Herrington Medical Centre, Houghton Le Spring: patient reviews and CQC rating
Herrington Medical Centre is a GP practice in Houghton Le Spring with 9,969 registered patients (September 2026). In the 2026 GP Patient Survey, 88% 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 April 2020. It has 4.3 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs, or 2,334 patients per GP.
Latest data: September 2026. Patient survey 2026; registered patients September 2026; appointments to August 2026.
What patients say about Herrington Medical Centre
Its best result against England is the share who found it easy to get through to the practice by phone: 88%, 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, 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 3rd of the 7 practices in Houghton Le Spring with 50 or more responses. 88% found it easy to get through by phone (England: 57%). The overall experience result is 4 points higher than in 2025 (84%). 109 patients answered the survey (response rate 27%).
| Survey question | Herrington Medical Centre | North East and North Cumbria | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overall experience good | 88% | 80% | 77% |
| Easy to contact by phone | 88% | 62% | 57% |
| Easy to contact via the website | 67% | 59% | 58% |
| Easy to contact via the NHS App | 85% | 58% | 54% |
| Reception team helpful | 98% | 88% | 85% |
| Last contact good | 86% | 76% | 73% |
| Wait for appointment about right | 81% | 72% | 69% |
| Listened to well | 91% | 89% | 87% |
| Treated with care and concern | 89% | 88% | 86% |
| Confidence and trust in the clinician | 90% | 93% | 93% |
| Needs met | 96% | 91% | 90% |
In the Friends and Family Test for July 2026, 99% of 393 responses rated the practice good or very good (England: 92%).
CQC's overall rating for Herrington Medical Centre is Outstanding, published in April 2020. 2 key questions are rated differently: Safe Good and Effective Good. Its previous overall rating was Good (March 2016).
| Key question | Rating |
|---|---|
| Safe | Good |
| Well-led | Outstanding |
| Caring | Outstanding |
| Responsive | Outstanding |
| Effective | Good |
9,969 patients were registered at Herrington Medical Centre in September 2026, up 2.8% on a year earlier (England: down 1.1%).
20% of its patients are aged 65 or over, against 19% across England. With 4.3 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs, there are 2,334 patients per GP, close to the England figure of 2,171 and North East and North Cumbria's 2,088. The practice also has 1.9 nurses and 3.5 other clinical staff such as pharmacists and physiotherapists (full-time equivalent).
| Year | Qualified GPs (FTE) | All GPs incl. trainees (FTE) |
|---|---|---|
| August 2023 | 4.8 | 8.0 |
| August 2024 | 4.3 | 6.2 |
| August 2025 | 4.3 | 5.3 |
| August 2026 | 4.3 | 7.0 |
From June 2026 to August 2026 the practice recorded 4,449 appointments a month, or 446 per 1,000 registered patients (England: 510). 79% were face to face (England: 63%). 35% took place on the day they were booked and 1% more than 28 days after booking (England: 45% and 5%).
45% were with a GP rather than another member of the practice team. 4% of booked patients did not attend.
| Measure | Herrington Medical Centre | North East and North Cumbria | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Appointments per 1,000 patients a month | 446 | 550 | 510 |
| Face to face | 79% | 68% | 63% |
| Same day as booked | 35% | 42% | 45% |
| More than 28 days after booking | 1% | 6% | 5% |
| Did not attend | 4% | 4% | 4% |
Compared with England, the practice has a higher share of patients on its registers for dementia (1.4% against 0.8%), a learning disability (0.9% against 0.6%) and COPD (2.4% against 1.9%). It has a lower share for osteoporosis (0.2% against 1.2%) and heart failure (0.7% against 1.1%). The practice's patients live in areas with an average deprivation score of 24.5 (England: 21.8; higher is more deprived).
Life expectancy for its patients' neighbourhoods is 81.5 years for women and 77.9 for men (England: 83.0 and 79.1).
| Condition register | Age group | Practice (2024/25) | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Depression | 18+ yrs | 17.8% | 14.3% |
| High blood pressure | All ages | 16.6% | 15.2% |
| Diabetes | 17+ yrs | 8.3% | 7.9% |
| Asthma | 6+ yrs | 6.8% | 6.6% |
| Chronic kidney disease | 18+ yrs | 5.0% | 4.6% |
| Cancer | All ages | 4.3% | 3.8% |
| Coronary heart disease | All ages | 3.7% | 3.0% |
| Atrial fibrillation | All ages | 2.6% | 2.2% |
| COPD | All ages | 2.4% | 1.9% |
| Stroke and TIA | All ages | 2.1% | 1.9% |
| Dementia | All ages | 1.4% | 0.8% |
| Epilepsy | 18+ yrs | 0.9% | 0.8% |
| Learning disability | All ages | 0.9% | 0.6% |
| Serious mental illness | All ages | 0.7% | 1.0% |
| Peripheral arterial disease | All ages | 0.7% | 0.6% |
| Heart failure | All ages | 0.7% | 1.1% |
| Rheumatoid arthritis | 16+ yrs | 0.6% | 0.8% |
| Palliative care | All ages | 0.5% | 0.6% |
| Osteoporosis | 50+ yrs | 0.2% | 1.2% |
| Screening coverage | Period | Practice | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bowel cancer screening (aged 60 to 74) | 2024/25 | 78.3% | 72.9% |
| Breast cancer screening (women aged 53 to 70) | 2024/25 | 80.2% | 72.2% |
| Cervical screening (women aged 25 to 49) | 2023/24 | 80.4% | 67.5% |
| Cervical screening (women aged 50 to 64) | 2023/24 | 79.3% | 74.9% |
Herrington Medical Centre, Philadelphia Lane, Houghton Le Spring, DH4 4LE. Phone: 0191 584 2632. Website: www.herringtonmc.nhs.uk.
| Nearby practice | Distance | Overall experience good |
|---|---|---|
| Westbourne Medical Group | 0.8 km | 85% |
| Grangewood Surgery | 1.0 km | 85% |
| Kepier Medical Practice | 2.3 km | 86% |
| Houghton Medical Group | 2.8 km | 89% |
| Harraton Surgery | 3.5 km | 80% |
- Grangewood Surgery (85% overall experience good)
- Hetton Group Practice (85% overall experience good)
- Houghton Medical Group (89% overall experience good)
- Kepier Medical Practice (86% overall experience good)
- Westbourne Medical Group (85% overall experience good)
How do patients rate Herrington Medical Centre?
In the 2026 GP Patient Survey, 88% of patients described their overall experience of Herrington Medical Centre as good, above the England figure of 77%. 88% found it easy to get through by phone.
How many patients are registered at Herrington Medical Centre?
9,969 patients were registered in September 2026, up 2.8% on a year earlier.
What is Herrington Medical Centre's CQC rating?
Outstanding overall, published in April 2020.
How many GPs does Herrington Medical Centre have?
4.3 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs (6 qualified GPs by headcount), which is 2,334 patients per GP against 2,171 across England.
Are appointments at Herrington Medical Centre face to face?
79% of appointments from June 2026 to August 2026 were face to face, against 63% across England.
What is Herrington Medical Centre's phone number?
0191 584 2632.