Westbourne Medical Group, Houghton Le Spring: patient reviews and CQC rating
Westbourne Medical Group is a GP practice in Houghton Le Spring with 6,608 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 Outstanding overall, in a report published in October 2016. It has 3.7 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs, or 1,770 patients per GP.
Latest data: September 2026. Patient survey 2026; registered patients September 2026; appointments to August 2026.
What patients say about Westbourne Medical Group
Its best result against England is the share who found it easy to get through to the practice by phone: 81%, above the England figure of 57%. Its weakest is the share who found it easy to contact the practice through its website: 44%, against 58% across England. Of the 11 results in the table, 5 are above England and 0 below by more than the survey's margin of error, and 6 within it.
On overall experience it is 7th of the 7 practices in Houghton Le Spring with 50 or more responses. 81% found it easy to get through by phone (England: 57%). The overall experience result is 6 points lower than in 2025 (91%). 106 patients answered the survey (response rate 28%).
| Survey question | Westbourne Medical Group | North East and North Cumbria | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overall experience good | 85% | 80% | 77% |
| Easy to contact by phone | 81% | 62% | 57% |
| Easy to contact via the website | 44% | 59% | 58% |
| Easy to contact via the NHS App | 59% | 58% | 54% |
| Reception team helpful | 93% | 88% | 85% |
| Last contact good | 88% | 76% | 73% |
| Wait for appointment about right | 87% | 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 | 88% | 91% | 90% |
In the Friends and Family Test for July 2026, 98% of 328 responses rated the practice good or very good (England: 92%).
CQC's overall rating for Westbourne Medical Group is Outstanding, published in October 2016. One key question is rated differently: Safe Good.
| Key question | Rating |
|---|---|
| Safe | Good |
| Well-led | Outstanding |
| Caring | Outstanding |
| Responsive | Outstanding |
| Effective | Outstanding |
6,608 patients were registered at Westbourne Medical Group in September 2026, down 0.9% on a year earlier (England: down 1.1%).
23% of its patients are aged 65 or over, against 19% across England. With 3.7 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs, there are 1,770 patients per GP, fewer than the England figure of 2,171 and North East and North Cumbria's 2,088. The practice also has 3.9 nurses and 3.2 other clinical staff such as pharmacists and physiotherapists (full-time equivalent).
| Year | Qualified GPs (FTE) | All GPs incl. trainees (FTE) |
|---|---|---|
| August 2023 | 2.9 | 2.9 |
| August 2024 | 2.9 | 4.0 |
| August 2025 | 2.9 | 4.0 |
| August 2026 | 3.7 | 4.8 |
From June 2026 to August 2026 the practice recorded 3,934 appointments a month, or 595 per 1,000 registered patients (England: 510). 65% were face to face (England: 63%). 49% took place on the day they were booked and 2% more than 28 days after booking (England: 45% and 5%).
42% were with a GP rather than another member of the practice team. 4% of booked patients did not attend.
| Measure | Westbourne Medical Group | North East and North Cumbria | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Appointments per 1,000 patients a month | 595 | 550 | 510 |
| Face to face | 65% | 68% | 63% |
| Same day as booked | 49% | 42% | 45% |
| More than 28 days after booking | 2% | 6% | 5% |
| Did not attend | 4% | 4% | 4% |
Compared with England, the practice has a higher share of patients on its registers for peripheral arterial disease (1.2% against 0.6%), COPD (3.6% against 1.9%) and a learning disability (1.0% against 0.6%). The practice's patients live in areas with an average deprivation score of 28.2 (England: 21.8; higher is more deprived). Life expectancy for its patients' neighbourhoods is 81.4 years for women and 78.1 for men (England: 83.0 and 79.1).
| Condition register | Age group | Practice (2024/25) | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| High blood pressure | All ages | 20.9% | 15.2% |
| Depression | 18+ yrs | 18.0% | 14.3% |
| Diabetes | 17+ yrs | 10.0% | 7.9% |
| Asthma | 6+ yrs | 7.6% | 6.6% |
| Chronic kidney disease | 18+ yrs | 6.6% | 4.6% |
| Coronary heart disease | All ages | 4.8% | 3.0% |
| Cancer | All ages | 4.8% | 3.8% |
| COPD | All ages | 3.6% | 1.9% |
| Atrial fibrillation | All ages | 2.9% | 2.2% |
| Stroke and TIA | All ages | 2.6% | 1.9% |
| Rheumatoid arthritis | 16+ yrs | 1.2% | 0.8% |
| Peripheral arterial disease | All ages | 1.2% | 0.6% |
| Serious mental illness | All ages | 1.1% | 1.0% |
| Dementia | All ages | 1.0% | 0.8% |
| Epilepsy | 18+ yrs | 1.0% | 0.8% |
| Learning disability | All ages | 1.0% | 0.6% |
| Osteoporosis | 50+ yrs | 0.9% | 1.2% |
| Heart failure | All ages | 0.8% | 1.1% |
| Palliative care | All ages | 0.4% | 0.6% |
| Screening coverage | Period | Practice | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bowel cancer screening (aged 60 to 74) | 2024/25 | 76.7% | 72.9% |
| Breast cancer screening (women aged 53 to 70) | 2024/25 | 79.5% | 72.2% |
| Cervical screening (women aged 25 to 49) | 2023/24 | 79.7% | 67.5% |
| Cervical screening (women aged 50 to 64) | 2023/24 | 82.4% | 74.9% |
Westbourne Medical Group, Kelso Grove, Shiney Row, Houghton Le Spring, DH4 4RW. Phone: 0191 385 2512. Website: www.westbournegp.nhs.uk.
| Nearby practice | Distance | Overall experience good |
|---|---|---|
| Grangewood Surgery | 0.2 km | 85% |
| Herrington Medical Centre | 0.8 km | 88% |
| Kepier Medical Practice | 2.7 km | 86% |
| Harraton Surgery | 2.8 km | 80% |
| Houghton Medical Group | 3.3 km | 89% |
- Grangewood Surgery (85% overall experience good)
- Herrington Medical Centre (88% overall experience good)
- Hetton Group Practice (85% overall experience good)
- Houghton Medical Group (89% overall experience good)
- Kepier Medical Practice (86% overall experience good)
How do patients rate Westbourne Medical Group?
In the 2026 GP Patient Survey, 85% of patients described their overall experience of Westbourne Medical Group as good, above the England figure of 77%. 81% found it easy to get through by phone.
How many patients are registered at Westbourne Medical Group?
6,608 patients were registered in September 2026, down 0.9% on a year earlier.
What is Westbourne Medical Group's CQC rating?
Outstanding overall, published in October 2016.
How many GPs does Westbourne Medical Group have?
3.7 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs (7 qualified GPs by headcount), which is 1,770 patients per GP against 2,171 across England.
Are appointments at Westbourne Medical Group face to face?
65% of appointments from June 2026 to August 2026 were face to face, against 63% across England.
What is Westbourne Medical Group's phone number?
0191 385 2512.