Houghton Medical Group, Houghton Le Spring: patient reviews and CQC rating
Houghton Medical Group is a GP practice in Houghton Le Spring with 8,352 registered patients (September 2026). In the 2026 GP Patient Survey, 89% 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 February 2016. It has 4.9 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs, or 1,714 patients per GP.
Latest data: September 2026. Patient survey 2026; registered patients September 2026; appointments to August 2026.
What patients say about Houghton Medical Group
Its best result against England is the share who said the wait for their last appointment was about right: 86%, above the England figure of 69%. Its weakest is the share who found it easy to contact the practice through its website: 52%, against 58% across England. Of the 11 results in the table, 4 are above England and 0 below by more than the survey's margin of error, and 7 within it.
On overall experience it is 1st of the 7 practices in Houghton Le Spring with 50 or more responses. 72% found it easy to get through by phone (England: 57%). The overall experience result is 8 points higher than in 2025 (81%). 105 patients answered the survey (response rate 29%).
| Survey question | Houghton Medical Group | North East and North Cumbria | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overall experience good | 89% | 80% | 77% |
| Easy to contact by phone | 72% | 62% | 57% |
| Easy to contact via the website | 52% | 59% | 58% |
| Easy to contact via the NHS App | 59% | 58% | 54% |
| Reception team helpful | 91% | 88% | 85% |
| Last contact good | 88% | 76% | 73% |
| Wait for appointment about right | 86% | 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 | 94% | 91% | 90% |
In the Friends and Family Test for July 2026, 97% of 217 responses rated the practice good or very good (England: 92%).
CQC's overall rating for Houghton Medical Group is Good, published in February 2016. All 5 key questions are rated Good.
| Key question | Rating |
|---|---|
| Safe | Good |
| Well-led | Good |
| Caring | Good |
| Responsive | Good |
| Effective | Good |
8,352 patients were registered at Houghton Medical Group in September 2026, down 1.1% on a year earlier (England: down 1.1%).
23% of its patients are aged 65 or over, against 19% across England. With 4.9 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs, there are 1,714 patients per GP, fewer than the England figure of 2,171 and North East and North Cumbria's 2,088. The practice also has 1.6 nurses and 0.6 other clinical staff such as pharmacists and physiotherapists (full-time equivalent).
| Year | Qualified GPs (FTE) | All GPs incl. trainees (FTE) |
|---|---|---|
| August 2023 | 3.5 | 3.5 |
| August 2024 | 4.3 | 4.3 |
| August 2025 | 4.3 | 4.3 |
| August 2026 | 4.9 | 4.9 |
From June 2026 to August 2026 the practice recorded 4,861 appointments a month, or 582 per 1,000 registered patients (England: 510). 57% were face to face (England: 63%). 53% took place on the day they were booked and 1% more than 28 days after booking (England: 45% and 5%).
39% were with a GP rather than another member of the practice team. 4% of booked patients did not attend.
| Measure | Houghton Medical Group | North East and North Cumbria | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Appointments per 1,000 patients a month | 582 | 550 | 510 |
| Face to face | 57% | 68% | 63% |
| Same day as booked | 53% | 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 COPD (4.3% against 1.9%), a learning disability (1.1% against 0.6%) and chronic kidney disease (8.0% against 4.6%). It has a lower share for osteoporosis (0.5% against 1.2%). The practice's patients live in areas with an average deprivation score of 28.8 (England: 21.8; higher is more deprived).
Life expectancy for its patients' neighbourhoods is 81.7 years for women and 76.8 for men (England: 83.0 and 79.1).
| Condition register | Age group | Practice (2024/25) | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| High blood pressure | All ages | 23.0% | 15.2% |
| Depression | 18+ yrs | 18.9% | 14.3% |
| Diabetes | 17+ yrs | 10.0% | 7.9% |
| Chronic kidney disease | 18+ yrs | 8.0% | 4.6% |
| Asthma | 6+ yrs | 7.2% | 6.6% |
| Coronary heart disease | All ages | 4.9% | 3.0% |
| COPD | All ages | 4.3% | 1.9% |
| Cancer | All ages | 4.2% | 3.8% |
| Atrial fibrillation | All ages | 3.2% | 2.2% |
| Stroke and TIA | All ages | 2.6% | 1.9% |
| Epilepsy | 18+ yrs | 1.3% | 0.8% |
| Learning disability | All ages | 1.1% | 0.6% |
| Heart failure | All ages | 1.0% | 1.1% |
| Serious mental illness | All ages | 1.0% | 1.0% |
| Peripheral arterial disease | All ages | 0.9% | 0.6% |
| Dementia | All ages | 0.7% | 0.8% |
| Rheumatoid arthritis | 16+ yrs | 0.5% | 0.8% |
| Osteoporosis | 50+ yrs | 0.5% | 1.2% |
| 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 | 77.1% | 72.2% |
| Cervical screening (women aged 25 to 49) | 2023/24 | 78.7% | 67.5% |
| Cervical screening (women aged 50 to 64) | 2023/24 | 79.1% | 74.9% |
Houghton Medical Group, The Health Centre, Church Street, Houghton Le Spring, DH4 4DN. Phone: 0191 584 2154. Website: www.houghtonmedicalgroup.nhs.uk.
| Nearby practice | Distance | Overall experience good |
|---|---|---|
| Kepier Medical Practice | 0.7 km | 86% |
| Hetton Group Practice | 2.2 km | 85% |
| Herrington Medical Centre | 2.8 km | 88% |
| Westbourne Medical Group | 3.3 km | 85% |
| Grangewood Surgery | 3.4 km | 85% |
- Grangewood Surgery (85% overall experience good)
- Herrington Medical Centre (88% overall experience good)
- Hetton Group Practice (85% overall experience good)
- Kepier Medical Practice (86% overall experience good)
- Westbourne Medical Group (85% overall experience good)
How do patients rate Houghton Medical Group?
In the 2026 GP Patient Survey, 89% of patients described their overall experience of Houghton Medical Group as good, above the England figure of 77%. 72% found it easy to get through by phone.
How many patients are registered at Houghton Medical Group?
8,352 patients were registered in September 2026, down 1.1% on a year earlier.
What is Houghton Medical Group's CQC rating?
Good overall, published in February 2016.
How many GPs does Houghton Medical Group have?
4.9 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs (7 qualified GPs by headcount), which is 1,714 patients per GP against 2,171 across England.
Are appointments at Houghton Medical Group face to face?
57% of appointments from June 2026 to August 2026 were face to face, against 63% across England.
What is Houghton Medical Group's phone number?
0191 584 2154.