Central Surgery, South Shields: patient reviews and CQC rating
Central Surgery is a GP practice in South Shields with 19,359 registered patients (September 2026). In the 2026 GP Patient Survey, 72% 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 June 2016. It has 9.0 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs, or 2,156 patients per GP.
Latest data: September 2026. Patient survey 2026; registered patients September 2026; appointments to August 2026.
What patients say about Central Surgery
Its best result against England is the share who said the wait for their last appointment was about right: 73%, against 69% across England. Its weakest is the share who found it easy to get through to the practice by phone: 46%, below the England figure of 57%. Of the 11 results in the table, 0 are above England and 1 below by more than the survey's margin of error, and 10 within it.
On overall experience it is 10th of the 10 practices in South Shields with 50 or more responses. 46% found it easy to get through by phone (England: 57%). The overall experience result is 10 points lower than in 2025 (82%). 112 patients answered the survey (response rate 24%).
| Survey question | Central Surgery | North East and North Cumbria | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overall experience good | 72% | 80% | 77% |
| Easy to contact by phone | 46% | 62% | 57% |
| Easy to contact via the website | 51% | 59% | 58% |
| Easy to contact via the NHS App | 47% | 58% | 54% |
| Reception team helpful | 83% | 88% | 85% |
| Last contact good | 70% | 76% | 73% |
| Wait for appointment about right | 73% | 72% | 69% |
| Listened to well | 87% | 89% | 87% |
| Treated with care and concern | 87% | 88% | 86% |
| Confidence and trust in the clinician | 92% | 93% | 93% |
| Needs met | 90% | 91% | 90% |
CQC's overall rating for Central Surgery is Good, published in June 2016. All 5 key questions are rated Good.
| Key question | Rating |
|---|---|
| Safe | Good |
| Well-led | Good |
| Caring | Good |
| Responsive | Good |
| Effective | Good |
19,359 patients were registered at Central Surgery in September 2026, up 0.6% on a year earlier (England: down 1.1%).
20% of its patients are aged 65 or over, against 19% across England. With 9.0 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs, there are 2,156 patients per GP, close to the England figure of 2,171 and North East and North Cumbria's 2,088. The practice also has 6.1 nurses and 3.6 other clinical staff such as pharmacists and physiotherapists (full-time equivalent).
| Year | Qualified GPs (FTE) | All GPs incl. trainees (FTE) |
|---|---|---|
| August 2023 | 9.9 | 14.2 |
| August 2024 | 9.9 | 12.7 |
| August 2025 | 9.4 | 11.3 |
| August 2026 | 9.0 | 11.5 |
From June 2026 to August 2026 the practice recorded 9,996 appointments a month, or 516 per 1,000 registered patients (England: 510). 77% were face to face (England: 63%). 51% took place on the day they were booked and 3% more than 28 days after booking (England: 45% and 5%).
24% were with a GP rather than another member of the practice team. 5% of booked patients did not attend.
| Measure | Central Surgery | North East and North Cumbria | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Appointments per 1,000 patients a month | 516 | 550 | 510 |
| Face to face | 77% | 68% | 63% |
| Same day as booked | 51% | 42% | 45% |
| More than 28 days after booking | 3% | 6% | 5% |
| Did not attend | 5% | 4% | 4% |
Compared with England, the practice has a higher share of patients on its registers for COPD (3.1% against 1.9%), peripheral arterial disease (0.8% against 0.6%) and depression (18.7% against 14.3%). It has a lower share for osteoporosis (0.2% against 1.2%). The practice's patients live in areas with an average deprivation score of 32.0 (England: 21.8; higher is more deprived).
Life expectancy for its patients' neighbourhoods is 81.5 years for women and 77.4 for men (England: 83.0 and 79.1).
| Condition register | Age group | Practice (2024/25) | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Depression | 18+ yrs | 18.7% | 14.3% |
| High blood pressure | All ages | 14.9% | 15.2% |
| Diabetes | 17+ yrs | 8.5% | 7.9% |
| Asthma | 6+ yrs | 8.2% | 6.6% |
| Chronic kidney disease | 18+ yrs | 5.1% | 4.6% |
| Cancer | All ages | 4.1% | 3.8% |
| Coronary heart disease | All ages | 3.4% | 3.0% |
| COPD | All ages | 3.1% | 1.9% |
| Atrial fibrillation | All ages | 2.4% | 2.2% |
| Stroke and TIA | All ages | 1.9% | 1.9% |
| Serious mental illness | All ages | 1.3% | 1.0% |
| Heart failure | All ages | 1.0% | 1.1% |
| Rheumatoid arthritis | 16+ yrs | 1.0% | 0.8% |
| Epilepsy | 18+ yrs | 0.8% | 0.8% |
| Peripheral arterial disease | All ages | 0.8% | 0.6% |
| Learning disability | All ages | 0.7% | 0.6% |
| Dementia | All ages | 0.7% | 0.8% |
| Palliative care | All ages | 0.4% | 0.6% |
| Osteoporosis | 50+ yrs | 0.2% | 1.2% |
| Screening coverage | Period | Practice | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bowel cancer screening (aged 60 to 74) | 2024/25 | 72.0% | 72.9% |
| Breast cancer screening (women aged 53 to 70) | 2024/25 | 75.1% | 72.2% |
| Cervical screening (women aged 25 to 49) | 2023/24 | 74.4% | 67.5% |
| Cervical screening (women aged 50 to 64) | 2023/24 | 71.3% | 74.9% |
Central Surgery, Cleadon Park Primary Care Centre, Prince Edward Road, South Shields, NE34 8PS. Phone: 0191 455 4621. Website: www.centralsurgerysouthshields.nhs.uk.
| Nearby practice | Distance | Overall experience good |
|---|---|---|
| Marsden Road Health Centre | 1.4 km | 90% |
| Farnham Medical Centre | 1.5 km | 78% |
| Talbot Medical Centre | 1.7 km | 85% |
| West View Surgery | 1.8 km | 77% |
| Imeary Medical Group | 1.8 km | 89% |
- Colliery Court Medical Group (91% overall experience good)
- Dr Thorniley-Walker and Partners (75% overall experience good)
- Imeary Medical Group (89% overall experience good)
- Marsden Road Health Centre (90% overall experience good)
- Whitburn Surgery (57% overall experience good)
How do patients rate Central Surgery?
In the 2026 GP Patient Survey, 72% of patients described their overall experience of Central Surgery as good, against 77% across England. 46% found it easy to get through by phone.
How many patients are registered at Central Surgery?
19,359 patients were registered in September 2026, up 0.6% on a year earlier.
What is Central Surgery's CQC rating?
Good overall, published in June 2016.
How many GPs does Central Surgery have?
9.0 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs (13 qualified GPs by headcount), which is 2,156 patients per GP against 2,171 across England.
Are appointments at Central Surgery face to face?
77% of appointments from June 2026 to August 2026 were face to face, against 63% across England.
What is Central Surgery's phone number?
0191 455 4621.