Coalfields PCN: primary care network practices and patient survey
Coalfields PCN is a primary care network of 6 GP practices with 52,925 registered patients (September 2026). In the 2026 GP Patient Survey, 86% of its patients described their overall experience as good, above the England figure of 77%. Its practices have 1,867 patients per qualified GP (England: 2,171).
Latest data: September 2026. Registered patients September 2026; GP Patient Survey 2026.
Across the 6 practices in Coalfields PCN with survey results, the share of patients describing their overall experience as good ranges from 85% at Westbourne Medical Group to 89% at Houghton Medical Group, with a median of 85% (England: 77%). 6 are above England and 0 below by more than the survey's margin of error. Herrington Medical Centre has the highest share finding it easy to get through by phone (88%, England 57%).
| Practice | Registered patients | Overall experience good | Easy to contact by phone | CQC rating | Patients per GP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Houghton Medical Group | 8,352 | 89% | 72% | Good | 1,714 |
| Herrington Medical Centre | 9,969 | 88% | 88% | Outstanding | 2,334 |
| Kepier Medical Practice | 8,514 | 86% | 76% | Good | 2,071 |
| Hetton Group Practice | 11,933 | 85% | 66% | Good | 1,912 |
| Grangewood Surgery | 7,549 | 85% | 85% | Good | 1,473 |
| Westbourne Medical Group | 6,608 | 85% | 81% | Outstanding | 1,770 |
Results for the network as a whole, from 638 responses, against North East and North Cumbria and England.
| Survey question | Coalfields PCN | North East and North Cumbria | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overall experience good | 86% | 80% | 77% |
| Easy to contact by phone | 77% | 62% | 57% |
| Easy to contact via the website | 56% | 59% | 58% |
| Easy to contact via the NHS App | 67% | 58% | 54% |
| Reception team helpful | 93% | 88% | 85% |
| Last contact good | 82% | 76% | 73% |
| Wait for appointment about right | 82% | 72% | 69% |
| Listened to well | 92% | 89% | 87% |
| Treated with care and concern | 89% | 88% | 86% |
| Confidence and trust in the clinician | 93% | 93% | 93% |
| Needs met | 93% | 91% | 90% |
There are 1,867 registered patients per full-time-equivalent qualified GP in Coalfields PCN, fewer than England's 2,171 and North East and North Cumbria's 2,088. Practices recorded 484 appointments a month per 1,000 patients (England: 510), 70% of them face to face. 48% of appointments took place on the day they were booked (England: 45%).
22% of registered patients are aged 65 or over (England: 19%). Lists grew by 0.4% over the year (England: shrank 1.1%).
| Measure | Coalfields PCN | North East and North Cumbria | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Patients per qualified GP | 1,867 | 2,088 | 2,171 |
| Appointments per 1,000 patients a month | 484 | 550 | 510 |
| Face-to-face appointments | 70% | 68% | 63% |
| Same day as booked | 48% | 42% | 45% |
| Did not attend | 4% | 4% | 4% |
| Patients aged 65 or over | 22% | 22% | 19% |
Relative to England, the register furthest above England's rate at practices in Coalfields PCN is learning disability (1.1% against 0.6%), and the furthest below is osteoporosis (1.0% against 1.2%).
| Condition register | Age group | Coalfields PCN (2024/25) | England | Patients on register |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| High blood pressure | All ages | 20.2% | 15.2% | 10,583 |
| Depression | 18+ yrs | 19.0% | 14.3% | 8,032 |
| Diabetes | 17+ yrs | 9.5% | 7.9% | 4,081 |
| Asthma | 6+ yrs | 7.1% | 6.6% | 3,510 |
| Chronic kidney disease | 18+ yrs | 6.7% | 4.6% | 2,837 |
| Coronary heart disease | All ages | 4.7% | 3.0% | 2,473 |
| Cancer | All ages | 4.7% | 3.8% | 2,450 |
| COPD | All ages | 3.3% | 1.9% | 1,708 |
| Atrial fibrillation | All ages | 3.0% | 2.2% | 1,552 |
| Stroke and TIA | All ages | 2.5% | 1.9% | 1,336 |
| Epilepsy | 18+ yrs | 1.2% | 0.8% | 502 |
| Learning disability | All ages | 1.1% | 0.6% | 562 |
| Dementia | All ages | 1.1% | 0.8% | 552 |
| Osteoporosis | 50+ yrs | 1.0% | 1.2% | 226 |
| Heart failure | All ages | 1.0% | 1.1% | 528 |
| Serious mental illness | All ages | 0.9% | 1.0% | 474 |
| Peripheral arterial disease | All ages | 0.8% | 0.6% | 434 |
| Rheumatoid arthritis | 16+ yrs | 0.8% | 0.8% | 349 |
| Palliative care | All ages | 0.5% | 0.6% | 263 |
- Sunderland Central PCN (5 practices)
- Sunderland East PCN (7 practices)
- Sunderland North PCN (6 practices)
- Sunderland West 1 PCN (7 practices)
- Washington PCN (7 practices)
Which practices are in Coalfields PCN?
Grangewood Surgery, Herrington Medical Centre, Hetton Group Practice, Houghton Medical Group, Kepier Medical Practice and Westbourne Medical Group.
How do patients rate Coalfields PCN?
86% described their overall experience as good in the 2026 GP Patient Survey, above the England figure of 77%.
How many patients does Coalfields PCN cover?
52,925 registered patients across 6 practices in September 2026.
How many patients per GP does Coalfields PCN have?
1,867 per full-time-equivalent qualified GP, against 2,171 across England.