Whinfield Medical Practice, Darlington: patient reviews and CQC rating
Whinfield Medical Practice is a GP practice in Darlington with 12,152 registered patients (September 2026). In the 2026 GP Patient Survey, 84% 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 May 2019. It has 5.9 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs, or 2,057 patients per GP.
Latest data: September 2026. Patient survey 2026; registered patients September 2026; appointments to August 2026.
What patients say about Whinfield Medical Practice
Its best result against England is the share who described their overall experience of the practice as good: 84%, against 77% across England. Its weakest is the share who found it easy to get through to the practice by phone: 51%, against 57% across England. With 103 responses, none of its 11 results differs from England by more than the survey's margin of error.
On overall experience it is 8th of the 12 practices in Darlington with 50 or more responses. 51% found it easy to get through by phone (England: 57%). The overall experience result is 9 points higher than in 2025 (75%). 103 patients answered the survey (response rate 28%).
| Survey question | Whinfield Medical Practice | North East and North Cumbria | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overall experience good | 84% | 80% | 77% |
| Easy to contact by phone | 51% | 62% | 57% |
| Easy to contact via the website | 60% | 59% | 58% |
| Easy to contact via the NHS App | 60% | 58% | 54% |
| Reception team helpful | 90% | 88% | 85% |
| Last contact good | 78% | 76% | 73% |
| Wait for appointment about right | 66% | 72% | 69% |
| Listened to well | 85% | 89% | 87% |
| Treated with care and concern | 84% | 88% | 86% |
| Confidence and trust in the clinician | 90% | 93% | 93% |
| Needs met | 85% | 91% | 90% |
In the Friends and Family Test for July 2026, 96% of 502 responses rated the practice good or very good (England: 92%).
CQC's overall rating for Whinfield Medical Practice is Good, published in May 2019. All 5 key questions are rated Good. It held the same rating in the report before (August 2015).
| Key question | Rating |
|---|---|
| Safe | Good |
| Well-led | Good |
| Caring | Good |
| Responsive | Good |
| Effective | Good |
12,152 patients were registered at Whinfield Medical Practice in September 2026, down 0.5% on a year earlier (England: down 1.1%).
23% of its patients are aged 65 or over, against 19% across England. With 5.9 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs, there are 2,057 patients per GP, close to the England figure of 2,171 and North East and North Cumbria's 2,088. The practice also has 6.5 nurses and 1.5 other clinical staff such as pharmacists and physiotherapists (full-time equivalent).
| Year | Qualified GPs (FTE) | All GPs incl. trainees (FTE) |
|---|---|---|
| August 2023 | 4.6 | 5.7 |
| August 2024 | 6.0 | 7.1 |
| August 2025 | 6.6 | 9.0 |
| August 2026 | 5.9 | 7.6 |
From June 2026 to August 2026 the practice recorded 9,968 appointments a month, or 820 per 1,000 registered patients (England: 510). 56% were face to face (England: 63%). 55% took place on the day they were booked and 11% more than 28 days after booking (England: 45% and 5%).
54% were with a GP rather than another member of the practice team. 4% of booked patients did not attend.
| Measure | Whinfield Medical Practice | North East and North Cumbria | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Appointments per 1,000 patients a month | 820 | 550 | 510 |
| Face to face | 56% | 68% | 63% |
| Same day as booked | 55% | 42% | 45% |
| More than 28 days after booking | 11% | 6% | 5% |
| Did not attend | 4% | 4% | 4% |
Compared with England, the practice has a higher share of patients on its registers for peripheral arterial disease (1.0% against 0.6%), COPD (2.9% against 1.9%) and heart failure (1.7% against 1.1%). It has a lower share for osteoporosis (0.5% against 1.2%). The practice's patients live in areas with an average deprivation score of 25.0 (England: 21.8; higher is more deprived).
Life expectancy for its patients' neighbourhoods is 81.9 years for women and 78.2 for men (England: 83.0 and 79.1).
| Condition register | Age group | Practice (2024/25) | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| High blood pressure | All ages | 19.6% | 15.2% |
| Depression | 18+ yrs | 16.2% | 14.3% |
| Diabetes | 17+ yrs | 10.5% | 7.9% |
| Asthma | 6+ yrs | 8.0% | 6.6% |
| Chronic kidney disease | 18+ yrs | 4.6% | 4.6% |
| Cancer | All ages | 4.4% | 3.8% |
| Coronary heart disease | All ages | 3.6% | 3.0% |
| COPD | All ages | 2.9% | 1.9% |
| Atrial fibrillation | All ages | 2.9% | 2.2% |
| Stroke and TIA | All ages | 2.6% | 1.9% |
| Heart failure | All ages | 1.7% | 1.1% |
| Serious mental illness | All ages | 1.2% | 1.0% |
| Dementia | All ages | 1.1% | 0.8% |
| Epilepsy | 18+ yrs | 1.0% | 0.8% |
| Rheumatoid arthritis | 16+ yrs | 1.0% | 0.8% |
| Peripheral arterial disease | All ages | 1.0% | 0.6% |
| Learning disability | All ages | 0.9% | 0.6% |
| Palliative care | All ages | 0.7% | 0.6% |
| Osteoporosis | 50+ yrs | 0.5% | 1.2% |
| Screening coverage | Period | Practice | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bowel cancer screening (aged 60 to 74) | 2024/25 | 78.5% | 72.9% |
| Breast cancer screening (women aged 53 to 70) | 2024/25 | 74.7% | 72.2% |
| Cervical screening (women aged 25 to 49) | 2023/24 | 78.2% | 67.5% |
| Cervical screening (women aged 50 to 64) | 2023/24 | 77.7% | 74.9% |
Whinfield Medical Practice, Whinbush Way, Darlington, DL1 3RT. Phone: 01325 481321. Website: www.whinfieldsurgery.nhs.uk.
| Nearby practice | Distance | Overall experience good |
|---|---|---|
| Denmark Street Surgery | 1.9 km | 87% |
| Parkgate Medical Practice | 3.0 km | 86% |
| Blacketts Medical Practice | 3.0 km | 89% |
| Orchard Court | 3.1 km | 96% |
| Clifton Court Medical Practice | 3.2 km | 82% |
- 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)
- Orchard Court (96% overall experience good)
- Parkgate Medical Practice (86% overall experience good)
- Rockliffe Court Surgery (99% overall experience good)
How do patients rate Whinfield Medical Practice?
In the 2026 GP Patient Survey, 84% of patients described their overall experience of Whinfield Medical Practice as good, against 77% across England. 51% found it easy to get through by phone.
How many patients are registered at Whinfield Medical Practice?
12,152 patients were registered in September 2026, down 0.5% on a year earlier.
What is Whinfield Medical Practice's CQC rating?
Good overall, published in May 2019.
How many GPs does Whinfield Medical Practice have?
5.9 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs (8 qualified GPs by headcount), which is 2,057 patients per GP against 2,171 across England.
Are appointments at Whinfield Medical Practice face to face?
56% of appointments from June 2026 to August 2026 were face to face, against 63% across England.
What is Whinfield Medical Practice's phone number?
01325 481321.