Wheal Northey, St Austell: patient reviews and CQC rating
Wheal Northey is a GP practice in St Austell with 32,789 registered patients (September 2026). In the 2026 GP Patient Survey, 70% of its patients described their overall experience as good, against 77% across England (Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly: 79%). The Care Quality Commission rates it Good overall, in a report published in April 2018. It has 13.6 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs, or 2,416 patients per GP.
Latest data: September 2026. Patient survey 2026; registered patients September 2026; appointments to August 2026.
What patients say about Wheal Northey
Its best result against England is the share who found it easy to contact the practice through its website: 74%, above the England figure of 58%. Its weakest is the share who found it easy to get through to the practice by phone: 45%, below the England figure of 57%. 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.
On overall experience it is 3rd of the 4 practices in St Austell with 50 or more responses. 45% found it easy to get through by phone (England: 57%). The overall experience result is 5 points higher than in 2025 (65%). 130 patients answered the survey (response rate 34%).
| Survey question | Wheal Northey | Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overall experience good | 70% | 79% | 77% |
| Easy to contact by phone | 45% | 58% | 57% |
| Easy to contact via the website | 74% | 65% | 58% |
| Easy to contact via the NHS App | 65% | 58% | 54% |
| Reception team helpful | 87% | 86% | 85% |
| Last contact good | 73% | 74% | 73% |
| Wait for appointment about right | 63% | 71% | 69% |
| Listened to well | 93% | 89% | 87% |
| Treated with care and concern | 94% | 88% | 86% |
| Confidence and trust in the clinician | 97% | 94% | 93% |
| Needs met | 91% | 91% | 90% |
In the Friends and Family Test for July 2026, 94% of 1,835 responses rated the practice good or very good (England: 92%).
CQC's overall rating for Wheal Northey is Good, published in April 2018. All 5 key questions are rated Good. It held the same rating in the report before (July 2017).
| Key question | Rating |
|---|---|
| Safe | Good |
| Well-led | Good |
| Caring | Good |
| Responsive | Good |
| Effective | Good |
32,789 patients were registered at Wheal Northey in September 2026, down 0.5% on a year earlier (England: down 1.1%).
24% of its patients are aged 65 or over, against 19% across England. With 13.6 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs, there are 2,416 patients per GP, more than the England figure of 2,171 and Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly's 1,871. The practice also has 13.6 nurses and 31.3 other clinical staff such as pharmacists and physiotherapists (full-time equivalent).
| Year | Qualified GPs (FTE) | All GPs incl. trainees (FTE) |
|---|---|---|
| August 2023 | 11.5 | 14.3 |
| August 2024 | 11.6 | 15.2 |
| August 2025 | 12.7 | 15.5 |
| August 2026 | 13.6 | 16.3 |
From June 2026 to August 2026 the practice recorded 28,983 appointments a month, or 884 per 1,000 registered patients (England: 510). 40% were face to face (England: 63%). 60% took place on the day they were booked and 2% more than 28 days after booking (England: 45% and 5%).
20% were with a GP rather than another member of the practice team. 2% of booked patients did not attend.
| Measure | Wheal Northey | Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Appointments per 1,000 patients a month | 884 | 633 | 510 |
| Face to face | 40% | 59% | 63% |
| Same day as booked | 60% | 44% | 45% |
| More than 28 days after booking | 2% | 7% | 5% |
| Did not attend | 2% | 4% | 4% |
Compared with England, the practice has a higher share of patients on its registers for heart failure (2.4% against 1.1%), peripheral arterial disease (1.0% against 0.6%) and coronary heart disease (4.9% against 3.0%). It has a lower share for palliative or supportive care needs (0.2% against 0.6%). The practice's patients live in areas with an average deprivation score of 23.3 (England: 21.8; higher is more deprived).
Life expectancy for its patients' neighbourhoods is 82.8 years for women and 78.6 for men (England: 83.0 and 79.1).
| Condition register | Age group | Practice (2024/25) | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| High blood pressure | All ages | 19.5% | 15.2% |
| Depression | 18+ yrs | 12.0% | 14.3% |
| Diabetes | 17+ yrs | 8.6% | 7.9% |
| Asthma | 6+ yrs | 8.5% | 6.6% |
| Chronic kidney disease | 18+ yrs | 6.8% | 4.6% |
| Coronary heart disease | All ages | 4.9% | 3.0% |
| Cancer | All ages | 4.8% | 3.8% |
| Atrial fibrillation | All ages | 3.3% | 2.2% |
| Stroke and TIA | All ages | 3.0% | 1.9% |
| COPD | All ages | 2.6% | 1.9% |
| Heart failure | All ages | 2.4% | 1.1% |
| Osteoporosis | 50+ yrs | 1.6% | 1.2% |
| Dementia | All ages | 1.2% | 0.8% |
| Serious mental illness | All ages | 1.2% | 1.0% |
| Epilepsy | 18+ yrs | 1.1% | 0.8% |
| Peripheral arterial disease | All ages | 1.0% | 0.6% |
| Rheumatoid arthritis | 16+ yrs | 0.9% | 0.8% |
| Learning disability | All ages | 0.9% | 0.6% |
| Palliative care | All ages | 0.2% | 0.6% |
| Screening coverage | Period | Practice | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bowel cancer screening (aged 60 to 74) | 2024/25 | 73.7% | 72.9% |
| Breast cancer screening (women aged 53 to 70) | 2024/25 | 74.5% | 72.2% |
| Cervical screening (women aged 25 to 49) | 2023/24 | 70.3% | 67.5% |
| Cervical screening (women aged 50 to 64) | 2023/24 | 70.6% | 74.9% |
Wheal Northey, 1 Wheal Northey, St Austell, PL25 3EF. Phone: 0172675555. Website: www.staustellhealthcare.co.uk.
| Nearby practice | Distance | Overall experience good |
|---|---|---|
| Middleway Surgery | 3.6 km | 74% |
| Mevagissey Surgery | 8.4 km | 56% |
| The Clays Practice | 8.9 km | 88% |
| Fowey River Practice | 8.9 km | 82% |
| Brannel Surgery | 9.3 km | 89% |
- Mevagissey Surgery (56% overall experience good)
How do patients rate Wheal Northey?
In the 2026 GP Patient Survey, 70% of patients described their overall experience of Wheal Northey as good, against 77% across England. 45% found it easy to get through by phone.
How many patients are registered at Wheal Northey?
32,789 patients were registered in September 2026, down 0.5% on a year earlier.
What is Wheal Northey's CQC rating?
Good overall, published in April 2018.
How many GPs does Wheal Northey have?
13.6 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs (22 qualified GPs by headcount), which is 2,416 patients per GP against 2,171 across England.
Are appointments at Wheal Northey face to face?
40% of appointments from June 2026 to August 2026 were face to face, against 63% across England.
What is Wheal Northey's phone number?
0172675555.