Bowburn Medical Centre, Durham: patient reviews and CQC rating
Bowburn Medical Centre is a GP practice in Durham with 4,519 registered patients (September 2026). In the 2026 GP Patient Survey, 79% 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 January 2023. It has 0.8 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs, or 5,649 patients per GP.
Latest data: September 2026. Patient survey 2026; registered patients September 2026; appointments to August 2026.
What patients say about Bowburn Medical Centre
Its best result against England is the share who said the wait for their last appointment was about right: 78%, against 69% across England. Its weakest is the share who found it easy to contact the practice through its website: 47%, against 58% across England. Of the 11 results in the table, 1 is above England and 0 below by more than the survey's margin of error, and 10 within it.
On overall experience it is 10th of the 15 practices in Durham with 50 or more responses. 64% found it easy to get through by phone (England: 57%). The overall experience result is 4 points higher than in 2025 (75%). 112 patients answered the survey (response rate 21%).
| Survey question | Bowburn Medical Centre | North East and North Cumbria | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overall experience good | 79% | 80% | 77% |
| Easy to contact by phone | 64% | 62% | 57% |
| Easy to contact via the website | 47% | 59% | 58% |
| Easy to contact via the NHS App | 48% | 58% | 54% |
| Reception team helpful | 91% | 88% | 85% |
| Last contact good | 73% | 76% | 73% |
| Wait for appointment about right | 78% | 72% | 69% |
| Listened to well | 91% | 89% | 87% |
| Treated with care and concern | 90% | 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, 90% of 187 responses rated the practice good or very good (England: 92%).
CQC's overall rating for Bowburn Medical Centre is Good, published in January 2023. All 5 key questions are rated Good. It held the same rating in the report before (May 2019).
| Key question | Rating |
|---|---|
| Safe | Good |
| Well-led | Good |
| Caring | Good |
| Responsive | Good |
| Effective | Good |
4,519 patients were registered at Bowburn Medical Centre in September 2026, down 1.6% on a year earlier (England: down 1.1%).
16% of its patients are aged 65 or over, against 19% across England. With 0.8 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs, there are 5,649 patients per GP, more than the England figure of 2,171 and North East and North Cumbria's 2,088. The practice also has 1.4 nurses and 1.2 other clinical staff such as pharmacists and physiotherapists (full-time equivalent).
| Year | Qualified GPs (FTE) | All GPs incl. trainees (FTE) |
|---|---|---|
| August 2023 | 0.8 | 0.8 |
| August 2024 | 0.8 | 0.8 |
| August 2025 | 0.8 | 0.8 |
| August 2026 | 0.8 | 0.8 |
From June 2026 to August 2026 the practice recorded 2,761 appointments a month, or 611 per 1,000 registered patients (England: 510). 63% were face to face (England: 63%). 40% took place on the day they were booked and 2% more than 28 days after booking (England: 45% and 5%).
24% were with a GP rather than another member of the practice team. 5% of booked patients did not attend.
| Measure | Bowburn Medical Centre | North East and North Cumbria | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Appointments per 1,000 patients a month | 611 | 550 | 510 |
| Face to face | 63% | 68% | 63% |
| Same day as booked | 40% | 42% | 45% |
| More than 28 days after booking | 2% | 6% | 5% |
| Did not attend | 5% | 4% | 4% |
Compared with England, the practice has a lower share of patients for osteoporosis (0.2% against 1.2%), chronic kidney disease (2.1% against 4.6%) and atrial fibrillation (1.5% against 2.2%). The practice's patients live in areas with an average deprivation score of 22.6 (England: 21.8; higher is more deprived). Life expectancy for its patients' neighbourhoods is 81.5 years for women and 79.1 for men (England: 83.0 and 79.1).
| Condition register | Age group | Practice (2024/25) | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Depression | 18+ yrs | 14.3% | 14.3% |
| High blood pressure | All ages | 13.2% | 15.2% |
| Diabetes | 17+ yrs | 7.6% | 7.9% |
| Asthma | 6+ yrs | 6.3% | 6.6% |
| Cancer | All ages | 2.5% | 3.8% |
| Coronary heart disease | All ages | 2.4% | 3.0% |
| Chronic kidney disease | 18+ yrs | 2.1% | 4.6% |
| COPD | All ages | 1.7% | 1.9% |
| Stroke and TIA | All ages | 1.6% | 1.9% |
| Atrial fibrillation | All ages | 1.5% | 2.2% |
| Dementia | All ages | 1.1% | 0.8% |
| Serious mental illness | All ages | 0.9% | 1.0% |
| Rheumatoid arthritis | 16+ yrs | 0.8% | 0.8% |
| Heart failure | All ages | 0.7% | 1.1% |
| Epilepsy | 18+ yrs | 0.6% | 0.8% |
| Palliative care | All ages | 0.4% | 0.6% |
| Peripheral arterial disease | All ages | 0.4% | 0.6% |
| Learning disability | All ages | 0.4% | 0.6% |
| Osteoporosis | 50+ yrs | 0.2% | 1.2% |
| Screening coverage | Period | Practice | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bowel cancer screening (aged 60 to 74) | 2024/25 | 75.9% | 72.9% |
| Breast cancer screening (women aged 53 to 70) | 2024/25 | 75.6% | 72.2% |
| Cervical screening (women aged 25 to 49) | 2023/24 | 68.2% | 67.5% |
| Cervical screening (women aged 50 to 64) | 2023/24 | 74.2% | 74.9% |
Bowburn Medical Centre, Bow Street, Bowburn, Durham, DH6 5AL. Phone: 0191 377 2495.
| Nearby practice | Distance | Overall experience good |
|---|---|---|
| Coxhoe Medical Practice | 2.8 km | 80% |
| West Cornforth Medical Practice | 3.7 km | 72% |
| Claypath and University Medical Group | 5.4 km | 74% |
| Cheveley Park Medical Centre | 5.5 km | 91% |
| Ferryhill & Chilton Medical Practice | 5.5 km | 57% |
- Belmont & Sherburn Medical Group (81% overall experience good)
- Cheveley Park Medical Centre (91% overall experience good)
- Coxhoe Medical Practice (80% overall experience good)
- West Rainton Surgery (89% overall experience good)
How do patients rate Bowburn Medical Centre?
In the 2026 GP Patient Survey, 79% of patients described their overall experience of Bowburn Medical Centre as good, against 77% across England. 64% found it easy to get through by phone.
How many patients are registered at Bowburn Medical Centre?
4,519 patients were registered in September 2026, down 1.6% on a year earlier.
What is Bowburn Medical Centre's CQC rating?
Good overall, published in January 2023.
How many GPs does Bowburn Medical Centre have?
0.8 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs (1 qualified GP by headcount), which is 5,649 patients per GP against 2,171 across England.
Are appointments at Bowburn Medical Centre face to face?
63% of appointments from June 2026 to August 2026 were face to face, against 63% across England.
What is Bowburn Medical Centre's phone number?
0191 377 2495.