New Seaham Medical Group, Seaham: patient reviews and CQC rating
New Seaham Medical Group is a GP practice in Seaham with 4,619 registered patients (September 2026). In the 2026 GP Patient Survey, 78% of its patients described their overall experience as good, against 77% across England (North East and North Cumbria: 80%). The Care Quality Commission rates it Good overall, in a report published in January 2023. It has 1.4 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs, or 3,337 patients per GP.
Latest data: September 2026. Patient survey 2026; registered patients September 2026; appointments to August 2026.
What patients say about New Seaham Medical Group
Its best result against England is the share who found it easy to get through to the practice by phone: 74%, above the England figure of 57%. Its weakest is the share who said their needs were met at their last appointment: 85%, against 90% across England. Of the 11 results in the table, 1 is above England and 0 below by more than the survey's margin of error, and 10 within it.
On overall experience it is 4th of the 4 practices in Seaham with 50 or more responses. 74% found it easy to get through by phone (England: 57%). The overall experience result is 6 points lower than in 2025 (84%). 96 patients answered the survey (response rate 22%).
| Survey question | New Seaham Medical Group | North East and North Cumbria | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overall experience good | 78% | 80% | 77% |
| Easy to contact by phone | 74% | 62% | 57% |
| Easy to contact via the website | 62% | 59% | 58% |
| Easy to contact via the NHS App | 60% | 58% | 54% |
| Reception team helpful | 89% | 88% | 85% |
| Last contact good | 80% | 76% | 73% |
| Wait for appointment about right | 67% | 72% | 69% |
| Listened to well | 83% | 89% | 87% |
| Treated with care and concern | 85% | 88% | 86% |
| Confidence and trust in the clinician | 88% | 93% | 93% |
| Needs met | 85% | 91% | 90% |
In the Friends and Family Test for July 2026, 89% of 160 responses rated the practice good or very good (England: 92%).
CQC's overall rating for New Seaham Medical Group is Good, published in January 2023. All 5 key questions are rated Good. It held the same rating in the report before (March 2016).
| Key question | Rating |
|---|---|
| Safe | Good |
| Well-led | Good |
| Caring | Good |
| Responsive | Good |
| Effective | Good |
4,619 patients were registered at New Seaham Medical Group in September 2026, down 1.6% on a year earlier (England: down 1.1%).
20% of its patients are aged 65 or over, against 19% across England. With 1.4 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs, there are 3,337 patients per GP, more than the England figure of 2,171 and North East and North Cumbria's 2,088. The practice also has 1.0 nurses and 1.5 other clinical staff such as pharmacists and physiotherapists (full-time equivalent).
| Year | Qualified GPs (FTE) | All GPs incl. trainees (FTE) |
|---|---|---|
| August 2023 | 0.7 | 0.7 |
| August 2024 | 0.7 | 0.7 |
| August 2025 | 0.7 | 0.7 |
| August 2026 | 1.4 | 2.2 |
From June 2026 to August 2026 the practice recorded 2,964 appointments a month, or 642 per 1,000 registered patients (England: 510). 89% were face to face (England: 63%). 30% took place on the day they were booked and 8% more than 28 days after booking (England: 45% and 5%).
25% were with a GP rather than another member of the practice team. 6% of booked patients did not attend.
| Measure | New Seaham Medical Group | North East and North Cumbria | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Appointments per 1,000 patients a month | 642 | 550 | 510 |
| Face to face | 89% | 68% | 63% |
| Same day as booked | 30% | 42% | 45% |
| More than 28 days after booking | 8% | 6% | 5% |
| Did not attend | 6% | 4% | 4% |
Compared with England, the practice has a higher share of patients on its registers for palliative or supportive care needs (1.4% against 0.6%), COPD (3.0% against 1.9%) and chronic kidney disease (7.4% against 4.6%). The practice's patients live in areas with an average deprivation score of 30.8 (England: 21.8; higher is more deprived). Life expectancy for its patients' neighbourhoods is 79.9 years for women and 75.6 for men (England: 83.0 and 79.1).
| Condition register | Age group | Practice (2024/25) | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| High blood pressure | All ages | 18.4% | 15.2% |
| Depression | 18+ yrs | 15.3% | 14.3% |
| Diabetes | 17+ yrs | 10.1% | 7.9% |
| Asthma | 6+ yrs | 7.8% | 6.6% |
| Chronic kidney disease | 18+ yrs | 7.4% | 4.6% |
| Coronary heart disease | All ages | 4.4% | 3.0% |
| Cancer | All ages | 4.2% | 3.8% |
| COPD | All ages | 3.0% | 1.9% |
| Stroke and TIA | All ages | 2.1% | 1.9% |
| Atrial fibrillation | All ages | 2.0% | 2.2% |
| Heart failure | All ages | 1.5% | 1.1% |
| Palliative care | All ages | 1.4% | 0.6% |
| Epilepsy | 18+ yrs | 1.2% | 0.8% |
| Osteoporosis | 50+ yrs | 1.2% | 1.2% |
| Serious mental illness | All ages | 1.0% | 1.0% |
| Learning disability | All ages | 0.9% | 0.6% |
| Rheumatoid arthritis | 16+ yrs | 0.8% | 0.8% |
| Peripheral arterial disease | All ages | 0.7% | 0.6% |
| Dementia | All ages | 0.6% | 0.8% |
| Screening coverage | Period | Practice | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bowel cancer screening (aged 60 to 74) | 2024/25 | 78.9% | 72.9% |
| Breast cancer screening (women aged 53 to 70) | 2024/25 | 76.7% | 72.2% |
| Cervical screening (women aged 25 to 49) | 2023/24 | 76.8% | 67.5% |
| Cervical screening (women aged 50 to 64) | 2023/24 | 73.7% | 74.9% |
98% of the practice's patients live in the SR7 postcode district. 99% live in County Durham, the council area the practice is in.
| Postcode district | Registered patients | Share |
|---|---|---|
| SR7 | 4,560 | 98% |
New Seaham Medical Group, Eastdene Road, Seaham, SR7 8DY. Phone: 0191 581 7661. Website: www.newseahammedicalgroup.co.uk.
| Nearby practice | Distance | Overall experience good |
|---|---|---|
| Byron Medical Practice | 1.1 km | 81% |
| Marlborough Surgery | 1.9 km | 86% |
| Murton Medical Group | 2.3 km | 93% |
| Southlands Medical Group | 4.1 km | 96% |
| Silverdale Family Practice | 4.8 km | 96% |
- Byron Medical Practice (81% overall experience good)
- Marlborough Surgery (86% overall experience good)
- Murton Medical Group (93% overall experience good)
- Silverdale Family Practice (96% overall experience good)
How do patients rate New Seaham Medical Group?
In the 2026 GP Patient Survey, 78% of patients described their overall experience of New Seaham Medical Group as good, against 77% across England. 74% found it easy to get through by phone.
How many patients are registered at New Seaham Medical Group?
4,619 patients were registered in September 2026, down 1.6% on a year earlier.
What is New Seaham Medical Group's CQC rating?
Good overall, published in January 2023.
How many GPs does New Seaham Medical Group have?
1.4 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs (4 qualified GPs by headcount), which is 3,337 patients per GP against 2,171 across England.
Are appointments at New Seaham Medical Group face to face?
89% of appointments from June 2026 to August 2026 were face to face, against 63% across England.
What is New Seaham Medical Group's phone number?
0191 581 7661.