- GP practice
Sunniside Surgery Also known as Sunniside Medical Practice
Assessment report published 7 April 2026
Contents
Ratings
Our view of the service
Sunniside Surgery is a GP practice and delivers services to 3,908 patients under a contract held with NHS England.
The National General Practice Profiles states that according to the latest available data, the ethnic makeup of the practice area is 96% White, 1.75% Asian, 0.61% Black, 1.61% Mixed and Other 0.59%. Information published by Office for Health Improvement and Disparities shows that deprivation within the practice population group is in the 7 decile (7 of 10). The lower the decile, the more deprived the practice population is relative to others. This assessment considered the demographics of the people using the service, the context the service was working within and how this impacted service delivery. Where relevant, further commentary is provided in the quality statements section of this report.
The last comprehensive inspection of this service took place in April 2016, when it was rated as good overall and for the key questions of safe, effective, responsive and well led. The key question of caring was rated as outstanding.
We carried out this assessment on 19 and 24 February 2026 as a fully comprehensive inspection. The reason for the assessment was the length of time since the last inspection.
For this assessment the service maintained its overall rating of good.
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 well 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. Managers made sure staff received regular appraisals to maintain high-quality care. Staff mandatory training was up to date however managers did not have clear oversight of staff mandatory training completions on their management system should staff not have been up to date.
People's experience of this service
People were positive about the quality of their care and treatment. Recent survey results, including from the National GP Patient Survey and the NHS Friends and Family Test, showed people were satisfied with services.
In the 3 months prior to the assessment, the NHS Friends and Family Test results for the practice scored consistently 96% or above. In the months of November and December 2025, the results of good or very good were 100% and in January 2026 it was 96%.
In the National GP Patient Survey results for 2025, 99% of patients who responded said their overall experience of this GP practice was either good or fairly good against the National average of 70%.
We read numerous thank you cards received by the practice, which were very positive and thanked the staff for excellent care, kindness and support. There were also numerous friends and family comments which described the staff team as always friendly, caring, informative and professional with patients and their families.
The leader from the aligned care home provided positive feedback, noting that practice staff deliver high‑quality care and support to residents and their families. They described the staff as highly accessible, professional, and helpful, and highlighted that they take the time to really get to know their patients.
The practice did not have a Practice Participation Group which had been the case since the COVID-19 Pandemic in 2020. They had worked hard to attract members to reestablish the group, however, had been unsuccessful to date.