Bishop's Close Medical Practice, Spennymoor: patient reviews and CQC rating

Bishop's Close Medical Practice is a GP practice in Spennymoor with 8,625 registered patients (September 2026). In the 2026 GP Patient Survey, 82% 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 February 2019. It has 4.7 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs, or 1,854 patients per GP.

Latest data: September 2026. Patient survey 2026; registered patients September 2026; appointments to August 2026.

What patients say about Bishop's Close Medical Practice

Its best result against England is the share who found it easy to get through to the practice by phone: 71%, above the England figure of 57%. Its weakest is the share who found it easy to contact the practice through its website: 45%, against 58% across England. Of the 11 results in the table, 3 are above England and 1 below by more than the survey's margin of error, and 7 within it.

71% found it easy to get through by phone (England: 57%). The overall experience result is 1 point lower than in 2025 (83%). 116 patients answered the survey (response rate 31%).

Survey questionBishop's Close Medical PracticeNorth East and North CumbriaEngland
Overall experience good82%80%77%
Easy to contact by phone71%62%57%
Easy to contact via the website45%59%58%
Easy to contact via the NHS App56%58%54%
Reception team helpful89%88%85%
Last contact good82%76%73%
Wait for appointment about right80%72%69%
Listened to well79%89%87%
Treated with care and concern82%88%86%
Confidence and trust in the clinician88%93%93%
Needs met88%91%90%

CQC's overall rating for Bishop's Close Medical Practice is Good, published in February 2019. All 5 key questions are rated Good. It held the same rating in the report before (December 2015).

Key questionRating
SafeGood
Well-ledGood
CaringGood
ResponsiveGood
EffectiveGood

8,625 patients were registered at Bishop's Close Medical Practice in September 2026, almost the same as a year earlier.

25% of its patients are aged 65 or over, against 19% across England. With 4.7 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs, there are 1,854 patients per GP, fewer than the England figure of 2,171 and North East and North Cumbria's 2,088. The practice also has 2.0 nurses and 4.8 other clinical staff such as pharmacists and physiotherapists (full-time equivalent).

YearQualified GPs (FTE)All GPs incl. trainees (FTE)
August 20233.95.6
August 20244.45.5
August 20254.45.3
August 20264.76.6

From June 2026 to August 2026 the practice recorded 4,197 appointments a month, or 487 per 1,000 registered patients (England: 510). 80% were face to face (England: 63%). 30% took place on the day they were booked and 2% more than 28 days after booking (England: 45% and 5%).

52% were with a GP rather than another member of the practice team. 6% of booked patients did not attend.

MeasureBishop's Close Medical PracticeNorth East and North CumbriaEngland
Appointments per 1,000 patients a month487550510
Face to face80%68%63%
Same day as booked30%42%45%
More than 28 days after booking2%6%5%
Did not attend6%4%4%

Compared with England, the practice has a higher share of patients on its registers for osteoporosis (2.8% against 1.2%), palliative or supportive care needs (1.2% against 0.6%) and heart failure (2.2% against 1.1%). The practice's patients live in areas with an average deprivation score of 26.7 (England: 21.8; higher is more deprived). Life expectancy for its patients' neighbourhoods is 82.0 years for women and 78.1 for men (England: 83.0 and 79.1).

Condition registerAge groupPractice (2024/25)England
High blood pressureAll ages21.7%15.2%
Depression18+ yrs16.0%14.3%
Diabetes17+ yrs10.0%7.9%
Asthma6+ yrs8.6%6.6%
Coronary heart diseaseAll ages5.2%3.0%
Chronic kidney disease18+ yrs5.2%4.6%
CancerAll ages5.0%3.8%
COPDAll ages3.8%1.9%
Atrial fibrillationAll ages3.2%2.2%
Stroke and TIAAll ages2.9%1.9%
Osteoporosis50+ yrs2.8%1.2%
Heart failureAll ages2.2%1.1%
Epilepsy18+ yrs1.5%0.8%
Palliative careAll ages1.2%0.6%
Serious mental illnessAll ages1.2%1.0%
DementiaAll ages1.1%0.8%
Rheumatoid arthritis16+ yrs1.1%0.8%
Peripheral arterial diseaseAll ages1.1%0.6%
Learning disabilityAll ages1.1%0.6%
Screening coveragePeriodPracticeEngland
Bowel cancer screening (aged 60 to 74)2024/2578.4%72.9%
Breast cancer screening (women aged 53 to 70)2024/2578.9%72.2%
Cervical screening (women aged 25 to 49)2023/2481.0%67.5%
Cervical screening (women aged 50 to 64)2023/2480.4%74.9%

96% of the practice's patients live in the DL16 postcode district, and DH6 (3%). 100% live in County Durham, the council area the practice is in.

Postcode districtRegistered patientsShare
DL168,23896%
DH62263%

Bishop's Close Medical Practice, Spennymoor Health Centre, Bishop's Close, Spennymoor, DL16 6ED. Phone: 01388 811455. Website: www.drwoodandpartners.co.uk.

Nearby practiceDistanceOverall experience good
St. Andrew's Medical Practice0.1 km83%
Ferryhill & Chilton Medical Practice2.9 km57%
West Cornforth Medical Practice4.9 km72%
The Medical Group5.7 km85%
Bowburn Medical Centre6.1 km79%

How do patients rate Bishop's Close Medical Practice?

In the 2026 GP Patient Survey, 82% of patients described their overall experience of Bishop's Close Medical Practice as good, against 77% across England. 71% found it easy to get through by phone.

How many patients are registered at Bishop's Close Medical Practice?

8,625 patients were registered in September 2026, up 0.0% on a year earlier.

What is Bishop's Close Medical Practice's CQC rating?

Good overall, published in February 2019.

How many GPs does Bishop's Close Medical Practice have?

4.7 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs (6 qualified GPs by headcount), which is 1,854 patients per GP against 2,171 across England.

Are appointments at Bishop's Close Medical Practice face to face?

80% of appointments from June 2026 to August 2026 were face to face, against 63% across England.

What is Bishop's Close Medical Practice's phone number?

01388 811455.

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Cite this page

<a href="https://localgps.co.uk/spennymoor/bishops-close-medical-practice">https://localgps.co.uk/spennymoor/bishops-close-medical-practice</a>