Fell Tower Medical Centre, Gateshead: patient reviews and CQC rating
Fell Tower Medical Centre is a GP practice in Gateshead with 7,321 registered patients (September 2026). In the 2026 GP Patient Survey, 81% 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 2017. It has 3.7 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs, or 1,986 patients per GP.
Latest data: September 2026. Patient survey 2026; registered patients September 2026; appointments to August 2026.
What patients say about Fell Tower Medical Centre
Its best result against England is the share who found it easy to contact the practice using the NHS App: 65%, against 54% across England. Its weakest is the share who found it easy to get through to the practice by phone: 51%, against 57% 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 16 practices in Gateshead with 50 or more responses. 51% found it easy to get through by phone (England: 57%). The overall experience result is 1 point higher than in 2025 (80%). 98 patients answered the survey (response rate 28%).
| Survey question | Fell Tower Medical Centre | North East and North Cumbria | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overall experience good | 81% | 80% | 77% |
| Easy to contact by phone | 51% | 62% | 57% |
| Easy to contact via the website | 65% | 59% | 58% |
| Easy to contact via the NHS App | 65% | 58% | 54% |
| Reception team helpful | 87% | 88% | 85% |
| Last contact good | 81% | 76% | 73% |
| Wait for appointment about right | 79% | 72% | 69% |
| Listened to well | 88% | 89% | 87% |
| Treated with care and concern | 88% | 88% | 86% |
| Confidence and trust in the clinician | 91% | 93% | 93% |
| Needs met | 91% | 91% | 90% |
CQC's overall rating for Fell Tower Medical Centre is Good, published in January 2017. All 5 key questions are rated Good. It held the same rating in the report before (April 2015).
| Key question | Rating |
|---|---|
| Safe | Good |
| Well-led | Good |
| Caring | Good |
| Responsive | Good |
| Effective | Good |
7,321 patients were registered at Fell Tower Medical Centre in September 2026, down 2.1% on a year earlier (England: down 1.1%).
22% of its patients are aged 65 or over, against 19% across England. With 3.7 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs, there are 1,986 patients per GP, close to the England figure of 2,171 and North East and North Cumbria's 2,088. The practice also has 2.4 nurses and 2.1 other clinical staff such as pharmacists and physiotherapists (full-time equivalent).
| Year | Qualified GPs (FTE) | All GPs incl. trainees (FTE) |
|---|---|---|
| August 2023 | 3.7 | 6.9 |
| August 2024 | 3.7 | 9.0 |
| August 2025 | 3.7 | 5.8 |
| August 2026 | 3.7 | 8.6 |
From June 2026 to August 2026 the practice recorded 2,821 appointments a month, or 385 per 1,000 registered patients (England: 510). 76% were face to face (England: 63%). 45% took place on the day they were booked and 3% more than 28 days after booking (England: 45% and 5%).
59% were with a GP rather than another member of the practice team. 4% of booked patients did not attend.
| Measure | Fell Tower Medical Centre | North East and North Cumbria | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Appointments per 1,000 patients a month | 385 | 550 | 510 |
| Face to face | 76% | 68% | 63% |
| Same day as booked | 45% | 42% | 45% |
| More than 28 days after booking | 3% | 6% | 5% |
| Did not attend | 4% | 4% | 4% |
Compared with England, the practice has a higher share of patients on its registers for atrial fibrillation (3.0% against 2.2%) and stroke or TIA (2.4% against 1.9%). It has a lower share for chronic kidney disease (3.5% against 4.6%). The practice's patients live in areas with an average deprivation score of 20.1 (England: 21.8; higher is more deprived).
Life expectancy for its patients' neighbourhoods is 81.8 years for women and 77.8 for men (England: 83.0 and 79.1).
| Condition register | Age group | Practice (2024/25) | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| High blood pressure | All ages | 16.2% | 15.2% |
| Depression | 18+ yrs | 14.8% | 14.3% |
| Asthma | 6+ yrs | 7.8% | 6.6% |
| Diabetes | 17+ yrs | 7.0% | 7.9% |
| Cancer | All ages | 4.2% | 3.8% |
| Coronary heart disease | All ages | 3.6% | 3.0% |
| Chronic kidney disease | 18+ yrs | 3.5% | 4.6% |
| Atrial fibrillation | All ages | 3.0% | 2.2% |
| Stroke and TIA | All ages | 2.4% | 1.9% |
| COPD | All ages | 2.1% | 1.9% |
| Osteoporosis | 50+ yrs | 1.5% | 1.2% |
| Heart failure | All ages | 1.2% | 1.1% |
| Rheumatoid arthritis | 16+ yrs | 1.2% | 0.8% |
| Epilepsy | 18+ yrs | 0.9% | 0.8% |
| Serious mental illness | All ages | 0.7% | 1.0% |
| Learning disability | All ages | 0.6% | 0.6% |
| Peripheral arterial disease | All ages | 0.6% | 0.6% |
| Dementia | All ages | 0.6% | 0.8% |
| Palliative care | All ages | 0.4% | 0.6% |
| Screening coverage | Period | Practice | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bowel cancer screening (aged 60 to 74) | 2024/25 | 76.9% | 72.9% |
| Breast cancer screening (women aged 53 to 70) | 2024/25 | 81.1% | 72.2% |
| Cervical screening (women aged 25 to 49) | 2023/24 | 80.2% | 67.5% |
| Cervical screening (women aged 50 to 64) | 2023/24 | 80.0% | 74.9% |
Fell Tower Medical Centre, 575-583 Durham Road, Low Fell, Gateshead, NE9 5EY. Phone: 0191 491 3322. Website: www.felltowermedicalcentre.nhs.uk.
| Nearby practice | Distance | Overall experience good |
|---|---|---|
| Fell Cottage Surgery | 0.5 km | 93% |
| Beacon View Medical Centre | 1.0 km | 91% |
| Dr Kaura and Partners | 2.1 km | 70% |
| Oxford Terrace & Rawling Road Medical Group | 2.2 km | 89% |
| Bensham Family Practice | 2.3 km | 84% |
- 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 Cottage Surgery (93% overall experience good)
- Millennium Family Practice (79% overall experience good)
How do patients rate Fell Tower Medical Centre?
In the 2026 GP Patient Survey, 81% of patients described their overall experience of Fell Tower Medical Centre as good, against 77% across England. 51% found it easy to get through by phone.
How many patients are registered at Fell Tower Medical Centre?
7,321 patients were registered in September 2026, down 2.1% on a year earlier.
What is Fell Tower Medical Centre's CQC rating?
Good overall, published in January 2017.
How many GPs does Fell Tower Medical Centre have?
3.7 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs (5 qualified GPs by headcount), which is 1,986 patients per GP against 2,171 across England.
Are appointments at Fell Tower Medical Centre face to face?
76% of appointments from June 2026 to August 2026 were face to face, against 63% across England.
What is Fell Tower Medical Centre's phone number?
0191 491 3322.