Marlborough Surgery, Seaham: patient reviews and CQC rating
Marlborough Surgery is a GP practice in Seaham with 11,555 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% (North East and North Cumbria: 80%). The Care Quality Commission rates it Good overall, in a report published in April 2016. It has 4.5 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs, or 2,564 patients per GP.
Latest data: September 2026. Patient survey 2026; registered patients September 2026; appointments to August 2026.
What patients say about Marlborough Surgery
Its best result against England is the share who found it easy to contact the practice using the NHS App: 82%, above the England figure of 54%. Its result closest to England is the share who said the healthcare professional was good at listening to them: 89%, against 87% across England. Of the 11 results in the table, 5 are above England and 0 below by more than the survey's margin of error, and 6 within it.
On overall experience it is 2nd of the 4 practices in Seaham with 50 or more responses. 69% found it easy to get through by phone (England: 57%). The overall experience result is 4 points lower than in 2025 (90%). 136 patients answered the survey (response rate 29%).
| Survey question | Marlborough Surgery | North East and North Cumbria | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overall experience good | 86% | 80% | 77% |
| Easy to contact by phone | 69% | 62% | 57% |
| Easy to contact via the website | 81% | 59% | 58% |
| Easy to contact via the NHS App | 82% | 58% | 54% |
| Reception team helpful | 91% | 88% | 85% |
| Last contact good | 86% | 76% | 73% |
| Wait for appointment about right | 71% | 72% | 69% |
| Listened to well | 89% | 89% | 87% |
| Treated with care and concern | 88% | 88% | 86% |
| Confidence and trust in the clinician | 97% | 93% | 93% |
| Needs met | 94% | 91% | 90% |
In the Friends and Family Test for July 2026, 81% of 145 responses rated the practice good or very good (England: 92%).
CQC's overall rating for Marlborough Surgery is Good, published in April 2016. All 5 key questions are rated Good.
| Key question | Rating |
|---|---|
| Safe | Good |
| Well-led | Good |
| Caring | Good |
| Responsive | Good |
| Effective | Good |
11,555 patients were registered at Marlborough Surgery in September 2026, up 0.7% on a year earlier (England: down 1.1%).
22% of its patients are aged 65 or over, against 19% across England. With 4.5 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs, there are 2,564 patients per GP, more than the England figure of 2,171 and North East and North Cumbria's 2,088. The practice also has 5.7 nurses and 9.3 other clinical staff such as pharmacists and physiotherapists (full-time equivalent).
| Year | Qualified GPs (FTE) | All GPs incl. trainees (FTE) |
|---|---|---|
| August 2023 | 5.2 | 10.5 |
| August 2024 | 4.3 | 10.1 |
| August 2025 | 4.5 | 11.8 |
| August 2026 | 4.5 | 11.5 |
From June 2026 to August 2026 the practice recorded 7,310 appointments a month, or 633 per 1,000 registered patients (England: 510). 69% were face to face (England: 63%). 34% took place on the day they were booked and 0% more than 28 days after booking (England: 45% and 5%).
36% were with a GP rather than another member of the practice team. 5% of booked patients did not attend.
| Measure | Marlborough Surgery | North East and North Cumbria | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Appointments per 1,000 patients a month | 633 | 550 | 510 |
| Face to face | 69% | 68% | 63% |
| Same day as booked | 34% | 42% | 45% |
| More than 28 days after booking | 0% | 6% | 5% |
| Did not attend | 5% | 4% | 4% |
Compared with England, the practice has a higher share of patients on its registers for palliative or supportive care needs (1.2% against 0.6%), a learning disability (1.3% against 0.6%) and dementia (1.5% against 0.8%). It has a lower share for osteoporosis (0.6% against 1.2%). The practice's patients live in areas with an average deprivation score of 31.7 (England: 21.8; higher is more deprived).
Life expectancy for its patients' neighbourhoods is 79.8 years for women and 75.2 for men (England: 83.0 and 79.1).
| Condition register | Age group | Practice (2024/25) | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| High blood pressure | All ages | 21.8% | 15.2% |
| Depression | 18+ yrs | 16.5% | 14.3% |
| Diabetes | 17+ yrs | 9.8% | 7.9% |
| Asthma | 6+ yrs | 8.6% | 6.6% |
| Chronic kidney disease | 18+ yrs | 7.3% | 4.6% |
| Cancer | All ages | 5.3% | 3.8% |
| Coronary heart disease | All ages | 4.6% | 3.0% |
| COPD | All ages | 3.5% | 1.9% |
| Atrial fibrillation | All ages | 2.9% | 2.2% |
| Stroke and TIA | All ages | 2.4% | 1.9% |
| Dementia | All ages | 1.5% | 0.8% |
| Epilepsy | 18+ yrs | 1.4% | 0.8% |
| Learning disability | All ages | 1.3% | 0.6% |
| Heart failure | All ages | 1.2% | 1.1% |
| Palliative care | All ages | 1.2% | 0.6% |
| Serious mental illness | All ages | 1.1% | 1.0% |
| Peripheral arterial disease | All ages | 0.9% | 0.6% |
| Osteoporosis | 50+ yrs | 0.6% | 1.2% |
| Rheumatoid arthritis | 16+ yrs | 0.6% | 0.8% |
| Screening coverage | Period | Practice | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bowel cancer screening (aged 60 to 74) | 2024/25 | 77.3% | 72.9% |
| Breast cancer screening (women aged 53 to 70) | 2024/25 | 75.9% | 72.2% |
| Cervical screening (women aged 25 to 49) | 2023/24 | 75.3% | 67.5% |
| Cervical screening (women aged 50 to 64) | 2023/24 | 74.2% | 74.9% |
97% of the practice's patients live in the SR7 postcode district. 98% live in County Durham, the council area the practice is in.
| Postcode district | Registered patients | Share |
|---|---|---|
| SR7 | 11,234 | 97% |
Marlborough Surgery, Seaham Primary Care Centre, St Johns Square, Seaham, SR7 7JE. Phone: 0191 581 2866. Website: www.marlboroughsurgery.co.uk.
| Nearby practice | Distance | Overall experience good |
|---|---|---|
| Byron Medical Practice | 0.9 km | 81% |
| New Seaham Medical Group | 1.9 km | 78% |
| Murton Medical Group | 3.7 km | 93% |
| Southlands Medical Group | 4.5 km | 96% |
| Village Surgery | 6.0 km | 92% |
- Byron Medical Practice (81% overall experience good)
- Murton Medical Group (93% overall experience good)
- New Seaham Medical Group (78% overall experience good)
- Silverdale Family Practice (96% overall experience good)
How do patients rate Marlborough Surgery?
In the 2026 GP Patient Survey, 86% of patients described their overall experience of Marlborough Surgery as good, above the England figure of 77%. 69% found it easy to get through by phone.
How many patients are registered at Marlborough Surgery?
11,555 patients were registered in September 2026, up 0.7% on a year earlier.
What is Marlborough Surgery's CQC rating?
Good overall, published in April 2016.
How many GPs does Marlborough Surgery have?
4.5 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs (6 qualified GPs by headcount), which is 2,564 patients per GP against 2,171 across England.
Are appointments at Marlborough Surgery face to face?
69% of appointments from June 2026 to August 2026 were face to face, against 63% across England.
What is Marlborough Surgery's phone number?
0191 581 2866.