Orchard Court, Darlington: patient reviews and CQC rating
Orchard Court is a GP practice in Darlington with 8,638 registered patients (September 2026). In the 2026 GP Patient Survey, 96% 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 May 2015. It has 3.9 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs, or 2,196 patients per GP.
Latest data: September 2026. Patient survey 2026; registered patients September 2026; appointments to August 2026.
What patients say about Orchard Court
Its best result against England is the share who found it easy to get through to the practice by phone: 86%, above the England figure of 57%. Its weakest is the share who said the wait for their last appointment was about right: 64%, against 69% across England. Of the 11 results in the table, 6 are above England and 0 below by more than the survey's margin of error, and 5 within it.
On overall experience it is 3rd of the 12 practices in Darlington with 50 or more responses. 86% found it easy to get through by phone (England: 57%). The overall experience result is 6 points higher than in 2025 (90%). 86 patients answered the survey (response rate 23%).
| Survey question | Orchard Court | North East and North Cumbria | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overall experience good | 96% | 80% | 77% |
| Easy to contact by phone | 86% | 62% | 57% |
| Easy to contact via the website | 85% | 59% | 58% |
| Easy to contact via the NHS App | 67% | 58% | 54% |
| Reception team helpful | 98% | 88% | 85% |
| Last contact good | 90% | 76% | 73% |
| Wait for appointment about right | 64% | 72% | 69% |
| Listened to well | 87% | 89% | 87% |
| Treated with care and concern | 94% | 88% | 86% |
| Confidence and trust in the clinician | 95% | 93% | 93% |
| Needs met | 91% | 91% | 90% |
CQC's overall rating for Orchard Court is Outstanding, published in May 2015. One key question is rated differently: Effective Good.
| Key question | Rating |
|---|---|
| Safe | Outstanding |
| Well-led | Outstanding |
| Caring | Outstanding |
| Responsive | Outstanding |
| Effective | Good |
8,638 patients were registered at Orchard Court in September 2026, almost the same as a year earlier.
19% of its patients are aged 65 or over, against 19% across England. With 3.9 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs, there are 2,196 patients per GP, close to the England figure of 2,171 and North East and North Cumbria's 2,088. The practice also has 1.5 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 | 4.3 | 4.3 |
| August 2024 | 3.8 | 3.8 |
| August 2025 | 3.6 | 3.6 |
| August 2026 | 3.9 | 3.9 |
From June 2026 to August 2026 the practice recorded 5,189 appointments a month, or 601 per 1,000 registered patients (England: 510). 52% were face to face (England: 63%). 52% took place on the day they were booked and 14% more than 28 days after booking (England: 45% and 5%).
38% were with a GP rather than another member of the practice team. 6% of booked patients did not attend.
| Measure | Orchard Court | North East and North Cumbria | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Appointments per 1,000 patients a month | 601 | 550 | 510 |
| Face to face | 52% | 68% | 63% |
| Same day as booked | 52% | 42% | 45% |
| More than 28 days after booking | 14% | 6% | 5% |
| Did not attend | 6% | 4% | 4% |
Compared with England, the practice has a higher share of patients on its registers for peripheral arterial disease (1.3% against 0.6%), depression (23.4% against 14.3%) and heart failure (1.7% against 1.1%). The practice's patients live in areas with an average deprivation score of 26.2 (England: 21.8; higher is more deprived). Life expectancy for its patients' neighbourhoods is 81.3 years for women and 76.9 for men (England: 83.0 and 79.1).
| Condition register | Age group | Practice (2024/25) | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Depression | 18+ yrs | 23.4% | 14.3% |
| High blood pressure | All ages | 19.1% | 15.2% |
| Diabetes | 17+ yrs | 10.9% | 7.9% |
| Asthma | 6+ yrs | 7.9% | 6.6% |
| Chronic kidney disease | 18+ yrs | 6.3% | 4.6% |
| Cancer | All ages | 3.9% | 3.8% |
| Coronary heart disease | All ages | 3.3% | 3.0% |
| COPD | All ages | 2.8% | 1.9% |
| Atrial fibrillation | All ages | 2.5% | 2.2% |
| Stroke and TIA | All ages | 2.5% | 1.9% |
| Heart failure | All ages | 1.7% | 1.1% |
| Peripheral arterial disease | All ages | 1.3% | 0.6% |
| Epilepsy | 18+ yrs | 1.0% | 0.8% |
| Osteoporosis | 50+ yrs | 1.0% | 1.2% |
| Rheumatoid arthritis | 16+ yrs | 0.8% | 0.8% |
| Serious mental illness | All ages | 0.8% | 1.0% |
| Dementia | All ages | 0.8% | 0.8% |
| Learning disability | All ages | 0.7% | 0.6% |
| Palliative care | All ages | 0.5% | 0.6% |
| Screening coverage | Period | Practice | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bowel cancer screening (aged 60 to 74) | 2024/25 | 75.6% | 72.9% |
| Breast cancer screening (women aged 53 to 70) | 2024/25 | 75.5% | 72.2% |
| Cervical screening (women aged 25 to 49) | 2023/24 | 78.2% | 67.5% |
| Cervical screening (women aged 50 to 64) | 2023/24 | 81.4% | 74.9% |
Orchard Court, Orchard Road, Darlington, DL3 6HZ. Phone: 01325 465285.
| Nearby practice | Distance | Overall experience good |
|---|---|---|
| Moorlands Surgery | 0.7 km | 83% |
| Blacketts Medical Practice | 0.8 km | 89% |
| Carmel Medical Practice | 1.0 km | 84% |
| Denmark Street Surgery | 1.2 km | 87% |
| Parkgate Medical Practice | 1.5 km | 86% |
- Blacketts Medical Practice (89% overall experience good)
- 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)
- 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 Orchard Court?
In the 2026 GP Patient Survey, 96% of patients described their overall experience of Orchard Court as good, above the England figure of 77%. 86% found it easy to get through by phone.
How many patients are registered at Orchard Court?
8,638 patients were registered in September 2026, down 0.3% on a year earlier.
What is Orchard Court's CQC rating?
Outstanding overall, published in May 2015.
How many GPs does Orchard Court have?
3.9 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs (6 qualified GPs by headcount), which is 2,196 patients per GP against 2,171 across England.
Are appointments at Orchard Court face to face?
52% of appointments from June 2026 to August 2026 were face to face, against 63% across England.
What is Orchard Court's phone number?
01325 465285.