Blacketts Medical Practice, Darlington: patient reviews and CQC rating
Blacketts Medical Practice is a GP practice in Darlington with 11,617 registered patients (September 2026). In the 2026 GP Patient Survey, 89% 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 Good overall, in a report published in December 2019. It has 5.3 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs, or 2,184 patients per GP.
Latest data: September 2026. Patient survey 2026; registered patients September 2026; appointments to August 2026.
What patients say about Blacketts Medical Practice
Its best result against England is the share who found it easy to get through to the practice by phone: 93%, above the England figure of 57%. Its result closest to England is the share who said the healthcare professional was good at listening to them: 91%, against 87% across England. Of the 11 results in the table, 8 are above England and 0 below by more than the survey's margin of error, and 3 within it.
On overall experience it is 5th of the 12 practices in Darlington with 50 or more responses. 93% found it easy to get through by phone (England: 57%). The overall experience result is 1 point higher than in 2025 (88%). 102 patients answered the survey (response rate 30%).
| Survey question | Blacketts Medical Practice | North East and North Cumbria | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overall experience good | 89% | 80% | 77% |
| Easy to contact by phone | 93% | 62% | 57% |
| Easy to contact via the website | 92% | 59% | 58% |
| Easy to contact via the NHS App | 79% | 58% | 54% |
| Reception team helpful | 98% | 88% | 85% |
| Last contact good | 94% | 76% | 73% |
| Wait for appointment about right | 89% | 72% | 69% |
| Listened to well | 91% | 89% | 87% |
| Treated with care and concern | 92% | 88% | 86% |
| Confidence and trust in the clinician | 97% | 93% | 93% |
| Needs met | 97% | 91% | 90% |
In the Friends and Family Test for July 2026, 94% of 500 responses rated the practice good or very good (England: 92%).
CQC's overall rating for Blacketts Medical Practice is Good, published in December 2019. All 5 key questions are rated Good. It held the same rating in the report before (May 2015).
| Key question | Rating |
|---|---|
| Safe | Good |
| Well-led | Good |
| Caring | Good |
| Responsive | Good |
| Effective | Good |
11,617 patients were registered at Blacketts Medical Practice in September 2026, up 1.0% on a year earlier (England: down 1.1%).
20% of its patients are aged 65 or over, against 19% across England. With 5.3 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs, there are 2,184 patients per GP, close to the England figure of 2,171 and North East and North Cumbria's 2,088. The practice also has 3.1 nurses and 2.9 other clinical staff such as pharmacists and physiotherapists (full-time equivalent).
| Year | Qualified GPs (FTE) | All GPs incl. trainees (FTE) |
|---|---|---|
| August 2023 | 6.2 | 9.0 |
| August 2024 | 5.4 | 6.4 |
| August 2025 | 5.7 | 7.6 |
| August 2026 | 5.3 | 8.5 |
From June 2026 to August 2026 the practice recorded 5,149 appointments a month, or 443 per 1,000 registered patients (England: 510). 76% were face to face (England: 63%). 35% took place on the day they were booked and 5% more than 28 days after booking (England: 45% and 5%).
49% were with a GP rather than another member of the practice team. 5% of booked patients did not attend.
| Measure | Blacketts Medical Practice | North East and North Cumbria | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Appointments per 1,000 patients a month | 443 | 550 | 510 |
| Face to face | 76% | 68% | 63% |
| Same day as booked | 35% | 42% | 45% |
| More than 28 days after booking | 5% | 6% | 5% |
| Did not attend | 5% | 4% | 4% |
Compared with England, the practice has a higher share of patients on its registers for palliative or supportive care needs (3.0% against 0.6%), heart failure (1.8% against 1.1%) and depression (19.1% against 14.3%). The practice's patients live in areas with an average deprivation score of 28.3 (England: 21.8; higher is more deprived). Life expectancy for its patients' neighbourhoods is 81.6 years for women and 77.2 for men (England: 83.0 and 79.1).
| Condition register | Age group | Practice (2024/25) | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Depression | 18+ yrs | 19.1% | 14.3% |
| High blood pressure | All ages | 15.1% | 15.2% |
| Diabetes | 17+ yrs | 8.6% | 7.9% |
| Asthma | 6+ yrs | 7.3% | 6.6% |
| Chronic kidney disease | 18+ yrs | 4.6% | 4.6% |
| Cancer | All ages | 4.1% | 3.8% |
| Palliative care | All ages | 3.0% | 0.6% |
| Coronary heart disease | All ages | 2.9% | 3.0% |
| Atrial fibrillation | All ages | 2.3% | 2.2% |
| Stroke and TIA | All ages | 2.0% | 1.9% |
| COPD | All ages | 1.9% | 1.9% |
| Heart failure | All ages | 1.8% | 1.1% |
| Serious mental illness | All ages | 1.2% | 1.0% |
| Epilepsy | 18+ yrs | 0.8% | 0.8% |
| Osteoporosis | 50+ yrs | 0.8% | 1.2% |
| Learning disability | All ages | 0.7% | 0.6% |
| Rheumatoid arthritis | 16+ yrs | 0.7% | 0.8% |
| Peripheral arterial disease | All ages | 0.7% | 0.6% |
| Dementia | All ages | 0.6% | 0.8% |
| Screening coverage | Period | Practice | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bowel cancer screening (aged 60 to 74) | 2024/25 | 75.4% | 72.9% |
| Breast cancer screening (women aged 53 to 70) | 2024/25 | 73.5% | 72.2% |
| Cervical screening (women aged 25 to 49) | 2023/24 | 71.0% | 67.5% |
| Cervical screening (women aged 50 to 64) | 2023/24 | 79.3% | 74.9% |
Blacketts Medical Practice, 63-65 Bondgate, Darlington, DL3 7JR. Phone: 01325 380640.
| Nearby practice | Distance | Overall experience good |
|---|---|---|
| Orchard Court | 0.8 km | 96% |
| Parkgate Medical Practice | 0.8 km | 86% |
| Clifton Court Medical Practice | 0.9 km | 82% |
| Carmel Medical Practice | 1.3 km | 84% |
| Denmark Street Surgery | 1.4 km | 87% |
- Carmel Medical Practice (84% overall experience good)
- Clifton Court Medical Practice (82% overall experience good)
- Denmark Street Surgery (87% overall experience good)
- Middleton and Dinsdale Medical Practice (94% overall experience good)
- Moorlands Surgery (83% overall experience good)
- Neasham Road Surgery (83% overall experience good)
- Orchard Court (96% overall experience good)
- Parkgate Medical Practice (86% overall experience good)
- Rockliffe Court Surgery (99% overall experience good)
- Whinfield Medical Practice (84% overall experience good)
How do patients rate Blacketts Medical Practice?
In the 2026 GP Patient Survey, 89% of patients described their overall experience of Blacketts Medical Practice as good, above the England figure of 77%. 93% found it easy to get through by phone.
How many patients are registered at Blacketts Medical Practice?
11,617 patients were registered in September 2026, up 1.0% on a year earlier.
What is Blacketts Medical Practice's CQC rating?
Good overall, published in December 2019.
How many GPs does Blacketts Medical Practice have?
5.3 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs (7 qualified GPs by headcount), which is 2,184 patients per GP against 2,171 across England.
Are appointments at Blacketts Medical Practice face to face?
76% of appointments from June 2026 to August 2026 were face to face, against 63% across England.
What is Blacketts Medical Practice's phone number?
01325 380640.