Chester le Street PCN: primary care network practices and patient survey
Chester le Street PCN is a primary care network of 7 GP practices with 59,513 registered patients (September 2026). In the 2026 GP Patient Survey, 76% of its patients described their overall experience as good, against 77% across England. Its practices have 1,818 patients per qualified GP (England: 2,171).
Latest data: September 2026. Registered patients September 2026; GP Patient Survey 2026.
Across the 7 practices in Chester le Street PCN with survey results, the share of patients describing their overall experience as good ranges from 68% at Cestria Health Centre to 93% at The Surgery - Great Lumley, with a median of 78% (England: 77%). 1 is above England and 0 below by more than the survey's margin of error. The Surgery - Great Lumley has the highest share finding it easy to get through by phone (87%, England 57%).
| Practice | Registered patients | Overall experience good | Easy to contact by phone | CQC rating | Patients per GP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Surgery - Great Lumley | 5,287 | 93% | 87% | Outstanding | 1,652 |
| Gardiner Crescent Surgery | 4,111 | 83% | 81% | Requires improvement | 2,202 |
| Middle Chare Medical Group | 9,178 | 79% | 35% | Good | 2,895 |
| Bridge End Surgery | 7,465 | 78% | 35% | Good | 1,329 |
| Sacriston Medical Centre | 10,538 | 75% | 53% | Good | 2,393 |
| The Surgery-Pelton | 10,411 | 72% | 51% | Good | 1,625 |
| Cestria Health Centre | 12,523 | 68% | 44% | Outstanding | 1,551 |
Results for the network as a whole, from 664 responses, against North East and North Cumbria and England.
| Survey question | Chester le Street PCN | North East and North Cumbria | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overall experience good | 76% | 80% | 77% |
| Easy to contact by phone | 50% | 62% | 57% |
| Easy to contact via the website | 47% | 59% | 58% |
| Easy to contact via the NHS App | 52% | 58% | 54% |
| Reception team helpful | 85% | 88% | 85% |
| Last contact good | 73% | 76% | 73% |
| Wait for appointment about right | 72% | 72% | 69% |
| Listened to well | 90% | 89% | 87% |
| Treated with care and concern | 91% | 88% | 86% |
| Confidence and trust in the clinician | 95% | 93% | 93% |
| Needs met | 92% | 91% | 90% |
There are 1,818 registered patients per full-time-equivalent qualified GP in Chester le Street PCN, fewer than England's 2,171 and North East and North Cumbria's 2,088. Practices recorded 576 appointments a month per 1,000 patients (England: 510), 73% of them face to face. 44% of appointments took place on the day they were booked (England: 45%).
24% of registered patients are aged 65 or over (England: 19%). Lists shrank by 0.8% over the year (England: shrank 1.1%).
| Measure | Chester le Street PCN | North East and North Cumbria | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Patients per qualified GP | 1,818 | 2,088 | 2,171 |
| Appointments per 1,000 patients a month | 576 | 550 | 510 |
| Face-to-face appointments | 73% | 68% | 63% |
| Same day as booked | 44% | 42% | 45% |
| Did not attend | 4% | 4% | 4% |
| Patients aged 65 or over | 24% | 22% | 19% |
Relative to England, the register furthest above England's rate at practices in Chester le Street PCN is osteoporosis (2.4% against 1.2%).
| Condition register | Age group | Chester le Street PCN (2024/25) | England | Patients on register |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| High blood pressure | All ages | 19.4% | 15.2% | 11,633 |
| Depression | 18+ yrs | 16.7% | 14.3% | 8,253 |
| Diabetes | 17+ yrs | 9.4% | 7.9% | 4,711 |
| Asthma | 6+ yrs | 8.2% | 6.6% | 4,680 |
| Chronic kidney disease | 18+ yrs | 5.7% | 4.6% | 2,806 |
| Cancer | All ages | 4.8% | 3.8% | 2,890 |
| Coronary heart disease | All ages | 4.1% | 3.0% | 2,474 |
| Stroke and TIA | All ages | 3.0% | 1.9% | 1,774 |
| Atrial fibrillation | All ages | 2.9% | 2.2% | 1,729 |
| COPD | All ages | 2.6% | 1.9% | 1,542 |
| Osteoporosis | 50+ yrs | 2.4% | 1.2% | 640 |
| Heart failure | All ages | 1.9% | 1.1% | 1,120 |
| Rheumatoid arthritis | 16+ yrs | 1.1% | 0.8% | 534 |
| Serious mental illness | All ages | 1.0% | 1.0% | 599 |
| Peripheral arterial disease | All ages | 0.9% | 0.6% | 553 |
| Epilepsy | 18+ yrs | 0.9% | 0.8% | 452 |
| Dementia | All ages | 0.8% | 0.8% | 483 |
| Learning disability | All ages | 0.6% | 0.6% | 375 |
| Palliative care | All ages | 0.6% | 0.6% | 357 |
- Bishop Auckland PCN (3 practices)
- Derwentside PCN (12 practices)
- Durham Coast PCN (4 practices)
- Durham East PCN (5 practices)
- Durham West PCN (3 practices)
- Easington Central PCN (3 practices)
- North Easington PCN (5 practices)
- Sedgefield 1 PCN (4 practices)
- Sedgefield North PCN (5 practices)
- Teesdale PCN (6 practices)
- Wear Valley PCN (3 practices)
Which practices are in Chester le Street PCN?
Bridge End Surgery, Cestria Health Centre, Gardiner Crescent Surgery, Middle Chare Medical Group, Sacriston Medical Centre, The Surgery - Great Lumley and The Surgery-Pelton.
How do patients rate Chester le Street PCN?
76% described their overall experience as good in the 2026 GP Patient Survey, against 77% across England.
How many patients does Chester le Street PCN cover?
59,513 registered patients across 7 practices in September 2026.
How many patients per GP does Chester le Street PCN have?
1,818 per full-time-equivalent qualified GP, against 2,171 across England.