Sunderland East PCN: primary care network practices and patient survey
Sunderland East PCN is a primary care network of 7 GP practices with 51,413 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 2,249 patients per qualified GP (England: 2,171).
Latest data: September 2026. Registered patients September 2026; GP Patient Survey 2026.
Across the 7 practices in Sunderland East PCN with survey results, the share of patients describing their overall experience as good ranges from 68% at Deerness Park Medical Group to 96% at Southlands Medical Group, with a median of 83% (England: 77%). 3 are above England and 1 below by more than the survey's margin of error. Southlands Medical Group has the highest share finding it easy to get through by phone (90%, England 57%).
| Practice | Registered patients | Overall experience good | Easy to contact by phone | CQC rating | Patients per GP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Southlands Medical Group | 11,062 | 96% | 90% | Good | 2,226 |
| Dr. Joseph, Dr. Herbert & Dr. Devlin | 5,812 | 95% | 86% | Good | 2,357 |
| Ashburn Medical Centre | 5,073 | 85% | 69% | Good | 2,393 |
| Dr SM Bhate and Dr H El-Shakankery | 6,455 | 83% | 88% | Good | 2,720 |
| The New City Medical Group | 5,382 | 81% | 82% | Good | 2,307 |
| Park Lane Practice | 4,062 | 75% | 81% | Good | 4,089 |
| Deerness Park Medical Group | 13,567 | 68% | 52% | Good | 1,784 |
Results for the network as a whole, from 728 responses, against North East and North Cumbria and England.
| Survey question | Sunderland East PCN | North East and North Cumbria | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overall experience good | 83% | 80% | 77% |
| Easy to contact by phone | 76% | 62% | 57% |
| Easy to contact via the website | 68% | 59% | 58% |
| Easy to contact via the NHS App | 68% | 58% | 54% |
| Reception team helpful | 92% | 88% | 85% |
| Last contact good | 82% | 76% | 73% |
| Wait for appointment about right | 77% | 72% | 69% |
| Listened to well | 91% | 89% | 87% |
| Treated with care and concern | 91% | 88% | 86% |
| Confidence and trust in the clinician | 95% | 93% | 93% |
| Needs met | 93% | 91% | 90% |
There are 2,249 registered patients per full-time-equivalent qualified GP in Sunderland East PCN, close to England's 2,171 and North East and North Cumbria's 2,088. Practices recorded 393 appointments a month per 1,000 patients (England: 510), 81% of them face to face. 32% of appointments took place on the day they were booked (England: 45%).
19% of registered patients are aged 65 or over (England: 19%). Lists shrank by 1.4% over the year (England: shrank 1.1%).
| Measure | Sunderland East PCN | North East and North Cumbria | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Patients per qualified GP | 2,249 | 2,088 | 2,171 |
| Appointments per 1,000 patients a month | 393 | 550 | 510 |
| Face-to-face appointments | 81% | 68% | 63% |
| Same day as booked | 32% | 42% | 45% |
| Did not attend | 6% | 4% | 4% |
| Patients aged 65 or over | 19% | 22% | 19% |
Relative to England, the register furthest above England's rate at practices in Sunderland East PCN is copd (3.6% against 1.9%), and the furthest below is osteoporosis (0.6% against 1.2%).
| Condition register | Age group | Sunderland East PCN (2024/25) | England | Patients on register |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| High blood pressure | All ages | 18.1% | 15.2% | 9,418 |
| Depression | 18+ yrs | 16.5% | 14.3% | 7,057 |
| Diabetes | 17+ yrs | 8.9% | 7.9% | 3,873 |
| Asthma | 6+ yrs | 6.6% | 6.6% | 3,228 |
| Chronic kidney disease | 18+ yrs | 5.0% | 4.6% | 2,152 |
| Coronary heart disease | All ages | 4.1% | 3.0% | 2,136 |
| Cancer | All ages | 3.9% | 3.8% | 2,036 |
| COPD | All ages | 3.6% | 1.9% | 1,868 |
| Atrial fibrillation | All ages | 2.7% | 2.2% | 1,402 |
| Stroke and TIA | All ages | 2.2% | 1.9% | 1,148 |
| Serious mental illness | All ages | 1.2% | 1.0% | 644 |
| Epilepsy | 18+ yrs | 1.1% | 0.8% | 475 |
| Learning disability | All ages | 1.0% | 0.6% | 547 |
| Heart failure | All ages | 0.9% | 1.1% | 488 |
| Peripheral arterial disease | All ages | 0.8% | 0.6% | 425 |
| Dementia | All ages | 0.8% | 0.8% | 392 |
| Rheumatoid arthritis | 16+ yrs | 0.7% | 0.8% | 321 |
| Osteoporosis | 50+ yrs | 0.6% | 1.2% | 122 |
| Palliative care | All ages | 0.5% | 0.6% | 240 |
- Coalfields PCN (6 practices)
- Sunderland Central PCN (5 practices)
- Sunderland North PCN (6 practices)
- Sunderland West 1 PCN (7 practices)
- Washington PCN (7 practices)
Which practices are in Sunderland East PCN?
Ashburn Medical Centre, Deerness Park Medical Group, Dr SM Bhate and Dr H El-Shakankery, Dr. Joseph, Dr. Herbert & Dr. Devlin, Park Lane Practice, Southlands Medical Group and The New City Medical Group.
How do patients rate Sunderland East 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 East PCN cover?
51,413 registered patients across 7 practices in September 2026.
How many patients per GP does Sunderland East PCN have?
2,249 per full-time-equivalent qualified GP, against 2,171 across England.