- GP practice
Southlands Medical Group
Assessment report published 16 October 2026
Contents
Ratings
Our view of the service
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.
People's experience of this service
Feedback from patients from the various sources of information available was positive.
The practice told us they received over 500 NHS friends and family test results each month, with consistently high levels of patient satisfaction. Around 98% of respondents rated their experience as either very good or good.
The most recent National GP Patient Survey results were well above the national average. (results reported on are from 2 January 2026 to 13 April 2026). For example, the percentage of respondents to the National GP Patient Survey who responded positively to the overall experience of their GP practice was 96.4%, while the national average was 76.7%. The practice scored highest from 39 local GP practices for this score.
The practice provided us with analysis of 11 compliments they had received in the last year. These included emails and thank cards. They praised staff for going above and beyond their role, being supportive, caring and professional. Many staff were mentioned by name.
We received 1 item of patient feedback via our give feedback on care facility during our assessment. This was wholly positive.
There was a patient participation group (PPG) who represented the views of people using the service. The members told us they consistently listen to the views of the group. For example, when concerns were raised regarding the lack of disabled parking bays, positive changes were made. The practice were open and honest, with the group. For example, they shared annual reviews of complaints to advise of any patterns or trends.
As patients, the members of the group told us they were extremely satisfied with the care provided by the practice. The said they had gone above and beyond to assist with appointments. The introduction of Saturday open‑access appointments has been beneficial.
We contacted a care home where the practice had patients as residents. The care home manager told us the practice were very responsive and caring for the residents and they had a good relationship; nothing was too much trouble, particularly when a resident was unwell.