening (women aged 25 to 49) | 2023/24 | 80.3% | 67.5% |
| Cervical screening (women aged 50 to 64) | 2023/24 | 82.9% | 74.9% |
The Surgery - Great Lumley, The Surgery, Front Street, Great Lumley, Chester Le Street, DH3 4LE. Phone: 0191 388 5600. Website: www.greatlumleysurgery.co.uk.
| Nearby practice | Distance | Overall experience good |
|---|---|---|
| Middle Chare Medical Group | 2.8 km | 79% |
| Bridge End Surgery | 3.1 km | 78% |
| West Rainton Surgery | 3.8 km | 89% |
| Cestria Health Centre | 3.8 km | 68% |
| Kepier Medical Practice | 4.2 km | 86% |
- Bridge End Surgery (78% overall experience good)
- Cestria Health Centre (68% overall experience good)
- Gardiner Crescent Surgery (83% overall experience good)
- Middle Chare Medical Group (79% overall experience good)
- Sacriston Medical Centre (75% overall experience good)
- The Surgery-Pelton (72% overall experience good)
How do patients rate The Surgery - Great Lumley?
In the 2026 GP Patient Survey, 93% of patients described their overall experience of The Surgery - Great Lumley as good, above the England figure of 77%. 87% found it easy to get through by phone.
How many patients are registered at The Surgery - Great Lumley?
5,287 patients were registered in September 2026, up 0.4% on a year earlier.
What is The Surgery - Great Lumley's CQC rating?
Outstanding overall, published in October 2016.
How many GPs does The Surgery - Great Lumley have?
3.2 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs (4 qualified GPs by headcount), which is 1,652 patients per GP against 2,171 across England.
Are appointments at The Surgery - Great Lumley face to face?
78% of appointments from June 2026 to August 2026 were face to face, against 63% across England.
What is The Surgery - Great Lumley's phone number?
0191 388 5600.