Pallion Family Practice, Sunderland: patient reviews and CQC rating
Pallion Family Practice is a GP practice in Sunderland with 9,854 registered patients (September 2026). In the 2026 GP Patient Survey, 79% 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 2017. It has 5.2 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs, or 1,913 patients per GP.
Latest data: September 2026. Patient survey 2026; registered patients September 2026; appointments to August 2026.
What patients say about Pallion Family Practice
Its best result against England is the share who found it easy to contact the practice using the NHS App: 70%, above the England figure of 54%. Its weakest is the share who found it easy to contact the practice through its website: 55%, against 58% across England. Of the 11 results in the table, 1 is above England and 0 below by more than the survey's margin of error, and 10 within it.
On overall experience it is 18th of the 26 practices in Sunderland with 50 or more responses. 65% found it easy to get through by phone (England: 57%). The overall experience result is 2 points lower than in 2025 (81%). 97 patients answered the survey (response rate 24%).
| Survey question | Pallion Family Practice | North East and North Cumbria | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overall experience good | 79% | 80% | 77% |
| Easy to contact by phone | 65% | 62% | 57% |
| Easy to contact via the website | 55% | 59% | 58% |
| Easy to contact via the NHS App | 70% | 58% | 54% |
| Reception team helpful | 86% | 88% | 85% |
| Last contact good | 75% | 76% | 73% |
| Wait for appointment about right | 75% | 72% | 69% |
| Listened to well | 92% | 89% | 87% |
| Treated with care and concern | 90% | 88% | 86% |
| Confidence and trust in the clinician | 91% | 93% | 93% |
| Needs met | 94% | 91% | 90% |
In the Friends and Family Test for July 2026, 92% of 552 responses rated the practice good or very good (England: 92%).
CQC's overall rating for Pallion Family Practice is Good, published in December 2017. All 5 key questions are rated Good. It held the same rating in the report before (November 2016).
| Key question | Rating |
|---|---|
| Safe | Good |
| Well-led | Good |
| Caring | Good |
| Responsive | Good |
| Effective | Good |
9,854 patients were registered at Pallion Family Practice in September 2026, down 1.6% on a year earlier (England: down 1.1%).
21% of its patients are aged 65 or over, against 19% across England. With 5.2 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs, there are 1,913 patients per GP, fewer than the England figure of 2,171 and North East and North Cumbria's 2,088. The practice also has 5.1 nurses and 1.6 other clinical staff such as pharmacists and physiotherapists (full-time equivalent).
| Year | Qualified GPs (FTE) | All GPs incl. trainees (FTE) |
|---|---|---|
| August 2023 | 3.6 | 4.7 |
| August 2024 | 3.0 | 4.1 |
| August 2025 | 5.2 | 6.2 |
| August 2026 | 5.2 | 6.2 |
From June 2026 to August 2026 the practice recorded 5,124 appointments a month, or 520 per 1,000 registered patients (England: 510). 84% were face to face (England: 63%). 38% took place on the day they were booked and 1% more than 28 days after booking (England: 45% and 5%).
36% were with a GP rather than another member of the practice team. 7% of booked patients did not attend.
| Measure | Pallion Family Practice | North East and North Cumbria | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Appointments per 1,000 patients a month | 520 | 550 | 510 |
| Face to face | 84% | 68% | 63% |
| Same day as booked | 38% | 42% | 45% |
| More than 28 days after booking | 1% | 6% | 5% |
| Did not attend | 7% | 4% | 4% |
Compared with England, the practice has a higher share of patients on its registers for peripheral arterial disease (1.0% against 0.6%), coronary heart disease (5.0% against 3.0%) and a learning disability (0.9% against 0.6%). It has a lower share for osteoporosis (0.2% against 1.2%) and heart failure (0.7% against 1.1%). The practice's patients live in areas with an average deprivation score of 35.1 (England: 21.8; higher is more deprived).
Life expectancy for its patients' neighbourhoods is 80.6 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 | 21.4% | 15.2% |
| Depression | 18+ yrs | 18.0% | 14.3% |
| Diabetes | 17+ yrs | 10.1% | 7.9% |
| Asthma | 6+ yrs | 6.1% | 6.6% |
| Coronary heart disease | All ages | 5.0% | 3.0% |
| Chronic kidney disease | 18+ yrs | 4.7% | 4.6% |
| Cancer | All ages | 4.4% | 3.8% |
| Atrial fibrillation | All ages | 2.9% | 2.2% |
| COPD | All ages | 2.7% | 1.9% |
| Stroke and TIA | All ages | 2.1% | 1.9% |
| Rheumatoid arthritis | 16+ yrs | 1.5% | 0.8% |
| Serious mental illness | All ages | 1.1% | 1.0% |
| Epilepsy | 18+ yrs | 1.1% | 0.8% |
| Peripheral arterial disease | All ages | 1.0% | 0.6% |
| Learning disability | All ages | 0.9% | 0.6% |
| Palliative care | All ages | 0.8% | 0.6% |
| Dementia | All ages | 0.7% | 0.8% |
| Heart failure | All ages | 0.7% | 1.1% |
| Osteoporosis | 50+ yrs | 0.2% | 1.2% |
| Screening coverage | Period | Practice | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bowel cancer screening (aged 60 to 74) | 2024/25 | 75.6% | 72.9% |
| Breast cancer screening (women aged 53 to 70) | 2024/25 | 78.5% | 72.2% |
| Cervical screening (women aged 25 to 49) | 2023/24 | 68.9% | 67.5% |
| Cervical screening (women aged 50 to 64) | 2023/24 | 78.4% | 74.9% |
Pallion Family Practice, Pallion Health Centre, Sunderland, SR4 7XF. Phone: 0191 567 4673. Website: www.drlefley.nhs.uk.
| Nearby practice | Distance | Overall experience good |
|---|---|---|
| Wearside Medical Practice | 0.0 km | 83% |
| Hylton Medical Group | 0.0 km | 95% |
| Sunderland GP Alliance - Special Allocation Scheme | 0.0 km | -9700% |
| Forge Medical Practice | 0.2 km | 82% |
| Dr Ahmed El Safy | 1.0 km | 90% |
- Broadway Medical Practice (86% overall experience good)
- Dr Ahmed El Safy (90% overall experience good)
- Forge Medical Practice (82% overall experience good)
- Hylton Medical Group (95% overall experience good)
- Millfield Medical Group (82% overall experience good)
- Wearside Medical Practice (83% overall experience good)
How do patients rate Pallion Family Practice?
In the 2026 GP Patient Survey, 79% of patients described their overall experience of Pallion Family Practice as good, against 77% across England. 65% found it easy to get through by phone.
How many patients are registered at Pallion Family Practice?
9,854 patients were registered in September 2026, down 1.6% on a year earlier.
What is Pallion Family Practice's CQC rating?
Good overall, published in December 2017.
How many GPs does Pallion Family Practice have?
5.2 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs (7 qualified GPs by headcount), which is 1,913 patients per GP against 2,171 across England.
Are appointments at Pallion Family Practice face to face?
84% of appointments from June 2026 to August 2026 were face to face, against 63% across England.
What is Pallion Family Practice's phone number?
0191 567 4673.