Sunderland Central PCN: primary care network practices and patient survey
Sunderland Central PCN is a primary care network of 5 GP practices with 32,953 registered patients (September 2026). In the 2026 GP Patient Survey, 83% of its patients described their overall experience as good, above the England figure of 77%. Its practices have 2,242 patients per qualified GP (England: 2,171).
Latest data: September 2026. Registered patients September 2026; GP Patient Survey 2026.
Across the 5 practices in Sunderland Central PCN with survey results, the share of patients describing their overall experience as good ranges from 66% at South Hylton Surgery to 93% at Springwell Medical Group, with a median of 88% (England: 77%). 3 are above England and 1 below by more than the survey's margin of error. Happy House Surgery has the highest share finding it easy to get through by phone (87%, England 57%).
| Practice | Registered patients | Overall experience good | Easy to contact by phone | CQC rating | Patients per GP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Springwell Medical Group | 6,310 | 93% | 69% | Good | 1,372 |
| Village Surgery | 4,913 | 92% | 70% | – | 3,200 |
| Happy House Surgery | 8,068 | 88% | 87% | Good | 4,034 |
| New Silksworth Medical Practice | 9,150 | 78% | 39% | Good | 2,527 |
| South Hylton Surgery | 4,512 | 66% | 52% | Good | 1,533 |
Results for the network as a whole, from 501 responses, against North East and North Cumbria and England.
| Survey question | Sunderland Central PCN | North East and North Cumbria | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overall experience good | 83% | 80% | 77% |
| Easy to contact by phone | 63% | 62% | 57% |
| Easy to contact via the website | 68% | 59% | 58% |
| Easy to contact via the NHS App | 66% | 58% | 54% |
| Reception team helpful | 89% | 88% | 85% |
| Last contact good | 76% | 76% | 73% |
| Wait for appointment about right | 75% | 72% | 69% |
| Listened to well | 93% | 89% | 87% |
| Treated with care and concern | 92% | 88% | 86% |
| Confidence and trust in the clinician | 97% | 93% | 93% |
| Needs met | 93% | 91% | 90% |
There are 2,242 registered patients per full-time-equivalent qualified GP in Sunderland Central PCN, close to England's 2,171 and North East and North Cumbria's 2,088. Practices recorded 473 appointments a month per 1,000 patients (England: 510), 77% of them face to face. 44% of appointments took place on the day they were booked (England: 45%).
20% of registered patients are aged 65 or over (England: 19%). Lists shrank by 0.4% over the year (England: shrank 1.1%).
| Measure | Sunderland Central PCN | North East and North Cumbria | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Patients per qualified GP | 2,242 | 2,088 | 2,171 |
| Appointments per 1,000 patients a month | 473 | 550 | 510 |
| Face-to-face appointments | 77% | 68% | 63% |
| Same day as booked | 44% | 42% | 45% |
| Did not attend | 5% | 4% | 4% |
| Patients aged 65 or over | 20% | 22% | 19% |
Relative to England, the register furthest above England's rate at practices in Sunderland Central PCN is learning disability (1.1% against 0.6%), and the furthest below is palliative care (0.4% against 0.6%).
| Condition register | Age group | Sunderland Central PCN (2024/25) | England | Patients on register |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Depression | 18+ yrs | 19.1% | 14.3% | 5,050 |
| High blood pressure | All ages | 18.5% | 15.2% | 6,128 |
| Diabetes | 17+ yrs | 9.3% | 7.9% | 2,491 |
| Asthma | 6+ yrs | 7.7% | 6.6% | 2,401 |
| Chronic kidney disease | 18+ yrs | 5.6% | 4.6% | 1,493 |
| Coronary heart disease | All ages | 4.6% | 3.0% | 1,508 |
| Cancer | All ages | 4.1% | 3.8% | 1,361 |
| COPD | All ages | 3.2% | 1.9% | 1,073 |
| Atrial fibrillation | All ages | 2.8% | 2.2% | 912 |
| Stroke and TIA | All ages | 2.2% | 1.9% | 733 |
| Osteoporosis | 50+ yrs | 1.2% | 1.2% | 162 |
| Serious mental illness | All ages | 1.2% | 1.0% | 405 |
| Epilepsy | 18+ yrs | 1.1% | 0.8% | 303 |
| Learning disability | All ages | 1.1% | 0.6% | 374 |
| Heart failure | All ages | 1.1% | 1.1% | 354 |
| Dementia | All ages | 0.9% | 0.8% | 306 |
| Peripheral arterial disease | All ages | 0.8% | 0.6% | 271 |
| Rheumatoid arthritis | 16+ yrs | 0.8% | 0.8% | 215 |
| Palliative care | All ages | 0.4% | 0.6% | 121 |
- Coalfields PCN (6 practices)
- Sunderland East PCN (7 practices)
- Sunderland North PCN (6 practices)
- Sunderland West 1 PCN (7 practices)
- Washington PCN (7 practices)
Which practices are in Sunderland Central PCN?
Happy House Surgery, New Silksworth Medical Practice, South Hylton Surgery, Springwell Medical Group and Village Surgery.
How do patients rate Sunderland Central PCN?
83% described their overall experience as good in the 2026 GP Patient Survey, above the England figure of 77%.
How many patients does Sunderland Central PCN cover?
32,953 registered patients across 5 practices in September 2026.
How many patients per GP does Sunderland Central PCN have?
2,242 per full-time-equivalent qualified GP, against 2,171 across England.