Hetton Group Practice, Houghton Le Spring: patient reviews and CQC rating
Hetton Group Practice is a GP practice in Houghton Le Spring with 11,933 registered patients (September 2026). In the 2026 GP Patient Survey, 85% 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 December 2015. It has 6.2 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs, or 1,912 patients per GP.
Latest data: September 2026. Patient survey 2026; registered patients September 2026; appointments to August 2026.
What patients say about Hetton Group Practice
Its best result against England is the share who said the wait for their last appointment was about right: 82%, above the England figure of 69%. Its weakest is the share who said they were treated with care and concern: 84%, against 86% across England. Of the 11 results in the table, 3 are above England and 0 below by more than the survey's margin of error, and 8 within it.
On overall experience it is 5th of the 7 practices in Houghton Le Spring with 50 or more responses. 66% found it easy to get through by phone (England: 57%). The overall experience result is 5 points higher than in 2025 (80%). 103 patients answered the survey (response rate 26%).
| Survey question | Hetton Group Practice | North East and North Cumbria | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overall experience good | 85% | 80% | 77% |
| Easy to contact by phone | 66% | 62% | 57% |
| Easy to contact via the website | 60% | 59% | 58% |
| Easy to contact via the NHS App | 62% | 58% | 54% |
| Reception team helpful | 93% | 88% | 85% |
| Last contact good | 78% | 76% | 73% |
| Wait for appointment about right | 82% | 72% | 69% |
| Listened to well | 91% | 89% | 87% |
| Treated with care and concern | 84% | 88% | 86% |
| Confidence and trust in the clinician | 92% | 93% | 93% |
| Needs met | 90% | 91% | 90% |
In the Friends and Family Test for July 2026, 86% of 49 responses rated the practice good or very good (England: 92%).
CQC's overall rating for Hetton Group Practice is Good, published in December 2015. All 5 key questions are rated Good.
| Key question | Rating |
|---|---|
| Safe | Good |
| Well-led | Good |
| Caring | Good |
| Responsive | Good |
| Effective | Good |
11,933 patients were registered at Hetton Group Practice in September 2026, almost the same as a year earlier.
23% of its patients are aged 65 or over, against 19% across England. With 6.2 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs, there are 1,912 patients per GP, fewer than the England figure of 2,171 and North East and North Cumbria's 2,088. The practice also has 2.0 nurses and 3.4 other clinical staff such as pharmacists and physiotherapists (full-time equivalent).
| Year | Qualified GPs (FTE) | All GPs incl. trainees (FTE) |
|---|---|---|
| August 2023 | 4.6 | 7.8 |
| August 2024 | 5.4 | 9.4 |
| August 2025 | 4.7 | 6.9 |
| August 2026 | 6.2 | 11.6 |
From June 2026 to August 2026 the practice recorded 5,445 appointments a month, or 456 per 1,000 registered patients (England: 510). 67% were face to face (England: 63%). 55% took place on the day they were booked and 0% more than 28 days after booking (England: 45% and 5%).
58% were with a GP rather than another member of the practice team. 4% of booked patients did not attend.
| Measure | Hetton Group Practice | North East and North Cumbria | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Appointments per 1,000 patients a month | 456 | 550 | 510 |
| Face to face | 67% | 68% | 63% |
| Same day as booked | 55% | 42% | 45% |
| More than 28 days after booking | 0% | 6% | 5% |
| Did not attend | 4% | 4% | 4% |
Compared with England, the practice has a higher share of patients on its registers for a learning disability (1.3% against 0.6%), COPD (3.4% against 1.9%) and coronary heart disease (5.2% against 3.0%). The practice's patients live in areas with an average deprivation score of 36.6 (England: 21.8; higher is more deprived). Life expectancy for its patients' neighbourhoods is 80.0 years for women and 76.2 for men (England: 83.0 and 79.1).
| Condition register | Age group | Practice (2024/25) | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| High blood pressure | All ages | 21.1% | 15.2% |
| Depression | 18+ yrs | 17.2% | 14.3% |
| Diabetes | 17+ yrs | 10.0% | 7.9% |
| Chronic kidney disease | 18+ yrs | 8.1% | 4.6% |
| Asthma | 6+ yrs | 6.5% | 6.6% |
| Coronary heart disease | All ages | 5.2% | 3.0% |
| Cancer | All ages | 4.5% | 3.8% |
| COPD | All ages | 3.4% | 1.9% |
| Atrial fibrillation | All ages | 3.0% | 2.2% |
| Stroke and TIA | All ages | 2.7% | 1.9% |
| Epilepsy | 18+ yrs | 1.3% | 0.8% |
| Learning disability | All ages | 1.3% | 0.6% |
| Heart failure | All ages | 1.3% | 1.1% |
| Dementia | All ages | 1.2% | 0.8% |
| Osteoporosis | 50+ yrs | 0.9% | 1.2% |
| Serious mental illness | All ages | 0.9% | 1.0% |
| Rheumatoid arthritis | 16+ yrs | 0.9% | 0.8% |
| Peripheral arterial disease | All ages | 0.8% | 0.6% |
| Palliative care | All ages | 0.6% | 0.6% |
| Screening coverage | Period | Practice | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bowel cancer screening (aged 60 to 74) | 2024/25 | 74.9% | 72.9% |
| Breast cancer screening (women aged 53 to 70) | 2024/25 | 75.2% | 72.2% |
| Cervical screening (women aged 25 to 49) | 2023/24 | 76.0% | 67.5% |
| Cervical screening (women aged 50 to 64) | 2023/24 | 76.8% | 74.9% |
Hetton Group Practice, Francis Way, Hetton-Le-Hole, Houghton Le Spring, DH5 9EZ. Phone: 0191 526 1177.
| Nearby practice | Distance | Overall experience good |
|---|---|---|
| Houghton Medical Group | 2.2 km | 89% |
| Kepier Medical Practice | 2.9 km | 86% |
| Silverdale Family Practice | 3.7 km | 96% |
| West Rainton Surgery | 3.9 km | 89% |
| Murton Medical Group | 4.3 km | 93% |
- Grangewood Surgery (85% overall experience good)
- Herrington Medical Centre (88% 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 Hetton Group Practice?
In the 2026 GP Patient Survey, 85% of patients described their overall experience of Hetton Group Practice as good, above the England figure of 77%. 66% found it easy to get through by phone.
How many patients are registered at Hetton Group Practice?
11,933 patients were registered in September 2026, up 0.4% on a year earlier.
What is Hetton Group Practice's CQC rating?
Good overall, published in December 2015.
How many GPs does Hetton Group Practice have?
6.2 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs (8 qualified GPs by headcount), which is 1,912 patients per GP against 2,171 across England.
Are appointments at Hetton Group Practice face to face?
67% of appointments from June 2026 to August 2026 were face to face, against 63% across England.
What is Hetton Group Practice's phone number?
0191 526 1177.