Bellingham Practice, Hexham: patient reviews and CQC rating
Bellingham Practice is a GP practice in Hexham with 3,428 registered patients (September 2026). In the 2026 GP Patient Survey, 90% 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 Outstanding overall, in a report published in January 2019. It has 2.0 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs, or 1,720 patients per GP.
Latest data: September 2026. Patient survey 2026; registered patients September 2026; appointments to August 2026.
What patients say about Bellingham Practice
Its best result against England is the share who found it easy to get through to the practice by phone: 94%, 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: 95%, against 93% across England. Of the 11 results in the table, 7 are above England and 0 below by more than the survey's margin of error, and 4 within it.
On overall experience it is 4th of the 5 practices in Hexham with 50 or more responses. 94% found it easy to get through by phone (England: 57%). The overall experience result is 3 points lower than in 2025 (93%). 113 patients answered the survey (response rate 39%).
| Survey question | Bellingham Practice | North East and North Cumbria | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overall experience good | 90% | 80% | 77% |
| Easy to contact by phone | 94% | 62% | 57% |
| Easy to contact via the website | 79% | 59% | 58% |
| Easy to contact via the NHS App | 76% | 58% | 54% |
| Reception team helpful | 98% | 88% | 85% |
| Last contact good | 95% | 76% | 73% |
| Wait for appointment about right | 92% | 72% | 69% |
| Listened to well | 93% | 89% | 87% |
| Treated with care and concern | 92% | 88% | 86% |
| Confidence and trust in the clinician | 95% | 93% | 93% |
| Needs met | 93% | 91% | 90% |
In the Friends and Family Test for July 2026, 97% of 167 responses rated the practice good or very good (England: 92%).
CQC's overall rating for Bellingham Practice is Outstanding, published in January 2019. 2 key questions are rated differently: Safe Good and Effective Good. Its previous overall rating was Good (December 2014).
| Key question | Rating |
|---|---|
| Safe | Good |
| Well-led | Outstanding |
| Caring | Outstanding |
| Responsive | Outstanding |
| Effective | Good |
3,428 patients were registered at Bellingham Practice in September 2026, almost the same as a year earlier.
33% of its patients are aged 65 or over, against 19% across England. With 2.0 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs, there are 1,720 patients per GP, fewer than the England figure of 2,171 and North East and North Cumbria's 2,088. The practice also has 1.0 nurses and 1.6 other clinical staff such as pharmacists and physiotherapists (full-time equivalent).
| Year | Qualified GPs (FTE) | All GPs incl. trainees (FTE) |
|---|---|---|
| August 2023 | 2.0 | 3.9 |
| August 2024 | 2.0 | 4.6 |
| August 2025 | 2.0 | 5.0 |
| August 2026 | 2.0 | 5.2 |
From June 2026 to August 2026 the practice recorded 1,889 appointments a month, or 551 per 1,000 registered patients (England: 510). 68% were face to face (England: 63%). 33% took place on the day they were booked and 13% more than 28 days after booking (England: 45% and 5%).
37% were with a GP rather than another member of the practice team. 4% of booked patients did not attend.
| Measure | Bellingham Practice | North East and North Cumbria | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Appointments per 1,000 patients a month | 551 | 550 | 510 |
| Face to face | 68% | 68% | 63% |
| Same day as booked | 33% | 42% | 45% |
| More than 28 days after booking | 13% | 6% | 5% |
| Did not attend | 4% | 4% | 4% |
Compared with England, the practice has a higher share of patients on its registers for palliative or supportive care needs (1.3% against 0.6%), atrial fibrillation (4.6% against 2.2%) and stroke or TIA (3.2% against 1.9%). It has a lower share for depression (9.7% against 14.3%). The practice's patients live in areas with an average deprivation score of 23.6 (England: 21.8; higher is more deprived).
Life expectancy for its patients' neighbourhoods is 86.2 years for women and 82.5 for men (England: 83.0 and 79.1).
| Condition register | Age group | Practice (2024/25) | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| High blood pressure | All ages | 23.5% | 15.2% |
| Depression | 18+ yrs | 9.7% | 14.3% |
| Diabetes | 17+ yrs | 9.4% | 7.9% |
| Asthma | 6+ yrs | 8.7% | 6.6% |
| Cancer | All ages | 5.5% | 3.8% |
| Chronic kidney disease | 18+ yrs | 4.8% | 4.6% |
| Atrial fibrillation | All ages | 4.6% | 2.2% |
| Coronary heart disease | All ages | 3.9% | 3.0% |
| Stroke and TIA | All ages | 3.2% | 1.9% |
| COPD | All ages | 2.2% | 1.9% |
| Heart failure | All ages | 1.8% | 1.1% |
| Palliative care | All ages | 1.3% | 0.6% |
| Serious mental illness | All ages | 1.1% | 1.0% |
| Rheumatoid arthritis | 16+ yrs | 1.0% | 0.8% |
| Osteoporosis | 50+ yrs | 1.0% | 1.2% |
| Epilepsy | 18+ yrs | 0.8% | 0.8% |
| Dementia | All ages | 0.8% | 0.8% |
| Learning disability | All ages | 0.6% | 0.6% |
| Peripheral arterial disease | All ages | 0.4% | 0.6% |
| Screening coverage | Period | Practice | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bowel cancer screening (aged 60 to 74) | 2024/25 | 79.6% | 72.9% |
| Breast cancer screening (women aged 53 to 70) | 2024/25 | 84.6% | 72.2% |
| Cervical screening (women aged 25 to 49) | 2023/24 | 83.3% | 67.5% |
| Cervical screening (women aged 50 to 64) | 2023/24 | 80.9% | 74.9% |
Bellingham Practice, Bellingham, Hexham, NE48 2HE. Phone: 01434 220203. Website: www.thebellinghampractice.co.uk.
| Nearby practice | Distance | Overall experience good |
|---|---|---|
| Humshaugh and Wark Medical Group | 14.7 km | 94% |
| NPC Haydon Bridge and Allendale | 18.7 km | 91% |
| Scots Gap Medical Group | 20.4 km | 94% |
| The Sele Medical Practice | 21.9 km | 93% |
| Burn Brae Medical Group | 21.9 km | 89% |
- Branch End Surgery (93% overall experience good)
- Burn Brae Medical Group (89% overall experience good)
- Corbridge Medical Group (95% overall experience good)
- Haltwhistle Medical Group (93% overall experience good)
- Humshaugh and Wark Medical Group (94% overall experience good)
- Prudhoe Medical Group (91% overall experience good)
- Scots Gap Medical Group (94% overall experience good)
- The Sele Medical Practice (93% overall experience good)
- White Medical Group (85% overall experience good)
How do patients rate Bellingham Practice?
In the 2026 GP Patient Survey, 90% of patients described their overall experience of Bellingham Practice as good, above the England figure of 77%. 94% found it easy to get through by phone.
How many patients are registered at Bellingham Practice?
3,428 patients were registered in September 2026, down 0.5% on a year earlier.
What is Bellingham Practice's CQC rating?
Outstanding overall, published in January 2019.
How many GPs does Bellingham Practice have?
2.0 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs (3 qualified GPs by headcount), which is 1,720 patients per GP against 2,171 across England.
Are appointments at Bellingham Practice face to face?
68% of appointments from June 2026 to August 2026 were face to face, against 63% across England.
What is Bellingham Practice's phone number?
01434 220203.