Bridges Medical Practice, Gateshead: patient reviews and CQC rating
Bridges Medical Practice is a GP practice in Gateshead with 8,243 registered patients (September 2026). In the 2026 GP Patient Survey, 86% 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 Good overall, in a report published in January 2024. It has 6.2 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs, or 1,332 patients per GP.
Latest data: September 2026. Patient survey 2026; registered patients September 2026; appointments to August 2026.
What patients say about Bridges Medical Practice
Its best result against England is the share who found it easy to get through to the practice by phone: 90%, above the England figure of 57%. Its weakest is the share who had confidence and trust in the healthcare professional they saw: 90%, against 93% 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 6th of the 16 practices in Gateshead with 50 or more responses. 90% found it easy to get through by phone (England: 57%). The overall experience result is 4 points lower than in 2025 (90%). 95 patients answered the survey (response rate 16%).
| Survey question | Bridges Medical Practice | North East and North Cumbria | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overall experience good | 86% | 80% | 77% |
| Easy to contact by phone | 90% | 62% | 57% |
| Easy to contact via the website | 62% | 59% | 58% |
| Easy to contact via the NHS App | 80% | 58% | 54% |
| Reception team helpful | 93% | 88% | 85% |
| Last contact good | 94% | 76% | 73% |
| Wait for appointment about right | 87% | 72% | 69% |
| Listened to well | 88% | 89% | 87% |
| Treated with care and concern | 87% | 88% | 86% |
| Confidence and trust in the clinician | 90% | 93% | 93% |
| Needs met | 91% | 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 Bridges Medical Practice is Good, published in January 2024. One key question is rated differently: Responsive Outstanding. It held the same rating in the report before (May 2022).
| Key question | Rating |
|---|---|
| Safe | Good |
| Well-led | Good |
| Caring | Good |
| Responsive | Outstanding |
| Effective | Good |
8,243 patients were registered at Bridges Medical Practice in September 2026, almost the same as a year earlier.
11% of its patients are aged 65 or over, against 19% across England. With 6.2 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs, there are 1,332 patients per GP, fewer than the England figure of 2,171 and North East and North Cumbria's 2,088. The practice also has 1.9 nurses and 2.4 other clinical staff such as pharmacists and physiotherapists (full-time equivalent).
| Year | Qualified GPs (FTE) | All GPs incl. trainees (FTE) |
|---|---|---|
| August 2023 | 4.0 | 4.0 |
| August 2024 | 6.1 | 6.1 |
| August 2025 | 6.1 | 6.9 |
| August 2026 | 6.2 | 7.3 |
From June 2026 to August 2026 the practice recorded 3,000 appointments a month, or 364 per 1,000 registered patients (England: 510). 86% were face to face (England: 63%). 30% took place on the day they were booked and 8% more than 28 days after booking (England: 45% and 5%).
64% were with a GP rather than another member of the practice team. 6% of booked patients did not attend.
| Measure | Bridges Medical Practice | North East and North Cumbria | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Appointments per 1,000 patients a month | 364 | 550 | 510 |
| Face to face | 86% | 68% | 63% |
| Same day as booked | 30% | 42% | 45% |
| More than 28 days after booking | 8% | 6% | 5% |
| Did not attend | 6% | 4% | 4% |
Compared with England, the practice has a higher share of patients on its registers for osteoporosis (2.5% against 1.2%) and depression (20.2% against 14.3%). It has a lower share for atrial fibrillation (1.3% against 2.2%), coronary heart disease (2.1% against 3.0%) and cancer (2.7% against 3.8%). The practice's patients live in areas with an average deprivation score of 34.0 (England: 21.8; higher is more deprived).
Life expectancy for its patients' neighbourhoods is 78.2 years for women and 73.5 for men (England: 83.0 and 79.1).
| Condition register | Age group | Practice (2024/25) | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Depression | 18+ yrs | 20.2% | 14.3% |
| High blood pressure | All ages | 13.2% | 15.2% |
| Diabetes | 17+ yrs | 6.3% | 7.9% |
| Asthma | 6+ yrs | 6.0% | 6.6% |
| Chronic kidney disease | 18+ yrs | 4.0% | 4.6% |
| Cancer | All ages | 2.7% | 3.8% |
| Osteoporosis | 50+ yrs | 2.5% | 1.2% |
| Coronary heart disease | All ages | 2.1% | 3.0% |
| COPD | All ages | 2.1% | 1.9% |
| Stroke and TIA | All ages | 1.6% | 1.9% |
| Atrial fibrillation | All ages | 1.3% | 2.2% |
| Heart failure | All ages | 1.0% | 1.1% |
| Serious mental illness | All ages | 0.9% | 1.0% |
| Rheumatoid arthritis | 16+ yrs | 0.8% | 0.8% |
| Epilepsy | 18+ yrs | 0.7% | 0.8% |
| Peripheral arterial disease | All ages | 0.7% | 0.6% |
| Dementia | All ages | 0.7% | 0.8% |
| Learning disability | All ages | 0.5% | 0.6% |
| Palliative care | All ages | 0.4% | 0.6% |
| Screening coverage | Period | Practice | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bowel cancer screening (aged 60 to 74) | 2024/25 | 73.2% | 72.9% |
| Breast cancer screening (women aged 53 to 70) | 2024/25 | 70.9% | 72.2% |
| Cervical screening (women aged 25 to 49) | 2023/24 | 75.8% | 67.5% |
| Cervical screening (women aged 50 to 64) | 2023/24 | 78.8% | 74.9% |
Bridges Medical Practice, 24 West Street, Gateshead, NE8 1AD. Phone: 0191 478 7847.
| Nearby practice | Distance | Overall experience good |
|---|---|---|
| Millennium Family Practice | 0.0 km | 79% |
| Central Gateshead Medical Group | 0.7 km | 77% |
| Bewick Road Surgery | 0.8 km | 89% |
| Oxford Terrace & Rawling Road Medical Group | 1.0 km | 89% |
| Second Street Surgery | 1.2 km | 85% |
- Birtley Medical Group (67% overall experience good)
- Oxford Terrace & Rawling Road Medical Group (89% overall experience good)
- Second Street Surgery (85% overall experience good)
How do patients rate Bridges Medical Practice?
In the 2026 GP Patient Survey, 86% of patients described their overall experience of Bridges Medical Practice as good, above the England figure of 77%. 90% found it easy to get through by phone.
How many patients are registered at Bridges Medical Practice?
8,243 patients were registered in September 2026, down 0.4% on a year earlier.
What is Bridges Medical Practice's CQC rating?
Good overall, published in January 2024.
How many GPs does Bridges Medical Practice have?
6.2 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs (11 qualified GPs by headcount), which is 1,332 patients per GP against 2,171 across England.
Are appointments at Bridges Medical Practice face to face?
86% of appointments from June 2026 to August 2026 were face to face, against 63% across England.
What is Bridges Medical Practice's phone number?
0191 478 7847.