Happy House Surgery, Sunderland: patient reviews and CQC rating
Happy House Surgery is a GP practice in Sunderland with 8,068 registered patients (September 2026). In the 2026 GP Patient Survey, 88% 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 August 2016. It has 2.0 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs, or 4,034 patients per GP.
Latest data: September 2026. Patient survey 2026; registered patients September 2026; appointments to August 2026.
What patients say about Happy House Surgery
Its best result against England is the share who found it easy to get through to the practice by phone: 87%, above the England figure of 57%. Its result closest to England is the share who said their needs were met at their last appointment: 92%, 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 8th of the 26 practices in Sunderland with 50 or more responses. 87% found it easy to get through by phone (England: 57%). The overall experience result is 2 points lower than in 2025 (90%). 102 patients answered the survey (response rate 23%).
| Survey question | Happy House Surgery | North East and North Cumbria | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overall experience good | 88% | 80% | 77% |
| Easy to contact by phone | 87% | 62% | 57% |
| Easy to contact via the website | 76% | 59% | 58% |
| Easy to contact via the NHS App | 76% | 58% | 54% |
| Reception team helpful | 96% | 88% | 85% |
| Last contact good | 88% | 76% | 73% |
| Wait for appointment about right | 72% | 72% | 69% |
| Listened to well | 92% | 89% | 87% |
| Treated with care and concern | 92% | 88% | 86% |
| Confidence and trust in the clinician | 97% | 93% | 93% |
| Needs met | 92% | 91% | 90% |
In the Friends and Family Test for July 2026, 98% of 252 responses rated the practice good or very good (England: 92%).
CQC's overall rating for Happy House Surgery is Good, published in August 2016. All 5 key questions are rated Good.
| Key question | Rating |
|---|---|
| Safe | Good |
| Well-led | Good |
| Caring | Good |
| Responsive | Good |
| Effective | Good |
8,068 patients were registered at Happy House Surgery in September 2026, down 0.8% on a year earlier (England: down 1.1%).
18% of its patients are aged 65 or over, against 19% across England. With 2.0 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs, there are 4,034 patients per GP, more than the England figure of 2,171 and North East and North Cumbria's 2,088. The practice also has 5.1 nurses and 3.2 other clinical staff such as pharmacists and physiotherapists (full-time equivalent).
| Year | Qualified GPs (FTE) | All GPs incl. trainees (FTE) |
|---|---|---|
| August 2023 | 3.0 | 3.0 |
| August 2024 | 3.2 | 3.2 |
| August 2025 | 3.2 | 3.2 |
| August 2026 | 2.0 | 2.0 |
From June 2026 to August 2026 the practice recorded 4,744 appointments a month, or 588 per 1,000 registered patients (England: 510). 72% were face to face (England: 63%). 43% took place on the day they were booked and 1% more than 28 days after booking (England: 45% and 5%).
21% were with a GP rather than another member of the practice team. 5% of booked patients did not attend.
| Measure | Happy House Surgery | North East and North Cumbria | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Appointments per 1,000 patients a month | 588 | 550 | 510 |
| Face to face | 72% | 68% | 63% |
| Same day as booked | 43% | 42% | 45% |
| More than 28 days after booking | 1% | 6% | 5% |
| Did not attend | 5% | 4% | 4% |
Compared with England, the practice has a higher share of patients on its registers for a learning disability (1.6% against 0.6%), epilepsy (1.4% against 0.8%) and serious mental illness (1.7% against 1.0%). It has a lower share for osteoporosis (0.4% against 1.2%), palliative or supportive care needs (0.3% against 0.6%) and chronic kidney disease (2.7% against 4.6%). The practice's patients live in areas with an average deprivation score of 38.2 (England: 21.8; higher is more deprived).
Life expectancy for its patients' neighbourhoods is 81.3 years for women and 76.5 for men (England: 83.0 and 79.1).
| Condition register | Age group | Practice (2024/25) | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Depression | 18+ yrs | 21.7% | 14.3% |
| High blood pressure | All ages | 18.0% | 15.2% |
| Diabetes | 17+ yrs | 9.3% | 7.9% |
| Asthma | 6+ yrs | 7.9% | 6.6% |
| Coronary heart disease | All ages | 4.4% | 3.0% |
| Cancer | All ages | 3.4% | 3.8% |
| COPD | All ages | 3.1% | 1.9% |
| Chronic kidney disease | 18+ yrs | 2.7% | 4.6% |
| Atrial fibrillation | All ages | 2.0% | 2.2% |
| Stroke and TIA | All ages | 1.9% | 1.9% |
| Serious mental illness | All ages | 1.7% | 1.0% |
| Learning disability | All ages | 1.6% | 0.6% |
| Epilepsy | 18+ yrs | 1.4% | 0.8% |
| Peripheral arterial disease | All ages | 0.8% | 0.6% |
| Rheumatoid arthritis | 16+ yrs | 0.8% | 0.8% |
| Dementia | All ages | 0.8% | 0.8% |
| Heart failure | All ages | 0.8% | 1.1% |
| Osteoporosis | 50+ yrs | 0.4% | 1.2% |
| Palliative care | All ages | 0.3% | 0.6% |
| Screening coverage | Period | Practice | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bowel cancer screening (aged 60 to 74) | 2024/25 | 74.4% | 72.9% |
| Breast cancer screening (women aged 53 to 70) | 2024/25 | 73.1% | 72.2% |
| Cervical screening (women aged 25 to 49) | 2023/24 | 75.7% | 67.5% |
| Cervical screening (women aged 50 to 64) | 2023/24 | 75.5% | 74.9% |
Happy House Surgery, Durham Road, Sunderland, SR3 4BY. Phone: 0191 528 2222.
| Nearby practice | Distance | Overall experience good |
|---|---|---|
| Springwell Medical Group | 0.6 km | 93% |
| Broadway Medical Practice | 0.6 km | 86% |
| Village Surgery | 1.9 km | 92% |
| New Silksworth Medical Practice | 1.9 km | 78% |
| Dr Ahmed El Safy | 2.1 km | 90% |
- New Silksworth Medical Practice (78% overall experience good)
- South Hylton Surgery (66% overall experience good)
- Springwell Medical Group (93% overall experience good)
- Village Surgery (92% overall experience good)
How do patients rate Happy House Surgery?
In the 2026 GP Patient Survey, 88% of patients described their overall experience of Happy House Surgery as good, above the England figure of 77%. 87% found it easy to get through by phone.
How many patients are registered at Happy House Surgery?
8,068 patients were registered in September 2026, down 0.8% on a year earlier.
What is Happy House Surgery's CQC rating?
Good overall, published in August 2016.
How many GPs does Happy House Surgery have?
2.0 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs (2 qualified GPs by headcount), which is 4,034 patients per GP against 2,171 across England.
Are appointments at Happy House Surgery face to face?
72% of appointments from June 2026 to August 2026 were face to face, against 63% across England.
What is Happy House Surgery's phone number?
0191 528 2222.