Farnham Medical Centre, South Shields: patient reviews and CQC rating
Farnham Medical Centre is a GP practice in South Shields with 16,279 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 October 2016. It has 7.6 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs, or 2,153 patients per GP.
Latest data: September 2026. Patient survey 2026; registered patients September 2026; appointments to August 2026.
What patients say about Farnham Medical Centre
Its best result against England is the share who found it easy to contact the practice using the NHS App: 67%, against 54% across England. Its weakest is the share who found it easy to get through to the practice by phone: 48%, against 57% across England. 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 7th of the 10 practices in South Shields with 50 or more responses. 48% found it easy to get through by phone (England: 57%). The overall experience result is 6 points higher than in 2025 (72%). 123 patients answered the survey (response rate 23%).
| Survey question | Farnham Medical Centre | North East and North Cumbria | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overall experience good | 78% | 80% | 77% |
| Easy to contact by phone | 48% | 62% | 57% |
| Easy to contact via the website | 64% | 59% | 58% |
| Easy to contact via the NHS App | 67% | 58% | 54% |
| Reception team helpful | 76% | 88% | 85% |
| Last contact good | 71% | 76% | 73% |
| Wait for appointment about right | 68% | 72% | 69% |
| Listened to well | 86% | 89% | 87% |
| Treated with care and concern | 87% | 88% | 86% |
| Confidence and trust in the clinician | 93% | 93% | 93% |
| Needs met | 91% | 91% | 90% |
In the Friends and Family Test for July 2026, 88% of 236 responses rated the practice good or very good (England: 92%).
CQC's overall rating for Farnham Medical Centre is Good, published in October 2016. All 5 key questions are rated Good.
| Key question | Rating |
|---|---|
| Safe | Good |
| Well-led | Good |
| Caring | Good |
| Responsive | Good |
| Effective | Good |
16,279 patients were registered at Farnham Medical Centre in September 2026, down 2.8% on a year earlier (England: down 1.1%).
22% of its patients are aged 65 or over, against 19% across England. With 7.6 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs, there are 2,153 patients per GP, close to the England figure of 2,171 and North East and North Cumbria's 2,088. The practice also has 10.1 nurses and 1.9 other clinical staff such as pharmacists and physiotherapists (full-time equivalent).
| Year | Qualified GPs (FTE) | All GPs incl. trainees (FTE) |
|---|---|---|
| August 2023 | 5.6 | 9.8 |
| August 2024 | 5.0 | 11.2 |
| August 2025 | 6.0 | 10.1 |
| August 2026 | 7.6 | 13.7 |
From June 2026 to August 2026 the practice recorded 8,291 appointments a month, or 509 per 1,000 registered patients (England: 510). 68% were face to face (England: 63%). 42% took place on the day they were booked and 1% more than 28 days after booking (England: 45% and 5%).
40% were with a GP rather than another member of the practice team. 6% of booked patients did not attend.
| Measure | Farnham Medical Centre | North East and North Cumbria | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Appointments per 1,000 patients a month | 509 | 550 | 510 |
| Face to face | 68% | 68% | 63% |
| Same day as booked | 42% | 42% | 45% |
| More than 28 days after booking | 1% | 6% | 5% |
| Did not attend | 6% | 4% | 4% |
Compared with England, the practice has a higher share of patients on its registers for osteoporosis (3.5% against 1.2%), COPD (3.8% against 1.9%) and palliative or supportive care needs (1.1% against 0.6%). The practice's patients live in areas with an average deprivation score of 36.6 (England: 21.8; higher is more deprived). Life expectancy for its patients' neighbourhoods is 80.9 years for women and 76.4 for men (England: 83.0 and 79.1).
| Condition register | Age group | Practice (2024/25) | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| High blood pressure | All ages | 15.7% | 15.2% |
| Depression | 18+ yrs | 13.9% | 14.3% |
| Diabetes | 17+ yrs | 9.2% | 7.9% |
| Asthma | 6+ yrs | 7.4% | 6.6% |
| Chronic kidney disease | 18+ yrs | 5.2% | 4.6% |
| Cancer | All ages | 4.7% | 3.8% |
| Coronary heart disease | All ages | 4.2% | 3.0% |
| COPD | All ages | 3.8% | 1.9% |
| Osteoporosis | 50+ yrs | 3.5% | 1.2% |
| Atrial fibrillation | All ages | 2.8% | 2.2% |
| Stroke and TIA | All ages | 2.3% | 1.9% |
| Heart failure | All ages | 1.7% | 1.1% |
| Dementia | All ages | 1.3% | 0.8% |
| Palliative care | All ages | 1.1% | 0.6% |
| Epilepsy | 18+ yrs | 1.0% | 0.8% |
| Peripheral arterial disease | All ages | 1.0% | 0.6% |
| Serious mental illness | All ages | 1.0% | 1.0% |
| Learning disability | All ages | 0.8% | 0.6% |
| Rheumatoid arthritis | 16+ yrs | 0.8% | 0.8% |
| Screening coverage | Period | Practice | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bowel cancer screening (aged 60 to 74) | 2024/25 | 71.6% | 72.9% |
| Breast cancer screening (women aged 53 to 70) | 2024/25 | 72.9% | 72.2% |
| Cervical screening (women aged 25 to 49) | 2023/24 | 75.5% | 67.5% |
| Cervical screening (women aged 50 to 64) | 2023/24 | 74.5% | 74.9% |
Farnham Medical Centre, The Farnham Medical Centre, 435 Stanhope Road, South Shields, NE33 4QY. Phone: 0191 455 4748. Website: www.farnhammedicalcentre.nhs.uk.
| Nearby practice | Distance | Overall experience good |
|---|---|---|
| Talbot Medical Centre | 0.4 km | 85% |
| West View Surgery | 1.1 km | 77% |
| Imeary Medical Group | 1.1 km | 89% |
| Wenlock Road Surgery | 1.1 km | 74% |
| Trinity Medical Centre | 1.3 km | 79% |
- St Georges & Riverside Medical Group (82% overall experience good)
- Talbot Medical Centre (85% overall experience good)
- Trinity Medical Centre (79% overall experience good)
- Wenlock Road Surgery (74% overall experience good)
- West View Surgery (77% overall experience good)
How do patients rate Farnham Medical Centre?
In the 2026 GP Patient Survey, 78% of patients described their overall experience of Farnham Medical Centre as good, against 77% across England. 48% found it easy to get through by phone.
How many patients are registered at Farnham Medical Centre?
16,279 patients were registered in September 2026, down 2.8% on a year earlier.
What is Farnham Medical Centre's CQC rating?
Good overall, published in October 2016.
How many GPs does Farnham Medical Centre have?
7.6 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs (10 qualified GPs by headcount), which is 2,153 patients per GP against 2,171 across England.
Are appointments at Farnham Medical Centre face to face?
68% of appointments from June 2026 to August 2026 were face to face, against 63% across England.
What is Farnham Medical Centre's phone number?
0191 455 4748.