The Care Quality Commission
  • Doctor
  • GP practice

Southlands Medical Group

Overall: Good read more about inspection ratings

Ryhope Health Centre, Black Road, Ryhope, Sunderland, Tyne and Wear, SR2 0RX (0191) 521 0210

Provided and run by:
Southlands Medical Group

All Inspections

During an assessment under our new approach

Date of Assessment: 23 July 2026 to 13 August 2026. Southlands Medical Group is a GP practice and delivers services to approximately 11,000 patients under a contract held with NHS England. The practice provides services from Ryhope Health Centre, Black Road, Sunderland, SR2 0RX.

We carried out this assessment due to the time lapsed since our previous inspection in 2015, when the practice was rated good overall and for 4 key questions and outstanding for the key question of caring.

The National General Practice Profiles states that deprivation within the practice population group is in the 4th decile (1 of 10). The lower the decile, the more deprived the practice population is relative to others. According to the latest available data, the ethnic make-up of the practice area is 96.6% White, 1.6% Asian, 0.5% Black, 0.9% Mixed and 0.4% Other.

The service had a good learning culture and people could raise concerns. Managers investigated incidents thoroughly. People were protected and kept safe. Staff understood and managed risks. The facilities and equipment met the needs of people, were clean and well-maintained and any risks mitigated. There were enough staff with the right skills, qualifications and experience. Managers made sure staff received training and regular appraisals to maintain high-quality care. Staff managed medicines and involved people in planning any changes.

People were involved in assessments of their needs. Staff reviewed assessments taking account of people’s communication, personal and health needs. Care was based on latest evidence and good practice. Staff worked with all agencies involved in people’s care for the best outcomes and smooth transitions when moving services. Staff made sure people understood their care and treatment to enable them to give informed consent. Staff involved those important to people took decisions in people’s best interests where they did not have capacity.

People were treated with kindness and compassion. Staff protected their privacy and dignity. They treated them as individuals and supported their preferences. People had choice in their care and treatment. The service supported staff wellbeing.

People were involved in decisions about their care. The service provided information people could understand. People knew how to give feedback and were confident the service took it seriously and acted on it. The service was easy to access and worked to eliminate discrimination. People received fair and equal care and treatment. The service worked to reduce health and care inequalities through training and feedback. People were involved in planning their care and understood options around choosing to withdraw or not receive care.

Leaders and staff had a shared vision and culture based on listening, learning and trust. Leaders were visible, knowledgeable and supportive, helping staff develop in their roles. Staff felt supported to give feedback and were treated equally, free from bullying or harassment. Staff understood their roles and responsibilities. Managers worked with the local community to deliver the best possible care and were receptive to new ideas. There was a culture of continuous improvement with staff given time and resources to try new ideas.

1 April 2015

During a routine inspection

Letter from the Chief Inspector of General Practice

We carried out a comprehensive inspection of Southlands Medical Group on 1 April 2015

Overall, we rated the practice as good. Specifically, we found the practice to be good for providing safe, effective, responsive and well led services; and outstanding for providing caring services.

Our key findings were as follows:

  • Feedback from patients was overwhelmingly positive; they told us staff treated them with respect and kindness;
  • We reviewed 49 completed CQC comment cards and spoke with 14 patients. They were all very complimentary about the care provided by the practice. Results from the National GP Patient Survey were well above local and national averages;
  • Patients reported good access to the practice, with urgent appointments available the same day;
  • Patients we spoke with told us they felt they had sufficient time during their appointment;
  • Patients’ needs were assessed and care was planned and delivered following best practice guidance;
  • Staff understood and fulfilled their responsibilities to raise concerns, and to report incidents and near misses. Information about safety was recorded, monitored, reviewed and addressed;
  • There was a clear leadership structure and staff felt supported by the management team. The practice actively sought feedback from patients;
  • The practice was clean and hygienic, and good infection control arrangements were in place.

We saw some areas of outstanding practice including:

  • The practice had undertaken a significant amount of work in relation to access to the service. Separate systems were in place for patients to book planned (routine) and urgent appointments. There were daily clinics which were run by the nurse practitioner; patients did not need to book in advance to attend. The practice was part of a group of ten local GP practices taking part in an extended hours pilot. Patients from those surgeries were able to access services at a local health centre between 8:00am and 8:00pm weekdays and between 9:00am and 5:00pm at weekends.
  • There was a well-defined vision within the practice to put patients first. Staff understood that it may have been difficult for patients to make decisions about possible treatment during a 10 minute consultation. Patients were encouraged to go and consider their options and make a further appointment for a later date to discuss with a clinician. Despite the time constraints and pressures on appointments across GP practices nationally, the practice prioritised the welfare of patients and did not put pressure on people to make an immediate decision.
  • The practice actively reviewed complaints and had recently reviewed its arrangements for managing and responding to complaints. The revised approach demonstrated the people who use services were involved in the review of complaints. A decision had been taken to share (anonymised) details of all complaints with the Patient Reference Group (PRG), to promote openness and transparency. The PRG members we spoke with confirmed these arrangements were in place and told us they welcomed the opportunity to be involved in the process.

However, there was also an area of practice where the provider needs to make improvements.

The provider should:

  • put plans in place to ensure clinical audit cycles are completed.

Professor Steve Field CBE FRCP FFPH FRCGP 

Chief Inspector of General Practice