Dr Stephenson and Partners, Washington: patient reviews and CQC rating
Dr Stephenson and Partners is a GP practice in Washington with 12,036 registered patients (September 2026). In the 2026 GP Patient Survey, 85% of its patients described their overall experience as good, above the England figure of 77% (North East and North Cumbria: 80%). The Care Quality Commission rates it Outstanding overall, in a report published in December 2019. It has 5.4 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs, or 2,240 patients per GP.
Latest data: September 2026. Patient survey 2026; registered patients September 2026; appointments to August 2026.
What patients say about Dr Stephenson and Partners
Its best result against England is the share who described their overall experience of the practice as good: 85%, above the England figure of 77%. Its weakest is the share who found it easy to get through to the practice by phone: 52%, against 57% 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 2nd of the 7 practices in Washington with 50 or more responses. 52% found it easy to get through by phone (England: 57%). The overall experience result is 6 points higher than in 2025 (79%). 124 patients answered the survey (response rate 29%).
| Survey question | Dr Stephenson and Partners | North East and North Cumbria | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overall experience good | 85% | 80% | 77% |
| Easy to contact by phone | 52% | 62% | 57% |
| Easy to contact via the website | 60% | 59% | 58% |
| Easy to contact via the NHS App | 53% | 58% | 54% |
| Reception team helpful | 83% | 88% | 85% |
| Last contact good | 76% | 76% | 73% |
| Wait for appointment about right | 66% | 72% | 69% |
| Listened to well | 88% | 89% | 87% |
| Treated with care and concern | 88% | 88% | 86% |
| Confidence and trust in the clinician | 94% | 93% | 93% |
| Needs met | 90% | 91% | 90% |
In the Friends and Family Test for July 2026, 95% of 862 responses rated the practice good or very good (England: 92%).
CQC's overall rating for Dr Stephenson and Partners is Outstanding, published in December 2019. 2 key questions are rated differently: Safe Good and Responsive Good. Its previous overall rating was Good (April 2016).
| Key question | Rating |
|---|---|
| Safe | Good |
| Well-led | Outstanding |
| Caring | Outstanding |
| Responsive | Good |
| Effective | Outstanding |
12,036 patients were registered at Dr Stephenson and Partners in September 2026, down 1.6% on a year earlier (England: down 1.1%).
25% of its patients are aged 65 or over, against 19% across England. With 5.4 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs, there are 2,240 patients per GP, close to the England figure of 2,171 and North East and North Cumbria's 2,088. The practice also has 5.8 nurses and 3.4 other clinical staff such as pharmacists and physiotherapists (full-time equivalent).
| Year | Qualified GPs (FTE) | All GPs incl. trainees (FTE) |
|---|---|---|
| August 2023 | 4.9 | 6.9 |
| August 2024 | 5.2 | 7.3 |
| August 2025 | 5.2 | 6.2 |
| August 2026 | 5.4 | 7.1 |
From June 2026 to August 2026 the practice recorded 6,282 appointments a month, or 522 per 1,000 registered patients (England: 510). 86% were face to face (England: 63%). 31% took place on the day they were booked and 4% more than 28 days after booking (England: 45% and 5%).
31% were with a GP rather than another member of the practice team. 5% of booked patients did not attend.
| Measure | Dr Stephenson and Partners | North East and North Cumbria | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Appointments per 1,000 patients a month | 522 | 550 | 510 |
| Face to face | 86% | 68% | 63% |
| Same day as booked | 31% | 42% | 45% |
| More than 28 days after booking | 4% | 6% | 5% |
| Did not attend | 5% | 4% | 4% |
Compared with England, the practice has a higher share of patients on its registers for palliative or supportive care needs (1.0% against 0.6%), COPD (3.1% against 1.9%) and coronary heart disease (4.6% against 3.0%). It has a lower share for osteoporosis (0.2% against 1.2%) and chronic kidney disease (2.5% against 4.6%). The practice's patients live in areas with an average deprivation score of 29.5 (England: 21.8; higher is more deprived).
Life expectancy for its patients' neighbourhoods is 81.7 years for women and 76.8 for men (England: 83.0 and 79.1).
| Condition register | Age group | Practice (2024/25) | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| High blood pressure | All ages | 18.6% | 15.2% |
| Depression | 18+ yrs | 16.9% | 14.3% |
| Diabetes | 17+ yrs | 10.8% | 7.9% |
| Asthma | 6+ yrs | 7.0% | 6.6% |
| Cancer | All ages | 5.0% | 3.8% |
| Coronary heart disease | All ages | 4.6% | 3.0% |
| Atrial fibrillation | All ages | 3.4% | 2.2% |
| COPD | All ages | 3.1% | 1.9% |
| Chronic kidney disease | 18+ yrs | 2.5% | 4.6% |
| Stroke and TIA | All ages | 2.4% | 1.9% |
| Rheumatoid arthritis | 16+ yrs | 1.1% | 0.8% |
| Heart failure | All ages | 1.0% | 1.1% |
| Palliative care | All ages | 1.0% | 0.6% |
| Serious mental illness | All ages | 0.8% | 1.0% |
| Epilepsy | 18+ yrs | 0.8% | 0.8% |
| Dementia | All ages | 0.8% | 0.8% |
| Peripheral arterial disease | All ages | 0.7% | 0.6% |
| Learning disability | All ages | 0.7% | 0.6% |
| Osteoporosis | 50+ yrs | 0.2% | 1.2% |
| Screening coverage | Period | Practice | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bowel cancer screening (aged 60 to 74) | 2024/25 | 78.3% | 72.9% |
| Breast cancer screening (women aged 53 to 70) | 2024/25 | 79.7% | 72.2% |
| Cervical screening (women aged 25 to 49) | 2023/24 | 78.4% | 67.5% |
| Cervical screening (women aged 50 to 64) | 2023/24 | 81.0% | 74.9% |
Dr Stephenson and Partners, Victoria Road Health Centre, Victoria Road, Washington, NE37 2PU. Phone: 0191 416 2578.
| Nearby practice | Distance | Overall experience good |
|---|---|---|
| Concord Medical Practice | 0.0 km | 73% |
| New Washington Medical Group | 0.0 km | 70% |
| Galleries Medical Practice | 1.7 km | 78% |
| Sunderland GP Alliance - Monument Surgeries | 1.7 km | 80% |
| Dr Kaura and Partners | 3.2 km | 70% |
- Concord Medical Practice (73% overall experience good)
- Galleries Medical Practice (78% overall experience good)
- Harraton Surgery (80% overall experience good)
- New Washington Medical Group (70% overall experience good)
- Rickleton Medical Centre (94% overall experience good)
- Sunderland GP Alliance - Monument Surgeries (80% overall experience good)
How do patients rate Dr Stephenson and Partners?
In the 2026 GP Patient Survey, 85% of patients described their overall experience of Dr Stephenson and Partners as good, above the England figure of 77%. 52% found it easy to get through by phone.
How many patients are registered at Dr Stephenson and Partners?
12,036 patients were registered in September 2026, down 1.6% on a year earlier.
What is Dr Stephenson and Partners's CQC rating?
Outstanding overall, published in December 2019.
How many GPs does Dr Stephenson and Partners have?
5.4 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs (7 qualified GPs by headcount), which is 2,240 patients per GP against 2,171 across England.
Are appointments at Dr Stephenson and Partners face to face?
86% of appointments from June 2026 to August 2026 were face to face, against 63% across England.
What is Dr Stephenson and Partners's phone number?
0191 416 2578.