Sunderland West 1 PCN: primary care network practices and patient survey
Sunderland West 1 PCN is a primary care network of 7 GP practices with 58,035 registered patients (September 2026). In the 2026 GP Patient Survey, 84% of its patients described their overall experience as good, above the England figure of 77%. Its practices have 1,943 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 West 1 PCN with survey results, the share of patients describing their overall experience as good ranges from 79% at Pallion Family Practice to 95% at Hylton Medical Group, with a median of 83% (England: 77%). 3 are above England and 0 below by more than the survey's margin of error. Hylton Medical Group has the highest share finding it easy to get through by phone (93%, England 57%).
| Practice | Registered patients | Overall experience good | Easy to contact by phone | CQC rating | Patients per GP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hylton Medical Group | 7,319 | 95% | 93% | Good | 1,629 |
| Dr Ahmed El Safy | 2,968 | 90% | 82% | Good | 1,936 |
| Broadway Medical Practice | 8,156 | 86% | 88% | Good | 1,320 |
| Wearside Medical Practice | 7,630 | 83% | 83% | Good | 3,241 |
| Forge Medical Practice | 8,226 | 82% | 77% | Good | 1,465 |
| Millfield Medical Group | 13,882 | 82% | 50% | Good | 3,055 |
| Pallion Family Practice | 9,854 | 79% | 65% | Good | 1,913 |
Results for the network as a whole, from 728 responses, against North East and North Cumbria and England.
| Survey question | Sunderland West 1 PCN | North East and North Cumbria | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overall experience good | 84% | 80% | 77% |
| Easy to contact by phone | 73% | 62% | 57% |
| Easy to contact via the website | 61% | 59% | 58% |
| Easy to contact via the NHS App | 67% | 58% | 54% |
| Reception team helpful | 91% | 88% | 85% |
| Last contact good | 80% | 76% | 73% |
| Wait for appointment about right | 72% | 72% | 69% |
| Listened to well | 90% | 89% | 87% |
| Treated with care and concern | 90% | 88% | 86% |
| Confidence and trust in the clinician | 94% | 93% | 93% |
| Needs met | 93% | 91% | 90% |
There are 1,943 registered patients per full-time-equivalent qualified GP in Sunderland West 1 PCN, fewer than England's 2,171 and North East and North Cumbria's 2,088. Practices recorded 468 appointments a month per 1,000 patients (England: 510), 81% of them face to face. 40% of appointments took place on the day they were booked (England: 45%).
18% of registered patients are aged 65 or over (England: 19%). Lists shrank by 1.6% over the year (England: shrank 1.1%).
| Measure | Sunderland West 1 PCN | North East and North Cumbria | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Patients per qualified GP | 1,943 | 2,088 | 2,171 |
| Appointments per 1,000 patients a month | 468 | 550 | 510 |
| Face-to-face appointments | 81% | 68% | 63% |
| Same day as booked | 40% | 42% | 45% |
| Did not attend | 6% | 4% | 4% |
| Patients aged 65 or over | 18% | 22% | 19% |
Relative to England, the register furthest above England's rate at practices in Sunderland West 1 PCN is learning disability (1.0% against 0.6%), and the furthest below is osteoporosis (0.7% against 1.2%).
| Condition register | Age group | Sunderland West 1 PCN (2024/25) | England | Patients on register |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| High blood pressure | All ages | 17.8% | 15.2% | 10,572 |
| Depression | 18+ yrs | 14.9% | 14.3% | 7,208 |
| Diabetes | 17+ yrs | 8.7% | 7.9% | 4,243 |
| Asthma | 6+ yrs | 6.1% | 6.6% | 3,393 |
| Chronic kidney disease | 18+ yrs | 4.4% | 4.6% | 2,116 |
| Coronary heart disease | All ages | 4.0% | 3.0% | 2,396 |
| Cancer | All ages | 3.9% | 3.8% | 2,284 |
| COPD | All ages | 2.9% | 1.9% | 1,726 |
| Atrial fibrillation | All ages | 2.4% | 2.2% | 1,394 |
| Stroke and TIA | All ages | 2.0% | 1.9% | 1,194 |
| Epilepsy | 18+ yrs | 1.0% | 0.8% | 482 |
| Learning disability | All ages | 1.0% | 0.6% | 573 |
| Serious mental illness | All ages | 0.9% | 1.0% | 555 |
| Heart failure | All ages | 0.9% | 1.1% | 512 |
| Rheumatoid arthritis | 16+ yrs | 0.8% | 0.8% | 401 |
| Peripheral arterial disease | All ages | 0.8% | 0.6% | 445 |
| Osteoporosis | 50+ yrs | 0.7% | 1.2% | 157 |
| Dementia | All ages | 0.7% | 0.8% | 409 |
| Palliative care | All ages | 0.6% | 0.6% | 328 |
- Coalfields PCN (6 practices)
- Sunderland Central PCN (5 practices)
- Sunderland East PCN (7 practices)
- Sunderland North PCN (6 practices)
- Washington PCN (7 practices)
Which practices are in Sunderland West 1 PCN?
Broadway Medical Practice, Dr Ahmed El Safy, Forge Medical Practice, Hylton Medical Group, Millfield Medical Group, Pallion Family Practice and Wearside Medical Practice.
How do patients rate Sunderland West 1 PCN?
84% described their overall experience as good in the 2026 GP Patient Survey, above the England figure of 77%.
How many patients does Sunderland West 1 PCN cover?
58,035 registered patients across 7 practices in September 2026.
How many patients per GP does Sunderland West 1 PCN have?
1,943 per full-time-equivalent qualified GP, against 2,171 across England.