Nursing Homes in Darlington
Darlington has 10 CQC registered nursing homes. 6 are rated Good, 4 Requires improvement. 6 of the 10 were last inspected more than three years ago.
Source: Care Quality Commission register, kept up to date as ratings change.
Darlington at a glance
What the numbers say about care for older people in Darlington.
- Darlington Borough Council pays, residential care: £843 a week. Self-funders are typically asked £1,331 to £1,392, median £1,369
- Care home beds filled across Darlington: 86%. The 12 month average is 89%.
- Care home beds per 1,000 people aged 75+: 95
- People aged 75 and over: 12,100. Rising to 14,700 by 2035, up 21%
- Care homes, last 12 months: 0 opened, 0 closed
- Who pays, across Darlington (estimate): 42% council, 39% self. The rest is NHS funded or other.
- Living with dementia, aged 65 and over (estimate): 1,600. Rising to 2,000 by 2035, up 27%
- People aged 85 and over: 3,200. Rising to 4,700 by 2035, up 47%
Powered by Orrery Intelligence. Market model built 22 October 2026 (ONS 2022 based population projections, CQC register), published care home prices, council planning records.
Arranging and Funding Nursing Care in Darlington
The care needs assessment
It is worth asking for an assessment before touring homes, because it establishes whether nursing care is genuinely required and what should be funded. Darlington Borough Council Adult Social Care carries out that assessment and decides what support follows from it. There is no charge, no means test applies to the assessment itself, and a relative, friend or advocate may request one on someone else's behalf. The assessor considers mobility, medication, continence, nutrition, memory and the supervision needed overnight, then records the outcome in a written support plan.
Means testing and the contribution
A financial assessment then examines capital and income to fix the weekly payment. Savings above the national upper capital limit usually mean the placement is funded privately, while savings below it bring support from the authority towards an agreed rate. Because every provider listed is registered for nursing, the NHS funded nursing care payment may also apply, covering the registered nursing element of the fee and paid straight to the home. Where a health condition is the dominant reason for care, an assessment for NHS continuing healthcare should be requested.
What shapes the fee
Weekly charges differ according to the room, the amount of nursing time required and how each home staffs its shifts. Rates are set by providers individually, so only a written quotation for the specific room being offered is worth planning around. Ask what that figure covers, what is invoiced separately, how much notice is given of an increase and how often rates are reviewed. If savings are finite, ask what the home does when private funds run down.
Choosing the Right Nursing Home in Darlington
Making sense of a mixed record
Six homes here hold a Good rating: Hollyhurst, Hundens Park, Middleton St George Healthcare, Ventress Hall Care Home, Willow Green Care Home and Wilton House Nursing Home. Eastbourne Care Home, Rydal Care Home and The Gardens Care Home currently require improvement. Middleton Manor Care Centre has been rated Inadequate, which is the most serious judgement inspectors give and brings closer regulatory attention with it. Anyone considering a home in either of those groups should read the report line by line and ask the provider exactly what has changed since.
Questions to put to a manager
Ask how many registered nurses are rostered across a full day and overnight, how sickness is covered and how long the manager has been in post. Ask what happens when a resident deteriorates in the early hours, who decides to call an ambulance and how quickly relatives are contacted. Where a particular diagnosis is involved, ask how many residents with similar needs the team currently supports and how staff are trained for it.
Seeing the homes yourself
Visit the shortlist at a busy hour rather than a quiet one, and go twice where the choice is close. Watch whether residents are occupied rather than simply seated, whether call bells are answered calmly and whether staff greet people by name as they pass. Set what you observed against what inspectors described, treating any gap between the two as a fair question for the manager. Write your impressions down the same day, before the homes begin to blur together.
10 nursing homes in Darlington
- Eastbourne Care Home · 5-7 Cobden Street, Darlington, Darlington, DL1 4JF
Nursing home · CQC Requires improvement · Nursing on site · Run by Eastbourne House Ltd
Eastbourne Care Home is a nursing home in Darlington caring for older people who need qualified nursing alongside help with everyday life, including residents with a physical disability and people living with sight or hearing loss, and...
Specialisms: Older Person Care, Dementia Care, Physical Disability, Visual / Hearing Impairment, Younger Adults, Respite Care - Hollyhurst · 118 Woodland Road, Darlington, Darlington, DL3 9LN
Nursing home · CQC Good · Nursing on site · Run by Cygnet (OE) Limited
We are a nursing home in Darlington, caring for older people and for younger adults who need nursing support, including adults with a learning disability or autism and people living with mental health conditions. We also take respite...
Specialisms: Older Person Care, Learning Disability / Autism, Mental Health, Younger Adults, Respite Care - Hundens Park · Hundens Lane, Darlington, Darlington, DL1 1JF
Nursing home · CQC Good · Nursing on site · Run by Barchester Healthcare Homes Limited
Hundens Park is a nursing home in Darlington. We care for older people and younger adults who need skilled nursing, for people living with dementia and for adults with physical disabilities, and we take respite bookings for those who need...
Specialisms: Older Person Care, Dementia Care, Physical Disability, Younger Adults, Respite Care - Middleton Manor Care Centre · Middleton St George, Darlington, Darlington, DL2 1TS
Nursing home · CQC Requires improvement · Nursing on site · Run by Prestige Care (Middleton) Limited
Middleton Manor Care Centre provides nursing and residential care in Darlington. We look after older people and younger adults, people living with dementia, those managing mental ill health, adults with physical disabilities and people...
Specialisms: Older Person Care, Dementia Care, Mental Health, Physical Disability, Visual / Hearing Impairment, Younger Adults, Respite Care - Middleton St George Healthcare · 24 Station Road, Darlington, Darlington, DL3 6SU
Nursing home · CQC Good · Nursing on site · Run by Middleton St George Healthcare Limited
Here at Middleton St George Healthcare in Darlington, we provide nursing home care for the people who come to live with us, and we take that responsibility seriously. Our team works hard every day to make sure each person feels genuinely...
Specialisms: Mental Health, Younger Adults, Respite Care - Rydal Care Home · Rydal Road, Darlington, Darlington, DL1 4BH
Nursing home · CQC Requires improvement · Nursing on site · Run by Minster Care Management Limited
We are Rydal Care Home, a nursing home in Darlington. We care for older people who need qualified nursing alongside support with daily living, including people living with dementia, and we also look after younger adults with nursing needs....
Specialisms: Older Person Care, Dementia Care, Younger Adults, Respite Care - The Gardens Care Home · Pondfield Close, Darlington, Darlington, DL3 8LH
Nursing home · Care home · CQC Requires improvement · Nursing on site · Run by Ascot Care North East Limited
We are The Gardens Care Home in Darlington. We provide both residential and nursing care for older people and younger adults, including people managing mental health conditions and people with physical disabilities, and we also offer...
Specialisms: Older Person Care, Mental Health, Physical Disability, Younger Adults, Respite Care - Ventress Hall Care Home · 22-28 Trinity Road, Darlington, Darlington, DL3 7AZ
Nursing home · CQC Good · Nursing on site · Run by Care UK Community Partnerships Ltd
Ventress Hall Care Home is a nursing home in Darlington, caring for older people who need qualified nursing support alongside help with daily living. We also care for younger adults with nursing needs, support residents living with...
Specialisms: Older Person Care, Dementia Care, Learning Disability / Autism, Mental Health, Physical Disability, Younger Adults, Respite Care - Willow Green Care Home · Eastborne Road, Darlington, Darlington, DL1 4ER
Nursing home · CQC Good · Nursing on site · Run by St. Martin's Care Limited
Willow Green Care Home is a nursing home in Darlington. We support older people and younger adults who need nursing care, including those living with dementia, and we welcome people for respite stays as well as for longer stays. Because we...
Specialisms: Older Person Care, Dementia Care, Younger Adults, Respite Care - Wilton House Nursing Home · Wilton Drive, Darlington, Darlington, DL3 9RE
Nursing home · CQC Good · Nursing on site · Run by Popular Care Ltd
Wilton House Nursing Home is in Darlington. We care for older people who need registered nursing alongside help with daily life, and a large part of our work is with people living with dementia. We also support younger adults whose health...
Specialisms: Older Person Care, Dementia Care, Younger Adults, Respite Care
What care costs in Darlington, per week
| Type of care | What the council pays | What self-funders are typically asked |
|---|---|---|
| Residential care North East figure, because too few Darlington homes publish this price. 13 homes. Median £1,369. | £843 | £1,331 to £1,392 |
| Nursing care England figure, because too few Darlington homes publish this price. 140 homes. Median £1,916. | £953 | £1,600 to £2,071 |
| Residential dementia care North East figure, because too few Darlington homes publish this price. 14 homes. Median £1,458. | Not published separately | £1,268 to £1,548 |
| Nursing dementia care England figure, because too few Darlington homes publish this price. 75 homes. Median £2,050. | Not published separately | £1,890 to £2,221 |
Published prices are often starting prices, and come from homes that publish fees, so treat them as a guide. Ask the home for its own price. Powered by Orrery Intelligence.
Inspected most recently
- Eastbourne Care Home, 17 September 2026, Requires improvement
- Middleton Manor Care Centre, 9 June 2026, Requires improvement
- The Gardens Care Home, 26 February 2025, Requires improvement
Longest since a report
- Rydal Care Home, 20 February 2019, Requires improvement
- Hundens Park, 23 March 2021, Good
- Ventress Hall Care Home, 4 February 2023, Good
Frequently asked questions about nursing homes in Darlington
How many nursing homes are there in Darlington?
Darlington has 10 CQC registered nursing homes: 6 Good, 4 Requires improvement. Counts come from the CQC register and are kept up to date as ratings change.
How much does a nursing home cost in Darlington?
Darlington Borough Council pays an average of £843 a week for residential care. Self-funders are typically asked £1,331 to £1,392 a week. North East figure, because too few Darlington homes publish this price. 13 homes. Median £1,369. Published prices are often starting prices, and come from homes that publish fees, so treat them as a guide. Ask the home for its own price.
Which nursing homes in Darlington were inspected most recently?
Eastbourne Care Home (17 September 2026), Middleton Manor Care Centre (9 June 2026) and The Gardens Care Home (26 February 2025) have the most recent CQC reports.