Dr Ahmed El Safy, Sunderland: patient reviews and CQC rating
Dr Ahmed El Safy is a GP practice in Sunderland with 2,968 registered patients (September 2026). In the 2026 GP Patient Survey, 90% 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 March 2018. It has 1.5 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs, or 1,936 patients per GP.
Latest data: September 2026. Patient survey 2026; registered patients September 2026; appointments to August 2026.
What patients say about Dr Ahmed El Safy
Its best result against England is the share who found it easy to contact the practice using the NHS App: 95%, above the England figure of 54%. Its result closest to England is the share who had confidence and trust in the healthcare professional they saw: 94%, against 93% across England. Of the 11 results in the table, 8 are above England and 0 below by more than the survey's margin of error, and 3 within it.
On overall experience it is 6th of the 26 practices in Sunderland with 50 or more responses. 82% found it easy to get through by phone (England: 57%). The overall experience result is 5 points higher than in 2025 (85%). 99 patients answered the survey (response rate 23%).
| Survey question | Dr Ahmed El Safy | North East and North Cumbria | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overall experience good | 90% | 80% | 77% |
| Easy to contact by phone | 82% | 62% | 57% |
| Easy to contact via the website | 85% | 59% | 58% |
| Easy to contact via the NHS App | 95% | 58% | 54% |
| Reception team helpful | 99% | 88% | 85% |
| Last contact good | 87% | 76% | 73% |
| Wait for appointment about right | 92% | 72% | 69% |
| Listened to well | 92% | 89% | 87% |
| Treated with care and concern | 93% | 88% | 86% |
| Confidence and trust in the clinician | 94% | 93% | 93% |
| Needs met | 94% | 91% | 90% |
CQC's overall rating for Dr Ahmed El Safy is Good, published in March 2018. All 5 key questions are rated Good. It held the same rating in the report before (October 2015).
| Key question | Rating |
|---|---|
| Safe | Good |
| Well-led | Good |
| Caring | Good |
| Responsive | Good |
| Effective | Good |
2,968 patients were registered at Dr Ahmed El Safy in September 2026, down 2.6% on a year earlier (England: down 1.1%).
17% of its patients are aged 65 or over, against 19% across England. With 1.5 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs, there are 1,936 patients per GP, fewer than the England figure of 2,171 and North East and North Cumbria's 2,088. The practice also has 1.0 nurses and 0.5 other clinical staff such as pharmacists and physiotherapists (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 | 1.5 | 1.5 |
| August 2026 | 1.5 | 1.5 |
From June 2026 to August 2026 the practice recorded 892 appointments a month, or 301 per 1,000 registered patients (England: 510). 94% were face to face (England: 63%). 16% took place on the day they were booked and 4% more than 28 days after booking (England: 45% and 5%).
56% were with a GP rather than another member of the practice team. 9% of booked patients did not attend.
| Measure | Dr Ahmed El Safy | North East and North Cumbria | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Appointments per 1,000 patients a month | 301 | 550 | 510 |
| Face to face | 94% | 68% | 63% |
| Same day as booked | 16% | 42% | 45% |
| More than 28 days after booking | 4% | 6% | 5% |
| Did not attend | 9% | 4% | 4% |
Compared with England, the practice has a lower share of patients for osteoporosis (0.1% against 1.2%), dementia (0.2% against 0.8%) and depression (5.0% against 14.3%). The practice's patients live in areas with an average deprivation score of 33.7 (England: 21.8; higher is more deprived). Life expectancy for its patients' neighbourhoods is 80.9 years for women and 76.2 for men (England: 83.0 and 79.1).
| Condition register | Age group | Practice (2024/25) | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| High blood pressure | All ages | 11.1% | 15.2% |
| Diabetes | 17+ yrs | 7.2% | 7.9% |
| Depression | 18+ yrs | 5.0% | 14.3% |
| Asthma | 6+ yrs | 4.4% | 6.6% |
| Cancer | All ages | 3.0% | 3.8% |
| Coronary heart disease | All ages | 3.0% | 3.0% |
| Atrial fibrillation | All ages | 2.7% | 2.2% |
| Chronic kidney disease | 18+ yrs | 2.3% | 4.6% |
| Stroke and TIA | All ages | 1.7% | 1.9% |
| COPD | All ages | 1.2% | 1.9% |
| Serious mental illness | All ages | 0.7% | 1.0% |
| Rheumatoid arthritis | 16+ yrs | 0.5% | 0.8% |
| Heart failure | All ages | 0.5% | 1.1% |
| Learning disability | All ages | 0.5% | 0.6% |
| Epilepsy | 18+ yrs | 0.4% | 0.8% |
| Dementia | All ages | 0.2% | 0.8% |
| Palliative care | All ages | 0.2% | 0.6% |
| Peripheral arterial disease | All ages | 0.2% | 0.6% |
| Osteoporosis | 50+ yrs | 0.1% | 1.2% |
| Screening coverage | Period | Practice | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bowel cancer screening (aged 60 to 74) | 2024/25 | 72.1% | 72.9% |
| Breast cancer screening (women aged 53 to 70) | 2024/25 | 72.0% | 72.2% |
| Cervical screening (women aged 25 to 49) | 2023/24 | 54.1% | 67.5% |
| Cervical screening (women aged 50 to 64) | 2023/24 | 69.4% | 74.9% |
Dr Ahmed El Safy, 215 Chester Road, Sunderland, SR4 7TU. Phone: 0191 567 3597.
| Nearby practice | Distance | Overall experience good |
|---|---|---|
| Millfield Medical Group | 1.0 km | 82% |
| Wearside Medical Practice | 1.0 km | 83% |
| Pallion Family Practice | 1.0 km | 79% |
| Hylton Medical Group | 1.0 km | 95% |
| Sunderland GP Alliance - Special Allocation Scheme | 1.0 km | -9700% |
- Broadway Medical Practice (86% overall experience good)
- Forge Medical Practice (82% overall experience good)
- Hylton Medical Group (95% overall experience good)
- Millfield Medical Group (82% overall experience good)
- Pallion Family Practice (79% overall experience good)
- Wearside Medical Practice (83% overall experience good)
How do patients rate Dr Ahmed El Safy?
In the 2026 GP Patient Survey, 90% of patients described their overall experience of Dr Ahmed El Safy as good, above the England figure of 77%. 82% found it easy to get through by phone.
How many patients are registered at Dr Ahmed El Safy?
2,968 patients were registered in September 2026, down 2.6% on a year earlier.
What is Dr Ahmed El Safy's CQC rating?
Good overall, published in March 2018.
How many GPs does Dr Ahmed El Safy have?
1.5 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs (2 qualified GPs by headcount), which is 1,936 patients per GP against 2,171 across England.
Are appointments at Dr Ahmed El Safy face to face?
94% of appointments from June 2026 to August 2026 were face to face, against 63% across England.
What is Dr Ahmed El Safy's phone number?
0191 567 3597.