Fell Cottage Surgery, Gateshead: patient reviews and CQC rating
Fell Cottage Surgery is a GP practice in Gateshead with 8,863 registered patients (September 2026). In the 2026 GP Patient Survey, 93% 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 May 2016. It has 4.1 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs, or 2,145 patients per GP.
Latest data: September 2026. Patient survey 2026; registered patients September 2026; appointments to August 2026.
What patients say about Fell Cottage Surgery
Its best result against England is the share who found it easy to get through to the practice by phone: 83%, above the England figure of 57%. Its result closest to England is the share who found it easy to contact the practice using the NHS App: 56%, against 54% across England. Of the 11 results in the table, 8 are above England and 0 below by more than the survey's margin of error, and 3 within it.
On overall experience it is 1st of the 16 practices in Gateshead with 50 or more responses. 83% found it easy to get through by phone (England: 57%). The overall experience result is 1 point higher than in 2025 (92%). 119 patients answered the survey (response rate 33%).
| Survey question | Fell Cottage Surgery | North East and North Cumbria | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overall experience good | 93% | 80% | 77% |
| Easy to contact by phone | 83% | 62% | 57% |
| Easy to contact via the website | 59% | 59% | 58% |
| Easy to contact via the NHS App | 56% | 58% | 54% |
| Reception team helpful | 97% | 88% | 85% |
| Last contact good | 90% | 76% | 73% |
| Wait for appointment about right | 75% | 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% |
CQC's overall rating for Fell Cottage Surgery is Good, published in May 2016. All 5 key questions are rated Good.
| Key question | Rating |
|---|---|
| Safe | Good |
| Well-led | Good |
| Caring | Good |
| Responsive | Good |
| Effective | Good |
8,863 patients were registered at Fell Cottage Surgery in September 2026, up 1.1% on a year earlier (England: down 1.1%).
23% of its patients are aged 65 or over, against 19% across England. With 4.1 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs, there are 2,145 patients per GP, close to the England figure of 2,171 and North East and North Cumbria's 2,088. The practice also has 3.8 nurses and 1.9 other clinical staff such as pharmacists and physiotherapists (full-time equivalent).
| Year | Qualified GPs (FTE) | All GPs incl. trainees (FTE) |
|---|---|---|
| August 2023 | 3.6 | 5.3 |
| August 2024 | 4.0 | 6.2 |
| August 2025 | 4.8 | 6.7 |
| August 2026 | 4.1 | 8.0 |
From June 2026 to August 2026 the practice recorded 3,801 appointments a month, or 429 per 1,000 registered patients (England: 510). 92% were face to face (England: 63%). 39% took place on the day they were booked and 6% more than 28 days after booking (England: 45% and 5%).
53% were with a GP rather than another member of the practice team. 4% of booked patients did not attend.
| Measure | Fell Cottage Surgery | North East and North Cumbria | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Appointments per 1,000 patients a month | 429 | 550 | 510 |
| Face to face | 92% | 68% | 63% |
| Same day as booked | 39% | 42% | 45% |
| More than 28 days after booking | 6% | 6% | 5% |
| Did not attend | 4% | 4% | 4% |
Compared with England, the practice has a higher share of patients on its registers for stroke or TIA (2.8% against 1.9%), coronary heart disease (4.2% against 3.0%) and dementia (1.1% against 0.8%). The practice's patients live in areas with an average deprivation score of 20.0 (England: 21.8; higher is more deprived). Life expectancy for its patients' neighbourhoods is 81.4 years for women and 77.4 for men (England: 83.0 and 79.1).
| Condition register | Age group | Practice (2024/25) | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| High blood pressure | All ages | 17.3% | 15.2% |
| Depression | 18+ yrs | 14.0% | 14.3% |
| Asthma | 6+ yrs | 9.0% | 6.6% |
| Diabetes | 17+ yrs | 6.6% | 7.9% |
| Chronic kidney disease | 18+ yrs | 5.8% | 4.6% |
| Cancer | All ages | 4.9% | 3.8% |
| Coronary heart disease | All ages | 4.2% | 3.0% |
| Atrial fibrillation | All ages | 2.8% | 2.2% |
| Stroke and TIA | All ages | 2.8% | 1.9% |
| COPD | All ages | 2.1% | 1.9% |
| Rheumatoid arthritis | 16+ yrs | 1.3% | 0.8% |
| Osteoporosis | 50+ yrs | 1.1% | 1.2% |
| Dementia | All ages | 1.1% | 0.8% |
| Serious mental illness | All ages | 1.0% | 1.0% |
| Epilepsy | 18+ yrs | 1.0% | 0.8% |
| Heart failure | All ages | 0.8% | 1.1% |
| Peripheral arterial disease | All ages | 0.6% | 0.6% |
| Learning disability | All ages | 0.5% | 0.6% |
| Palliative care | All ages | 0.5% | 0.6% |
| Screening coverage | Period | Practice | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bowel cancer screening (aged 60 to 74) | 2024/25 | 80.9% | 72.9% |
| Breast cancer screening (women aged 53 to 70) | 2024/25 | 82.7% | 72.2% |
| Cervical screening (women aged 25 to 49) | 2023/24 | 76.6% | 67.5% |
| Cervical screening (women aged 50 to 64) | 2023/24 | 75.7% | 74.9% |
Fell Cottage Surgery, 123 Kells Lane, Low Fell, Gateshead, NE9 5XY. Phone: 0191 487 2656. Website: www.fellcottagesurgery.nhs.uk.
| Nearby practice | Distance | Overall experience good |
|---|---|---|
| Fell Tower Medical Centre | 0.5 km | 81% |
| Beacon View Medical Centre | 0.9 km | 91% |
| Oxford Terrace & Rawling Road Medical Group | 1.9 km | 89% |
| Crowhall Medical Group | 2.0 km | 86% |
| St Albans Medical Group | 2.0 km | 70% |
- Beacon View Medical Centre (91% overall experience good)
- Bensham Family Practice (84% overall experience good)
- Bewick Road Surgery (89% overall experience good)
- Central Gateshead Medical Group (77% overall experience good)
- Dr Kaura and Partners (70% overall experience good)
- Fell Tower Medical Centre (81% overall experience good)
- Millennium Family Practice (79% overall experience good)
How do patients rate Fell Cottage Surgery?
In the 2026 GP Patient Survey, 93% of patients described their overall experience of Fell Cottage Surgery as good, above the England figure of 77%. 83% found it easy to get through by phone.
How many patients are registered at Fell Cottage Surgery?
8,863 patients were registered in September 2026, up 1.1% on a year earlier.
What is Fell Cottage Surgery's CQC rating?
Good overall, published in May 2016.
How many GPs does Fell Cottage Surgery have?
4.1 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs (7 qualified GPs by headcount), which is 2,145 patients per GP against 2,171 across England.
Are appointments at Fell Cottage Surgery face to face?
92% of appointments from June 2026 to August 2026 were face to face, against 63% across England.
What is Fell Cottage Surgery's phone number?
0191 487 2656.