Forge Medical Practice, Sunderland: patient reviews and CQC rating
Forge Medical Practice is a GP practice in Sunderland with 8,226 registered patients (September 2026). In the 2026 GP Patient Survey, 82% of its patients described their overall experience as good, against 77% across England (North East and North Cumbria: 80%). The Care Quality Commission rates it Good overall, in a report published in December 2022. It has 5.6 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs, or 1,465 patients per GP.
Latest data: September 2026. Patient survey 2026; registered patients September 2026; appointments to August 2026.
What patients say about Forge Medical Practice
Its best result against England is the share who found it easy to get through to the practice by phone: 77%, above the England figure of 57%. Its weakest is the share who said their needs were met at their last appointment: 87%, against 90% across England. Of the 11 results in the table, 6 are above England and 0 below by more than the survey's margin of error, and 5 within it.
On overall experience it is 13th of the 26 practices in Sunderland with 50 or more responses. 77% found it easy to get through by phone (England: 57%). The overall experience result is 1 point lower than in 2025 (83%). 121 patients answered the survey (response rate 25%).
| Survey question | Forge Medical Practice | North East and North Cumbria | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overall experience good | 82% | 80% | 77% |
| Easy to contact by phone | 77% | 62% | 57% |
| Easy to contact via the website | 76% | 59% | 58% |
| Easy to contact via the NHS App | 70% | 58% | 54% |
| Reception team helpful | 96% | 88% | 85% |
| Last contact good | 81% | 76% | 73% |
| Wait for appointment about right | 86% | 72% | 69% |
| Listened to well | 88% | 89% | 87% |
| Treated with care and concern | 87% | 88% | 86% |
| Confidence and trust in the clinician | 90% | 93% | 93% |
| Needs met | 87% | 91% | 90% |
In the Friends and Family Test for July 2026, 95% of 322 responses rated the practice good or very good (England: 92%).
CQC's overall rating for Forge Medical Practice is Good, published in December 2022. All 5 key questions are rated Good. Its previous overall rating was Requires Improvement (October 2021).
| Key question | Rating |
|---|---|
| Safe | Good |
| Well-led | Good |
| Caring | Good |
| Responsive | Good |
| Effective | Good |
8,226 patients were registered at Forge Medical Practice in September 2026, down 3.6% on a year earlier (England: down 1.1%).
19% of its patients are aged 65 or over, against 19% across England. With 5.6 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs, there are 1,465 patients per GP, fewer than the England figure of 2,171 and North East and North Cumbria's 2,088. The practice also has 3.0 nurses and 3.0 other clinical staff such as pharmacists and physiotherapists (full-time equivalent).
| Year | Qualified GPs (FTE) | All GPs incl. trainees (FTE) |
|---|---|---|
| August 2023 | 4.3 | 5.3 |
| August 2024 | 4.3 | 6.0 |
| August 2025 | 4.3 | 6.4 |
| August 2026 | 5.6 | 8.3 |
From June 2026 to August 2026 the practice recorded 5,065 appointments a month, or 616 per 1,000 registered patients (England: 510). 55% were face to face (England: 63%). 64% took place on the day they were booked and 4% more than 28 days after booking (England: 45% and 5%).
59% were with a GP rather than another member of the practice team. 4% of booked patients did not attend.
| Measure | Forge Medical Practice | North East and North Cumbria | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Appointments per 1,000 patients a month | 616 | 550 | 510 |
| Face to face | 55% | 68% | 63% |
| Same day as booked | 64% | 42% | 45% |
| More than 28 days after booking | 4% | 6% | 5% |
| Did not attend | 4% | 4% | 4% |
Compared with England, the practice has a higher share of patients on its registers for COPD (3.3% against 1.9%), a learning disability (0.9% against 0.6%) and peripheral arterial disease (0.8% against 0.6%). It has a lower share for osteoporosis (0.5% against 1.2%). The practice's patients live in areas with an average deprivation score of 37.2 (England: 21.8; higher is more deprived).
Life expectancy for its patients' neighbourhoods is 80.3 years for women and 75.5 for men (England: 83.0 and 79.1).
| Condition register | Age group | Practice (2024/25) | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| High blood pressure | All ages | 20.3% | 15.2% |
| Depression | 18+ yrs | 13.1% | 14.3% |
| Diabetes | 17+ yrs | 8.4% | 7.9% |
| Asthma | 6+ yrs | 6.8% | 6.6% |
| Chronic kidney disease | 18+ yrs | 5.1% | 4.6% |
| Coronary heart disease | All ages | 4.3% | 3.0% |
| Cancer | All ages | 4.1% | 3.8% |
| COPD | All ages | 3.3% | 1.9% |
| Atrial fibrillation | All ages | 2.1% | 2.2% |
| Stroke and TIA | All ages | 2.1% | 1.9% |
| Heart failure | All ages | 1.3% | 1.1% |
| Epilepsy | 18+ yrs | 1.0% | 0.8% |
| Serious mental illness | All ages | 0.9% | 1.0% |
| Learning disability | All ages | 0.9% | 0.6% |
| Peripheral arterial disease | All ages | 0.8% | 0.6% |
| Dementia | All ages | 0.7% | 0.8% |
| Rheumatoid arthritis | 16+ yrs | 0.6% | 0.8% |
| Osteoporosis | 50+ yrs | 0.5% | 1.2% |
| Palliative care | All ages | 0.3% | 0.6% |
| Screening coverage | Period | Practice | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bowel cancer screening (aged 60 to 74) | 2024/25 | 70.2% | 72.9% |
| Breast cancer screening (women aged 53 to 70) | 2024/25 | 75.3% | 72.2% |
| Cervical screening (women aged 25 to 49) | 2023/24 | 62.9% | 67.5% |
| Cervical screening (women aged 50 to 64) | 2023/24 | 76.1% | 74.9% |
Forge Medical Practice, Pallion Park, Pallion, Sunderland, SR4 6QE. Phone: 0191 510 9393. Website: www.theoldforgesurgery.nhs.uk.
| Nearby practice | Distance | Overall experience good |
|---|---|---|
| Wearside Medical Practice | 0.2 km | 83% |
| Pallion Family Practice | 0.2 km | 79% |
| Hylton Medical Group | 0.2 km | 95% |
| Sunderland GP Alliance - Special Allocation Scheme | 0.2 km | -9700% |
| Dr Ahmed El Safy | 1.1 km | 90% |
- Broadway Medical Practice (86% overall experience good)
- Dr Ahmed El Safy (90% 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 Forge Medical Practice?
In the 2026 GP Patient Survey, 82% of patients described their overall experience of Forge Medical Practice as good, against 77% across England. 77% found it easy to get through by phone.
How many patients are registered at Forge Medical Practice?
8,226 patients were registered in September 2026, down 3.6% on a year earlier.
What is Forge Medical Practice's CQC rating?
Good overall, published in December 2022.
How many GPs does Forge Medical Practice have?
5.6 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs (7 qualified GPs by headcount), which is 1,465 patients per GP against 2,171 across England.
Are appointments at Forge Medical Practice face to face?
55% of appointments from June 2026 to August 2026 were face to face, against 63% across England.
What is Forge Medical Practice's phone number?
0191 510 9393.