Fulwell Medical Centre, Sunderland: patient reviews and CQC rating
Fulwell Medical Centre is a GP practice in Sunderland with 9,152 registered patients (September 2026). In the 2026 GP Patient Survey, 89% 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 September 2016. It has 5.3 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs, or 1,743 patients per GP.
Latest data: September 2026. Patient survey 2026; registered patients September 2026; appointments to August 2026.
What patients say about Fulwell Medical Centre
Its best result against England is the share who found it easy to contact the practice using the NHS App: 90%, above the England figure of 54%. Its result closest to England is the share who said the wait for their last appointment was about right: 73%, against 69% 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 7th of the 26 practices in Sunderland with 50 or more responses. 85% found it easy to get through by phone (England: 57%). The overall experience result is 5 points lower than in 2025 (94%). 112 patients answered the survey (response rate 32%).
| Survey question | Fulwell Medical Centre | North East and North Cumbria | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overall experience good | 89% | 80% | 77% |
| Easy to contact by phone | 85% | 62% | 57% |
| Easy to contact via the website | 76% | 59% | 58% |
| Easy to contact via the NHS App | 90% | 58% | 54% |
| Reception team helpful | 94% | 88% | 85% |
| Last contact good | 86% | 76% | 73% |
| Wait for appointment about right | 73% | 72% | 69% |
| Listened to well | 93% | 89% | 87% |
| Treated with care and concern | 95% | 88% | 86% |
| Confidence and trust in the clinician | 98% | 93% | 93% |
| Needs met | 98% | 91% | 90% |
CQC's overall rating for Fulwell Medical Centre is Good, published in September 2016. All 5 key questions are rated Good.
| Key question | Rating |
|---|---|
| Safe | Good |
| Well-led | Good |
| Caring | Good |
| Responsive | Good |
| Effective | Good |
9,152 patients were registered at Fulwell Medical Centre in September 2026, almost the same as a year earlier.
29% of its patients are aged 65 or over, against 19% across England. With 5.3 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs, there are 1,743 patients per GP, fewer than the England figure of 2,171 and North East and North Cumbria's 2,088. The practice also has 3.6 nurses and 3.7 other clinical staff such as pharmacists and physiotherapists (full-time equivalent).
| Year | Qualified GPs (FTE) | All GPs incl. trainees (FTE) |
|---|---|---|
| August 2023 | 4.8 | 5.9 |
| August 2024 | 4.1 | 5.2 |
| August 2025 | 5.3 | 7.4 |
| August 2026 | 5.3 | 6.3 |
From June 2026 to August 2026 the practice recorded 5,350 appointments a month, or 585 per 1,000 registered patients (England: 510). 79% were face to face (England: 63%). 53% took place on the day they were booked and 9% more than 28 days after booking (England: 45% and 5%).
30% were with a GP rather than another member of the practice team. 2% of booked patients did not attend.
| Measure | Fulwell Medical Centre | North East and North Cumbria | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Appointments per 1,000 patients a month | 585 | 550 | 510 |
| Face to face | 79% | 68% | 63% |
| Same day as booked | 53% | 42% | 45% |
| More than 28 days after booking | 9% | 6% | 5% |
| Did not attend | 2% | 4% | 4% |
Compared with England, the practice has a higher share of patients on its registers for cancer (6.7% against 3.8%), atrial fibrillation (3.8% against 2.2%) and coronary heart disease (5.0% against 3.0%). It has a lower share for osteoporosis (0.4% against 1.2%). The practice's patients live in areas with an average deprivation score of 13.8 (England: 21.8; higher is more deprived).
Life expectancy for its patients' neighbourhoods is 83.2 years for women and 79.4 for men (England: 83.0 and 79.1).
| Condition register | Age group | Practice (2024/25) | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| High blood pressure | All ages | 22.1% | 15.2% |
| Depression | 18+ yrs | 17.9% | 14.3% |
| Asthma | 6+ yrs | 7.8% | 6.6% |
| Diabetes | 17+ yrs | 7.7% | 7.9% |
| Chronic kidney disease | 18+ yrs | 7.1% | 4.6% |
| Cancer | All ages | 6.7% | 3.8% |
| Coronary heart disease | All ages | 5.0% | 3.0% |
| Atrial fibrillation | All ages | 3.8% | 2.2% |
| Stroke and TIA | All ages | 2.7% | 1.9% |
| COPD | All ages | 2.5% | 1.9% |
| Dementia | All ages | 1.0% | 0.8% |
| Heart failure | All ages | 1.0% | 1.1% |
| Rheumatoid arthritis | 16+ yrs | 0.9% | 0.8% |
| Epilepsy | 18+ yrs | 0.9% | 0.8% |
| Serious mental illness | All ages | 0.8% | 1.0% |
| Peripheral arterial disease | All ages | 0.7% | 0.6% |
| Learning disability | All ages | 0.5% | 0.6% |
| Palliative care | All ages | 0.5% | 0.6% |
| Osteoporosis | 50+ yrs | 0.4% | 1.2% |
| Screening coverage | Period | Practice | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bowel cancer screening (aged 60 to 74) | 2024/25 | 84.1% | 72.9% |
| Breast cancer screening (women aged 53 to 70) | 2024/25 | 85.3% | 72.2% |
| Cervical screening (women aged 25 to 49) | 2023/24 | 79.6% | 67.5% |
| Cervical screening (women aged 50 to 64) | 2023/24 | 81.6% | 74.9% |
Fulwell Medical Centre, Ebdon Lane, Fulwell, Sunderland, SR6 8DZ. Phone: 0191 548 3635.
| Nearby practice | Distance | Overall experience good |
|---|---|---|
| Bridge View Medical Group | 1.7 km | 72% |
| St Bede Medical Centre | 1.9 km | 79% |
| Monkwearmouth Health Centre | 1.9 km | 80% |
| Redhouse Medical Centre | 2.7 km | 58% |
| Whitburn Surgery | 2.7 km | 57% |
- Bridge View Medical Group (72% overall experience good)
- Castletown Medical Centre (82% overall experience good)
- Monkwearmouth Health Centre (80% overall experience good)
- Redhouse Medical Centre (58% overall experience good)
- St Bede Medical Centre (79% overall experience good)
How do patients rate Fulwell Medical Centre?
In the 2026 GP Patient Survey, 89% of patients described their overall experience of Fulwell Medical Centre as good, above the England figure of 77%. 85% found it easy to get through by phone.
How many patients are registered at Fulwell Medical Centre?
9,152 patients were registered in September 2026, down 0.4% on a year earlier.
What is Fulwell Medical Centre's CQC rating?
Good overall, published in September 2016.
How many GPs does Fulwell Medical Centre have?
5.3 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs (9 qualified GPs by headcount), which is 1,743 patients per GP against 2,171 across England.
Are appointments at Fulwell Medical Centre face to face?
79% of appointments from June 2026 to August 2026 were face to face, against 63% across England.
What is Fulwell Medical Centre's phone number?
0191 548 3635.