Wear Valley PCN: primary care network practices and patient survey
Wear Valley PCN is a primary care network of 3 GP practices with 29,809 registered patients (September 2026). In the 2026 GP Patient Survey, 81% of its patients described their overall experience as good, against 77% across England. Its practices have 1,620 patients per qualified GP (England: 2,171).
Latest data: September 2026. Registered patients September 2026; GP Patient Survey 2026.
Across the 3 practices in Wear Valley PCN with survey results, the share of patients describing their overall experience as good ranges from 75% at North House Surgery to 87% at Willington Medical Group, with a median of 84% (England: 77%). 1 is above England and 0 below by more than the survey's margin of error. Willington Medical Group has the highest share finding it easy to get through by phone (71%, England 57%).
| Practice | Registered patients | Overall experience good | Easy to contact by phone | CQC rating | Patients per GP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Willington Medical Group | 9,136 | 87% | 71% | Good | 1,779 |
| The Weardale Practice | 7,112 | 84% | 48% | Good | 1,467 |
| North House Surgery | 13,561 | 75% | 44% | Good | 1,611 |
Results for the network as a whole, from 314 responses, against North East and North Cumbria and England.
| Survey question | Wear Valley PCN | North East and North Cumbria | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overall experience good | 81% | 80% | 77% |
| Easy to contact by phone | 53% | 62% | 57% |
| Easy to contact via the website | 54% | 59% | 58% |
| Easy to contact via the NHS App | 48% | 58% | 54% |
| Reception team helpful | 88% | 88% | 85% |
| Last contact good | 69% | 76% | 73% |
| Wait for appointment about right | 64% | 72% | 69% |
| Listened to well | 92% | 89% | 87% |
| Treated with care and concern | 89% | 88% | 86% |
| Confidence and trust in the clinician | 95% | 93% | 93% |
| Needs met | 91% | 91% | 90% |
There are 1,620 registered patients per full-time-equivalent qualified GP in Wear Valley PCN, fewer than 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), 79% of them face to face. 41% of appointments took place on the day they were booked (England: 45%).
26% of registered patients are aged 65 or over (England: 19%). Lists shrank by 0.2% over the year (England: shrank 1.1%).
| Measure | Wear Valley PCN | North East and North Cumbria | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Patients per qualified GP | 1,620 | 2,088 | 2,171 |
| Appointments per 1,000 patients a month | 602 | 550 | 510 |
| Face-to-face appointments | 79% | 68% | 63% |
| Same day as booked | 41% | 42% | 45% |
| Did not attend | 3% | 4% | 4% |
| Patients aged 65 or over | 26% | 22% | 19% |
Relative to England, the register furthest above England's rate at practices in Wear Valley PCN is heart failure (2.4% against 1.1%).
| Condition register | Age group | Wear Valley PCN (2024/25) | England | Patients on register |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| High blood pressure | All ages | 23.3% | 15.2% | 6,958 |
| Depression | 18+ yrs | 19.4% | 14.3% | 4,787 |
| Diabetes | 17+ yrs | 10.7% | 7.9% | 2,685 |
| Asthma | 6+ yrs | 9.0% | 6.6% | 2,561 |
| Cancer | All ages | 5.6% | 3.8% | 1,664 |
| Chronic kidney disease | 18+ yrs | 5.2% | 4.6% | 1,287 |
| Coronary heart disease | All ages | 4.7% | 3.0% | 1,411 |
| COPD | All ages | 3.8% | 1.9% | 1,137 |
| Atrial fibrillation | All ages | 3.3% | 2.2% | 988 |
| Stroke and TIA | All ages | 3.2% | 1.9% | 951 |
| Heart failure | All ages | 2.4% | 1.1% | 722 |
| Palliative care | All ages | 1.2% | 0.6% | 362 |
| Osteoporosis | 50+ yrs | 1.2% | 1.2% | 172 |
| Serious mental illness | All ages | 1.2% | 1.0% | 351 |
| Dementia | All ages | 1.1% | 0.8% | 316 |
| Rheumatoid arthritis | 16+ yrs | 1.0% | 0.8% | 266 |
| Peripheral arterial disease | All ages | 1.0% | 0.6% | 313 |
| Epilepsy | 18+ yrs | 1.0% | 0.8% | 250 |
| Learning disability | All ages | 1.0% | 0.6% | 301 |
- Bishop Auckland PCN (3 practices)
- Chester le Street PCN (7 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)
Which practices are in Wear Valley PCN?
North House Surgery, The Weardale Practice and Willington Medical Group.
How do patients rate Wear Valley PCN?
81% described their overall experience as good in the 2026 GP Patient Survey, against 77% across England.
How many patients does Wear Valley PCN cover?
29,809 registered patients across 3 practices in September 2026.
How many patients per GP does Wear Valley PCN have?
1,620 per full-time-equivalent qualified GP, against 2,171 across England.