Clifton Court Medical Practice, Darlington: patient reviews and CQC rating
Clifton Court Medical Practice is a GP practice in Darlington with 12,249 registered patients (September 2026). In the 2026 GP Patient Survey, 82% 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 November 2019. It has 5.0 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs, or 2,430 patients per GP.
Latest data: September 2026. Patient survey 2026; registered patients September 2026; appointments to August 2026.
What patients say about Clifton Court Medical Practice
Its best result against England is the share who found it easy to get through to the practice by phone: 75%, above the England figure of 57%. Its weakest is the share who found it easy to contact the practice through its website: 56%, against 58% across England. Of the 11 results in the table, 2 are above England and 0 below by more than the survey's margin of error, and 9 within it.
On overall experience it is 12th of the 12 practices in Darlington with 50 or more responses. 75% found it easy to get through by phone (England: 57%). The overall experience result is 5 points lower than in 2025 (87%). 93 patients answered the survey (response rate 19%).
| Survey question | Clifton Court Medical Practice | North East and North Cumbria | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overall experience good | 82% | 80% | 77% |
| Easy to contact by phone | 75% | 62% | 57% |
| Easy to contact via the website | 56% | 59% | 58% |
| Easy to contact via the NHS App | 61% | 58% | 54% |
| Reception team helpful | 89% | 88% | 85% |
| Last contact good | 84% | 76% | 73% |
| Wait for appointment about right | 77% | 72% | 69% |
| Listened to well | 90% | 89% | 87% |
| Treated with care and concern | 91% | 88% | 86% |
| Confidence and trust in the clinician | 95% | 93% | 93% |
| Needs met | 91% | 91% | 90% |
In the Friends and Family Test for July 2026, 70% of 10 responses rated the practice good or very good (England: 92%).
CQC's overall rating for Clifton Court Medical Practice is Good, published in November 2019. One key question is rated differently: Well-led Outstanding. It held the same rating in the report before (July 2015).
| Key question | Rating |
|---|---|
| Safe | Good |
| Well-led | Outstanding |
| Caring | Good |
| Responsive | Good |
| Effective | Good |
12,249 patients were registered at Clifton Court Medical Practice in September 2026, almost the same as a year earlier.
18% of its patients are aged 65 or over, against 19% across England. With 5.0 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs, there are 2,430 patients per GP, more than the England figure of 2,171 and North East and North Cumbria's 2,088. The practice also has 3.9 nurses and 3.1 other clinical staff such as pharmacists and physiotherapists (full-time equivalent).
| Year | Qualified GPs (FTE) | All GPs incl. trainees (FTE) |
|---|---|---|
| August 2023 | 3.8 | 5.9 |
| August 2024 | 4.4 | 7.4 |
| August 2025 | 4.4 | 6.5 |
| August 2026 | 5.0 | 7.2 |
From June 2026 to August 2026 the practice recorded 5,020 appointments a month, or 410 per 1,000 registered patients (England: 510). 89% were face to face (England: 63%). 24% took place on the day they were booked and 9% more than 28 days after booking (England: 45% and 5%).
35% were with a GP rather than another member of the practice team. 8% of booked patients did not attend.
| Measure | Clifton Court Medical Practice | North East and North Cumbria | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Appointments per 1,000 patients a month | 410 | 550 | 510 |
| Face to face | 89% | 68% | 63% |
| Same day as booked | 24% | 42% | 45% |
| More than 28 days after booking | 9% | 6% | 5% |
| Did not attend | 8% | 4% | 4% |
Compared with England, the practice has a higher share of patients on its registers for a learning disability (1.3% against 0.6%), peripheral arterial disease (1.0% against 0.6%) and epilepsy (1.3% against 0.8%). It has a lower share for palliative or supportive care needs (0.3% against 0.6%). The practice's patients live in areas with an average deprivation score of 33.7 (England: 21.8; higher is more deprived).
Life expectancy for its patients' neighbourhoods is 80.7 years for women and 76.2 for men (England: 83.0 and 79.1).
| Condition register | Age group | Practice (2024/25) | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Depression | 18+ yrs | 19.2% | 14.3% |
| High blood pressure | All ages | 14.9% | 15.2% |
| Diabetes | 17+ yrs | 10.3% | 7.9% |
| Asthma | 6+ yrs | 8.2% | 6.6% |
| Chronic kidney disease | 18+ yrs | 4.8% | 4.6% |
| Cancer | All ages | 3.6% | 3.8% |
| Coronary heart disease | All ages | 3.1% | 3.0% |
| COPD | All ages | 3.0% | 1.9% |
| Atrial fibrillation | All ages | 2.3% | 2.2% |
| Stroke and TIA | All ages | 2.3% | 1.9% |
| Heart failure | All ages | 1.4% | 1.1% |
| Osteoporosis | 50+ yrs | 1.3% | 1.2% |
| Learning disability | All ages | 1.3% | 0.6% |
| Serious mental illness | All ages | 1.3% | 1.0% |
| Epilepsy | 18+ yrs | 1.3% | 0.8% |
| Dementia | All ages | 1.0% | 0.8% |
| Peripheral arterial disease | All ages | 1.0% | 0.6% |
| Rheumatoid arthritis | 16+ yrs | 0.9% | 0.8% |
| Palliative care | All ages | 0.3% | 0.6% |
| Screening coverage | Period | Practice | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bowel cancer screening (aged 60 to 74) | 2024/25 | 70.1% | 72.9% |
| Breast cancer screening (women aged 53 to 70) | 2024/25 | 67.0% | 72.2% |
| Cervical screening (women aged 25 to 49) | 2023/24 | 72.8% | 67.5% |
| Cervical screening (women aged 50 to 64) | 2023/24 | 77.0% | 74.9% |
Clifton Court Medical Practice, Victoria Road, Darlington, DL1 5JN. Phone: 01325 465646. Website: www.cliftoncourtmedicalpractice.nhs.uk.
| Nearby practice | Distance | Overall experience good |
|---|---|---|
| Parkgate Medical Practice | 0.2 km | 86% |
| Neasham Road Surgery | 0.6 km | 83% |
| Blacketts Medical Practice | 0.9 km | 89% |
| Orchard Court | 1.7 km | 96% |
| Denmark Street Surgery | 2.0 km | 87% |
- Blacketts Medical Practice (89% overall experience good)
- Carmel Medical Practice (84% 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 Clifton Court Medical Practice?
In the 2026 GP Patient Survey, 82% of patients described their overall experience of Clifton Court Medical Practice as good, against 77% across England. 75% found it easy to get through by phone.
How many patients are registered at Clifton Court Medical Practice?
12,249 patients were registered in September 2026, down 0.1% on a year earlier.
What is Clifton Court Medical Practice's CQC rating?
Good overall, published in November 2019.
How many GPs does Clifton Court Medical Practice have?
5.0 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs (7 qualified GPs by headcount), which is 2,430 patients per GP against 2,171 across England.
Are appointments at Clifton Court Medical Practice face to face?
89% of appointments from June 2026 to August 2026 were face to face, against 63% across England.
What is Clifton Court Medical Practice's phone number?
01325 465646.