Whitburn Surgery, Sunderland: patient reviews and CQC rating
Whitburn Surgery is a GP practice in Sunderland with 5,210 registered patients (September 2026). In the 2026 GP Patient Survey, 57% of its patients described their overall experience as good, below the England figure of 77% (North East and North Cumbria: 80%). The Care Quality Commission rates it Good overall, in a report published in February 2017. It has 1.7 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs, or 3,151 patients per GP.
Latest data: September 2026. Patient survey 2026; registered patients September 2026; appointments to August 2026.
What patients say about Whitburn Surgery
Its result closest to England is the share who said they were treated with care and concern: 82%, against 86% across England. Its weakest is the share who found it easy to contact the practice through its website: 31%, below the England figure of 58%. Of the 11 results in the table, 0 are above England and 9 below by more than the survey's margin of error, and 2 within it.
On overall experience it is 26th of the 26 practices in Sunderland with 50 or more responses. 38% found it easy to get through by phone (England: 57%). The overall experience result is 19 points lower than in 2025 (76%). 90 patients answered the survey (response rate 28%).
| Survey question | Whitburn Surgery | North East and North Cumbria | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overall experience good | 57% | 80% | 77% |
| Easy to contact by phone | 38% | 62% | 57% |
| Easy to contact via the website | 31% | 59% | 58% |
| Easy to contact via the NHS App | 37% | 58% | 54% |
| Reception team helpful | 75% | 88% | 85% |
| Last contact good | 58% | 76% | 73% |
| Wait for appointment about right | 51% | 72% | 69% |
| Listened to well | 79% | 89% | 87% |
| Treated with care and concern | 82% | 88% | 86% |
| Confidence and trust in the clinician | 85% | 93% | 93% |
| Needs met | 85% | 91% | 90% |
In the Friends and Family Test for July 2026, 92% of 184 responses rated the practice good or very good (England: 92%).
CQC's overall rating for Whitburn Surgery is Good, published in February 2017. All 5 key questions are rated Good. Its previous overall rating was Requires Improvement (July 2016).
| Key question | Rating |
|---|---|
| Safe | Good |
| Well-led | Good |
| Caring | Good |
| Responsive | Good |
| Effective | Good |
5,210 patients were registered at Whitburn Surgery in September 2026, down 2.3% on a year earlier (England: down 1.1%).
27% of its patients are aged 65 or over, against 19% across England. With 1.7 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs, there are 3,151 patients per GP, more than the England figure of 2,171 and North East and North Cumbria's 2,088. The practice also has 1.6 nurses and 1.9 other clinical staff such as pharmacists and physiotherapists (full-time equivalent).
| Year | Qualified GPs (FTE) | All GPs incl. trainees (FTE) |
|---|---|---|
| August 2023 | 2.0 | 2.0 |
| August 2024 | 2.0 | 2.0 |
| August 2025 | 2.0 | 2.0 |
| August 2026 | 1.7 | 1.7 |
From June 2026 to August 2026 the practice recorded 2,127 appointments a month, or 408 per 1,000 registered patients (England: 510). 69% were face to face (England: 63%). 32% took place on the day they were booked and 4% more than 28 days after booking (England: 45% and 5%).
46% were with a GP rather than another member of the practice team. 5% of booked patients did not attend.
| Measure | Whitburn Surgery | North East and North Cumbria | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Appointments per 1,000 patients a month | 408 | 550 | 510 |
| Face to face | 69% | 68% | 63% |
| Same day as booked | 32% | 42% | 45% |
| More than 28 days after booking | 4% | 6% | 5% |
| Did not attend | 5% | 4% | 4% |
Compared with England, the practice has a higher share of patients on its registers for osteoporosis (3.0% against 1.2%), COPD (3.2% against 1.9%) and chronic kidney disease (7.6% against 4.6%). It has a lower share for depression (9.9% against 14.3%). The practice's patients live in areas with an average deprivation score of 17.8 (England: 21.8; higher is more deprived).
Life expectancy for its patients' neighbourhoods is 81.4 years for women and 79.7 for men (England: 83.0 and 79.1).
| Condition register | Age group | Practice (2024/25) | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| High blood pressure | All ages | 19.8% | 15.2% |
| Depression | 18+ yrs | 9.9% | 14.3% |
| Diabetes | 17+ yrs | 8.9% | 7.9% |
| Asthma | 6+ yrs | 7.7% | 6.6% |
| Chronic kidney disease | 18+ yrs | 7.6% | 4.6% |
| Cancer | All ages | 5.7% | 3.8% |
| Coronary heart disease | All ages | 4.6% | 3.0% |
| Atrial fibrillation | All ages | 3.4% | 2.2% |
| COPD | All ages | 3.2% | 1.9% |
| Osteoporosis | 50+ yrs | 3.0% | 1.2% |
| Stroke and TIA | All ages | 2.3% | 1.9% |
| Heart failure | All ages | 1.6% | 1.1% |
| Serious mental illness | All ages | 0.9% | 1.0% |
| Rheumatoid arthritis | 16+ yrs | 0.8% | 0.8% |
| Dementia | All ages | 0.8% | 0.8% |
| Peripheral arterial disease | All ages | 0.7% | 0.6% |
| Epilepsy | 18+ yrs | 0.6% | 0.8% |
| Learning disability | All ages | 0.5% | 0.6% |
| Palliative care | All ages | 0.4% | 0.6% |
| Screening coverage | Period | Practice | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bowel cancer screening (aged 60 to 74) | 2024/25 | 79.6% | 72.9% |
| Breast cancer screening (women aged 53 to 70) | 2024/25 | 79.1% | 72.2% |
| Cervical screening (women aged 25 to 49) | 2023/24 | 78.9% | 67.5% |
| Cervical screening (women aged 50 to 64) | 2023/24 | 79.7% | 74.9% |
Whitburn Surgery, 3 Bryers Street, Whitburn, Sunderland, SR6 7EE. Phone: 0191 529 3039.
| Nearby practice | Distance | Overall experience good |
|---|---|---|
| Fulwell Medical Centre | 2.7 km | 89% |
| Marsden Road Health Centre | 3.8 km | 90% |
| Central Surgery | 3.8 km | 72% |
| Bridge View Medical Group | 4.4 km | 72% |
| St Bede Medical Centre | 4.4 km | 79% |
- Central Surgery (72% overall experience good)
- Colliery Court Medical Group (91% overall experience good)
- Dr Thorniley-Walker and Partners (75% overall experience good)
- Imeary Medical Group (89% overall experience good)
- Marsden Road Health Centre (90% overall experience good)
How do patients rate Whitburn Surgery?
In the 2026 GP Patient Survey, 57% of patients described their overall experience of Whitburn Surgery as good, below the England figure of 77%. 38% found it easy to get through by phone.
How many patients are registered at Whitburn Surgery?
5,210 patients were registered in September 2026, down 2.3% on a year earlier.
What is Whitburn Surgery's CQC rating?
Good overall, published in February 2017.
How many GPs does Whitburn Surgery have?
1.7 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs (3 qualified GPs by headcount), which is 3,151 patients per GP against 2,171 across England.
Are appointments at Whitburn Surgery face to face?
69% of appointments from June 2026 to August 2026 were face to face, against 63% across England.
What is Whitburn Surgery's phone number?
0191 529 3039.