Rickleton Medical Centre, Washington: patient reviews and CQC rating
Rickleton Medical Centre is a GP practice in Washington with 3,043 registered patients (September 2026). In the 2026 GP Patient Survey, 94% 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 Good overall, in a report published in January 2024. It has 1.3 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs, or 2,402 patients per GP.
Latest data: September 2026. Patient survey 2026; registered patients September 2026; appointments to August 2026.
What patients say about Rickleton Medical Centre
Its best result against England is the share who found it easy to get through to the practice by phone: 90%, above the England figure of 57%. Its result closest to England is the share who said the healthcare professional was good at listening to them: 88%, against 87% across England. Of the 11 results in the table, 7 are above England and 0 below by more than the survey's margin of error, and 4 within it.
On overall experience it is 1st of the 7 practices in Washington with 50 or more responses. 90% found it easy to get through by phone (England: 57%). The overall experience result is 2 points lower than in 2025 (96%). 86 patients answered the survey (response rate 26%).
| Survey question | Rickleton Medical Centre | North East and North Cumbria | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overall experience good | 94% | 80% | 77% |
| Easy to contact by phone | 90% | 62% | 57% |
| Easy to contact via the website | 90% | 59% | 58% |
| Easy to contact via the NHS App | 82% | 58% | 54% |
| Reception team helpful | 95% | 88% | 85% |
| Last contact good | 92% | 76% | 73% |
| Wait for appointment about right | 73% | 72% | 69% |
| Listened to well | 88% | 89% | 87% |
| Treated with care and concern | 89% | 88% | 86% |
| Confidence and trust in the clinician | 94% | 93% | 93% |
| Needs met | 100% | 91% | 90% |
In the Friends and Family Test for July 2026, 96% of 179 responses rated the practice good or very good (England: 92%).
CQC's overall rating for Rickleton Medical Centre is Good, published in January 2024. All 5 key questions are rated Good. It held the same rating in the report before (March 2019).
| Key question | Rating |
|---|---|
| Safe | Good |
| Well-led | Good |
| Caring | Good |
| Responsive | Good |
| Effective | Good |
3,043 patients were registered at Rickleton Medical Centre in September 2026, up 6.1% on a year earlier (England: down 1.1%).
21% of its patients are aged 65 or over, against 19% across England. With 1.3 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs, there are 2,402 patients per GP, more than the England figure of 2,171 and North East and North Cumbria's 2,088. The practice also has 0.7 nurses (full-time equivalent).
| Year | Qualified GPs (FTE) | All GPs incl. trainees (FTE) |
|---|---|---|
| August 2023 | 1.0 | 1.0 |
| August 2024 | 1.0 | 1.0 |
| August 2025 | 1.3 | 1.3 |
| August 2026 | 1.3 | 1.3 |
From June 2026 to August 2026 the practice recorded 2,227 appointments a month, or 732 per 1,000 registered patients (England: 510). 35% were face to face (England: 63%). 70% took place on the day they were booked and 2% more than 28 days after booking (England: 45% and 5%).
85% were with a GP rather than another member of the practice team. 2% of booked patients did not attend.
| Measure | Rickleton Medical Centre | North East and North Cumbria | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Appointments per 1,000 patients a month | 732 | 550 | 510 |
| Face to face | 35% | 68% | 63% |
| Same day as booked | 70% | 42% | 45% |
| More than 28 days after booking | 2% | 6% | 5% |
| Did not attend | 2% | 4% | 4% |
Compared with England, the practice has a higher share of patients on its registers for high blood pressure (19.1% against 15.2%). It has a lower share for osteoporosis (0.2% against 1.2%), heart failure (0.5% against 1.1%) and depression (10.6% against 14.3%). The practice's patients live in areas with an average deprivation score of 20.7 (England: 21.8; higher is more deprived).
Life expectancy for its patients' neighbourhoods is 83.2 years for women and 78.2 for men (England: 83.0 and 79.1).
| Condition register | Age group | Practice (2024/25) | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| High blood pressure | All ages | 19.1% | 15.2% |
| Depression | 18+ yrs | 10.6% | 14.3% |
| Diabetes | 17+ yrs | 8.9% | 7.9% |
| Asthma | 6+ yrs | 6.6% | 6.6% |
| Chronic kidney disease | 18+ yrs | 6.0% | 4.6% |
| Cancer | All ages | 4.1% | 3.8% |
| Coronary heart disease | All ages | 3.5% | 3.0% |
| Atrial fibrillation | All ages | 2.6% | 2.2% |
| COPD | All ages | 2.4% | 1.9% |
| Stroke and TIA | All ages | 1.5% | 1.9% |
| Epilepsy | 18+ yrs | 1.3% | 0.8% |
| Rheumatoid arthritis | 16+ yrs | 0.9% | 0.8% |
| Serious mental illness | All ages | 0.7% | 1.0% |
| Learning disability | All ages | 0.7% | 0.6% |
| Heart failure | All ages | 0.5% | 1.1% |
| Peripheral arterial disease | All ages | 0.5% | 0.6% |
| Dementia | All ages | 0.3% | 0.8% |
| Palliative care | All ages | 0.2% | 0.6% |
| Osteoporosis | 50+ yrs | 0.2% | 1.2% |
| Screening coverage | Period | Practice | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bowel cancer screening (aged 60 to 74) | 2024/25 | 82.9% | 72.9% |
| Breast cancer screening (women aged 53 to 70) | 2024/25 | 82.4% | 72.2% |
| Cervical screening (women aged 25 to 49) | 2023/24 | 85.0% | 67.5% |
| Cervical screening (women aged 50 to 64) | 2023/24 | 85.7% | 74.9% |
Rickleton Medical Centre, Office Row, Washington, NE38 9EH. Phone: 0191 415 0576. Website: www.rickletonmedicalcentre.nhs.uk.
| Nearby practice | Distance | Overall experience good |
|---|---|---|
| Harraton Surgery | 1.0 km | 80% |
| Birtley Medical Group | 2.3 km | 67% |
| Galleries Medical Practice | 2.3 km | 78% |
| Sunderland GP Alliance - Monument Surgeries | 2.3 km | 80% |
| Bridge End Surgery | 2.9 km | 78% |
- Concord Medical Practice (73% overall experience good)
- Dr Stephenson and Partners (85% overall experience good)
- Galleries Medical Practice (78% overall experience good)
- Harraton Surgery (80% overall experience good)
- New Washington Medical Group (70% overall experience good)
- Sunderland GP Alliance - Monument Surgeries (80% overall experience good)
How do patients rate Rickleton Medical Centre?
In the 2026 GP Patient Survey, 94% of patients described their overall experience of Rickleton Medical Centre as good, above the England figure of 77%. 90% found it easy to get through by phone.
How many patients are registered at Rickleton Medical Centre?
3,043 patients were registered in September 2026, up 6.1% on a year earlier.
What is Rickleton Medical Centre's CQC rating?
Good overall, published in January 2024.
How many GPs does Rickleton Medical Centre have?
1.3 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs (2 qualified GPs by headcount), which is 2,402 patients per GP against 2,171 across England.
Are appointments at Rickleton Medical Centre face to face?
35% of appointments from June 2026 to August 2026 were face to face, against 63% across England.
What is Rickleton Medical Centre's phone number?
0191 415 0576.