Southdene Medical Centre, Durham: patient reviews and CQC rating
Southdene Medical Centre is a GP practice in Durham with 3,436 registered patients (September 2026). In the 2026 GP Patient Survey, 95% 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 Requires Improvement overall, in a report published in August 2022. It has 1.7 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs, or 1,998 patients per GP.
Latest data: September 2026. Patient survey 2026; registered patients September 2026; appointments to August 2026.
What patients say about Southdene Medical Centre
Its best result against England is the share who found it easy to get through to the practice by phone: 91%, above the England figure of 57%. Its result closest to England is the share who had confidence and trust in the healthcare professional they saw: 98%, above the England figure of 93%. Of the 11 results in the table, 9 are above England and 0 below by more than the survey's margin of error, and 2 within it.
On overall experience it is 2nd of the 15 practices in Durham with 50 or more responses. 91% found it easy to get through by phone (England: 57%). The overall experience result is 4 points higher than in 2025 (91%). 95 patients answered the survey (response rate 23%).
| Survey question | Southdene Medical Centre | North East and North Cumbria | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overall experience good | 95% | 80% | 77% |
| Easy to contact by phone | 91% | 62% | 57% |
| Easy to contact via the website | 76% | 59% | 58% |
| Easy to contact via the NHS App | 84% | 58% | 54% |
| Reception team helpful | 98% | 88% | 85% |
| Last contact good | 91% | 76% | 73% |
| Wait for appointment about right | 78% | 72% | 69% |
| Listened to well | 98% | 89% | 87% |
| Treated with care and concern | 97% | 88% | 86% |
| Confidence and trust in the clinician | 98% | 93% | 93% |
| Needs met | 98% | 91% | 90% |
In the Friends and Family Test for July 2026, 98% of 45 responses rated the practice good or very good (England: 92%).
CQC's overall rating for Southdene Medical Centre is Requires Improvement, published in August 2022. 3 key questions are rated differently: Caring Good, Responsive Good and Effective Good. Its previous overall rating was Outstanding (February 2017).
| Key question | Rating |
|---|---|
| Safe | Requires Improvement |
| Well-led | Requires Improvement |
| Caring | Good |
| Responsive | Good |
| Effective | Good |
3,436 patients were registered at Southdene Medical Centre in September 2026, up 0.8% on a year earlier (England: down 1.1%).
18% of its patients are aged 65 or over, against 19% across England. With 1.7 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs, there are 1,998 patients per GP, close to the England figure of 2,171 and North East and North Cumbria's 2,088. The practice also has 1.4 nurses and 2.0 other clinical staff such as pharmacists and physiotherapists (full-time equivalent).
| Year | Qualified GPs (FTE) | All GPs incl. trainees (FTE) |
|---|---|---|
| August 2023 | 2.0 | 2.0 |
| August 2024 | 1.0 | 1.0 |
| August 2025 | 1.7 | 1.7 |
| August 2026 | 1.7 | 1.7 |
From June 2026 to August 2026 the practice recorded 2,030 appointments a month, or 591 per 1,000 registered patients (England: 510). 83% were face to face (England: 63%). 35% took place on the day they were booked and 2% more than 28 days after booking (England: 45% and 5%).
40% were with a GP rather than another member of the practice team. 5% of booked patients did not attend.
| Measure | Southdene Medical Centre | North East and North Cumbria | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Appointments per 1,000 patients a month | 591 | 550 | 510 |
| Face to face | 83% | 68% | 63% |
| Same day as booked | 35% | 42% | 45% |
| More than 28 days after booking | 2% | 6% | 5% |
| Did not attend | 5% | 4% | 4% |
Compared with England, the practice has a higher share of patients on its registers for COPD (5.0% against 1.9%), peripheral arterial disease (1.0% against 0.6%) and depression (23.8% against 14.3%). It has a lower share for chronic kidney disease (3.4% against 4.6%). The practice's patients live in areas with an average deprivation score of 40.0 (England: 21.8; higher is more deprived).
Life expectancy for its patients' neighbourhoods is 80.1 years for women and 75.3 for men (England: 83.0 and 79.1).
| Condition register | Age group | Practice (2024/25) | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Depression | 18+ yrs | 23.8% | 14.3% |
| High blood pressure | All ages | 17.3% | 15.2% |
| Diabetes | 17+ yrs | 10.9% | 7.9% |
| Asthma | 6+ yrs | 8.7% | 6.6% |
| COPD | All ages | 5.0% | 1.9% |
| Cancer | All ages | 4.0% | 3.8% |
| Coronary heart disease | All ages | 3.8% | 3.0% |
| Chronic kidney disease | 18+ yrs | 3.4% | 4.6% |
| Atrial fibrillation | All ages | 3.3% | 2.2% |
| Stroke and TIA | All ages | 2.7% | 1.9% |
| Serious mental illness | All ages | 1.4% | 1.0% |
| Heart failure | All ages | 1.3% | 1.1% |
| Epilepsy | 18+ yrs | 1.3% | 0.8% |
| Peripheral arterial disease | All ages | 1.0% | 0.6% |
| Learning disability | All ages | 0.8% | 0.6% |
| Rheumatoid arthritis | 16+ yrs | 0.7% | 0.8% |
| Osteoporosis | 50+ yrs | 0.7% | 1.2% |
| Palliative care | All ages | 0.5% | 0.6% |
| Dementia | All ages | 0.4% | 0.8% |
| Screening coverage | Period | Practice | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bowel cancer screening (aged 60 to 74) | 2024/25 | 71.3% | 72.9% |
| Breast cancer screening (women aged 53 to 70) | 2024/25 | 65.0% | 72.2% |
| Cervical screening (women aged 25 to 49) | 2023/24 | 79.6% | 67.5% |
| Cervical screening (women aged 50 to 64) | 2023/24 | 79.7% | 74.9% |
Southdene Medical Centre, Front Street, Shotton Colliery, Durham, DH6 2LT. Phone: 0191 526 5818.
| Nearby practice | Distance | Overall experience good |
|---|---|---|
| Bevan Medical Group Surgery | 0.3 km | 83% |
| Easington & Peterlee Medical Practice | 3.6 km | 71% |
| East Durham Medical Group | 4.2 km | 83% |
| Wingate Medical Practice | 4.2 km | 90% |
| Silverdale Family Practice | 4.4 km | 96% |
- Bevan Medical Group Surgery (83% overall experience good)
- East Durham Medical Group (83% overall experience good)
- Wingate Medical Practice (90% overall experience good)
How do patients rate Southdene Medical Centre?
In the 2026 GP Patient Survey, 95% of patients described their overall experience of Southdene Medical Centre as good, above the England figure of 77%. 91% found it easy to get through by phone.
How many patients are registered at Southdene Medical Centre?
3,436 patients were registered in September 2026, up 0.8% on a year earlier.
What is Southdene Medical Centre's CQC rating?
Requires Improvement overall, published in August 2022.
How many GPs does Southdene Medical Centre have?
1.7 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs (2 qualified GPs by headcount), which is 1,998 patients per GP against 2,171 across England.
Are appointments at Southdene Medical Centre face to face?
83% of appointments from June 2026 to August 2026 were face to face, against 63% across England.
What is Southdene Medical Centre's phone number?
0191 526 5818.