Newcastle East PCN: primary care network practices and patient survey
Newcastle East PCN is a primary care network of 7 GP practices with 84,377 registered patients (September 2026). In the 2026 GP Patient Survey, 80% of its patients described their overall experience as good, against 77% across England. Its practices have 2,104 patients per qualified GP (England: 2,171).
Latest data: September 2026. Registered patients September 2026; GP Patient Survey 2026.
Across the 7 practices in Newcastle East PCN with survey results, the share of patients describing their overall experience as good ranges from 73% at Newcastle Medical Centre to 86% at Benfield Park Medical Group, with a median of 82% (England: 77%). 1 is above England and 0 below by more than the survey's margin of error. Biddlestone Health Group has the highest share finding it easy to get through by phone (78%, England 57%).
| Practice | Registered patients | Overall experience good | Easy to contact by phone | CQC rating | Patients per GP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Benfield Park Medical Group | 10,256 | 86% | 52% | Good | 1,740 |
| Biddlestone Health Group | 10,475 | 83% | 78% | Good | 2,264 |
| Walker Medical Group | 10,548 | 83% | 65% | Good | 1,626 |
| St Anthony's Health Centre | 6,574 | 82% | 66% | Good | 1,575 |
| Thornfield Medical Group | 19,461 | 80% | 62% | Outstanding | 1,985 |
| Heaton Road Surgery | 6,878 | 78% | 59% | Good | 1,567 |
| Newcastle Medical Centre | 20,185 | 73% | 53% | Good | 4,267 |
Results for the network as a whole, from 692 responses, against North East and North Cumbria and England.
| Survey question | Newcastle East PCN | North East and North Cumbria | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overall experience good | 80% | 80% | 77% |
| Easy to contact by phone | 61% | 62% | 57% |
| Easy to contact via the website | 70% | 59% | 58% |
| Easy to contact via the NHS App | 57% | 58% | 54% |
| Reception team helpful | 89% | 88% | 85% |
| Last contact good | 75% | 76% | 73% |
| Wait for appointment about right | 80% | 72% | 69% |
| Listened to well | 89% | 89% | 87% |
| Treated with care and concern | 88% | 88% | 86% |
| Confidence and trust in the clinician | 94% | 93% | 93% |
| Needs met | 90% | 91% | 90% |
There are 2,104 registered patients per full-time-equivalent qualified GP in Newcastle East PCN, close to England's 2,171 and North East and North Cumbria's 2,088. Practices recorded 602 appointments a month per 1,000 patients (England: 510), 50% of them face to face. 52% of appointments took place on the day they were booked (England: 45%).
12% of registered patients are aged 65 or over (England: 19%). Lists shrank by 2.4% over the year (England: shrank 1.1%).
| Measure | Newcastle East PCN | North East and North Cumbria | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Patients per qualified GP | 2,104 | 2,088 | 2,171 |
| Appointments per 1,000 patients a month | 602 | 550 | 510 |
| Face-to-face appointments | 50% | 68% | 63% |
| Same day as booked | 52% | 42% | 45% |
| Did not attend | 4% | 4% | 4% |
| Patients aged 65 or over | 12% | 22% | 19% |
Relative to England, the register furthest above England's rate at practices in Newcastle East PCN is learning disability (0.8% against 0.6%), and the furthest below is cancer (2.4% against 3.8%).
| Condition register | Age group | Newcastle East PCN (2024/25) | England | Patients on register |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Depression | 18+ yrs | 12.8% | 14.3% | 9,706 |
| High blood pressure | All ages | 11.9% | 15.2% | 10,442 |
| Diabetes | 17+ yrs | 6.0% | 7.9% | 4,614 |
| Asthma | 6+ yrs | 5.7% | 6.6% | 4,773 |
| Chronic kidney disease | 18+ yrs | 3.7% | 4.6% | 2,774 |
| Cancer | All ages | 2.4% | 3.8% | 2,066 |
| Coronary heart disease | All ages | 2.3% | 3.0% | 1,996 |
| COPD | All ages | 2.2% | 1.9% | 1,968 |
| Stroke and TIA | All ages | 1.6% | 1.9% | 1,367 |
| Atrial fibrillation | All ages | 1.4% | 2.2% | 1,240 |
| Serious mental illness | All ages | 1.1% | 1.0% | 967 |
| Heart failure | All ages | 0.9% | 1.1% | 761 |
| Osteoporosis | 50+ yrs | 0.8% | 1.2% | 172 |
| Learning disability | All ages | 0.8% | 0.6% | 730 |
| Peripheral arterial disease | All ages | 0.7% | 0.6% | 648 |
| Epilepsy | 18+ yrs | 0.7% | 0.8% | 545 |
| Rheumatoid arthritis | 16+ yrs | 0.6% | 0.8% | 442 |
| Dementia | All ages | 0.6% | 0.8% | 484 |
| Palliative care | All ages | 0.4% | 0.6% | 376 |
- Jesmond - Lower Gosforth PCN (3 practices)
- Newcastle Inner West PCN (5 practices)
- Newcastle Outer West PCN (6 practices)
- North Gosforth PCN (3 practices)
- North Tyneside North West PCN (7 practices)
- West End Family Health PCN (3 practices)
Which practices are in Newcastle East PCN?
Benfield Park Medical Group, Biddlestone Health Group, Heaton Road Surgery, Newcastle Medical Centre, St Anthony's Health Centre, Thornfield Medical Group and Walker Medical Group.
How do patients rate Newcastle East PCN?
80% described their overall experience as good in the 2026 GP Patient Survey, against 77% across England.
How many patients does Newcastle East PCN cover?
84,377 registered patients across 7 practices in September 2026.
How many patients per GP does Newcastle East PCN have?
2,104 per full-time-equivalent qualified GP, against 2,171 across England.