Durham East PCN: primary care network practices and patient survey
Durham East PCN is a primary care network of 5 GP practices with 29,246 registered patients (September 2026). In the 2026 GP Patient Survey, 84% of its patients described their overall experience as good, above the England figure of 77%. Its practices have 3,168 patients per qualified GP (England: 2,171).
Latest data: September 2026. Registered patients September 2026; GP Patient Survey 2026.
Across the 5 practices in Durham East PCN with survey results, the share of patients describing their overall experience as good ranges from 79% at Bowburn Medical Centre to 91% at Cheveley Park Medical Centre, with a median of 81% (England: 77%). 2 are above England and 0 below by more than the survey's margin of error. West Rainton Surgery has the highest share finding it easy to get through by phone (90%, England 57%).
| Practice | Registered patients | Overall experience good | Easy to contact by phone | CQC rating | Patients per GP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cheveley Park Medical Centre | 5,163 | 91% | 70% | – | 3,227 |
| West Rainton Surgery | 5,561 | 89% | 90% | Good | 4,233 |
| Belmont & Sherburn Medical Group | 6,361 | 81% | 61% | Good | 8,155 |
| Coxhoe Medical Practice | 7,642 | 80% | 66% | Good | 1,613 |
| Bowburn Medical Centre | 4,519 | 79% | 64% | Good | 5,649 |
Results for the network as a whole, from 494 responses, against North East and North Cumbria and England.
| Survey question | Durham East PCN | North East and North Cumbria | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overall experience good | 84% | 80% | 77% |
| Easy to contact by phone | 70% | 62% | 57% |
| Easy to contact via the website | 60% | 59% | 58% |
| Easy to contact via the NHS App | 64% | 58% | 54% |
| Reception team helpful | 93% | 88% | 85% |
| Last contact good | 81% | 76% | 73% |
| Wait for appointment about right | 77% | 72% | 69% |
| Listened to well | 92% | 89% | 87% |
| Treated with care and concern | 91% | 88% | 86% |
| Confidence and trust in the clinician | 95% | 93% | 93% |
| Needs met | 94% | 91% | 90% |
There are 3,168 registered patients per full-time-equivalent qualified GP in Durham East PCN, more than England's 2,171 and North East and North Cumbria's 2,088. Practices recorded 661 appointments a month per 1,000 patients (England: 510), 66% of them face to face. 44% 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 | Durham East PCN | North East and North Cumbria | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Patients per qualified GP | 3,168 | 2,088 | 2,171 |
| Appointments per 1,000 patients a month | 661 | 550 | 510 |
| Face-to-face appointments | 66% | 68% | 63% |
| Same day as booked | 44% | 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 Durham East PCN is rheumatoid arthritis (1.1% against 0.8%), and the furthest below is osteoporosis (0.5% against 1.2%).
| Condition register | Age group | Durham East PCN (2024/25) | England | Patients on register |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| High blood pressure | All ages | 18.6% | 15.2% | 5,374 |
| Depression | 18+ yrs | 16.8% | 14.3% | 3,950 |
| Diabetes | 17+ yrs | 9.4% | 7.9% | 2,237 |
| Asthma | 6+ yrs | 7.8% | 6.6% | 2,134 |
| Cancer | All ages | 4.4% | 3.8% | 1,284 |
| Coronary heart disease | All ages | 3.8% | 3.0% | 1,107 |
| Chronic kidney disease | 18+ yrs | 3.7% | 4.6% | 872 |
| Atrial fibrillation | All ages | 2.6% | 2.2% | 760 |
| Stroke and TIA | All ages | 2.5% | 1.9% | 726 |
| COPD | All ages | 2.3% | 1.9% | 676 |
| Heart failure | All ages | 1.3% | 1.1% | 389 |
| Rheumatoid arthritis | 16+ yrs | 1.1% | 0.8% | 258 |
| Serious mental illness | All ages | 1.0% | 1.0% | 287 |
| Dementia | All ages | 0.8% | 0.8% | 244 |
| Epilepsy | 18+ yrs | 0.8% | 0.8% | 182 |
| Peripheral arterial disease | All ages | 0.7% | 0.6% | 195 |
| Osteoporosis | 50+ yrs | 0.5% | 1.2% | 61 |
| Learning disability | All ages | 0.5% | 0.6% | 142 |
| Palliative care | All ages | 0.5% | 0.6% | 132 |
- Bishop Auckland PCN (3 practices)
- Chester le Street PCN (7 practices)
- Derwentside PCN (12 practices)
- Durham Coast PCN (4 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 Durham East PCN?
Belmont & Sherburn Medical Group, Bowburn Medical Centre, Cheveley Park Medical Centre, Coxhoe Medical Practice and West Rainton Surgery.
How do patients rate Durham East PCN?
84% described their overall experience as good in the 2026 GP Patient Survey, above the England figure of 77%.
How many patients does Durham East PCN cover?
29,246 registered patients across 5 practices in September 2026.
How many patients per GP does Durham East PCN have?
3,168 per full-time-equivalent qualified GP, against 2,171 across England.