Sunniside Surgery

27/08/2026

BANK HOLIDAY OPENING HOURS

The surgery will close from tomorrow evening the 28th of August , and will reopen on Tuesday 1st September at 07:30am.

In the event of an emergency, please call 999, for urgent medical advice contact 111. For any minor illnesses please check with your local pharmacy (their opening times may also differ with bank holiday weekend).

Thankyou

21/08/2026

Reasonable adjustments can help make healthcare more accessible for people with disabilities, learning disabilities, autism, sensory impairments, dementia and other long-term conditions 💙

The NHS has a legal duty to make reasonable adjustments so that everyone can access healthcare services as easily as possible. These adjustments are tailored to the individual and can make a big difference to someone's experience and wellbeing. 🌟

Examples of reasonable adjustments may include:
✅ Longer appointment times
✅ Easy Read information
✅ Communication support or interpreters
✅ A quiet place to wait
✅ Accessible appointment letters
✅ Support from a carer, family member or advocate
✅ Flexible appointment times

If you think you may benefit from reasonable adjustments, speak to your GP practice or healthcare provider. Letting staff know about your needs can help ensure you receive the right support whenever you access NHS services. 💙

Find out more:
https://www.england.nhs.uk/learning-disabilities/improving-health/reasonable-adjustments/

17/08/2026

💉 Flu vaccination appointments are now available!

If you’re eligible for a flu vaccine, please book your appointment via the NHS App.

📅 Appointments can be booked via the NHS App or by contacting the practice.

Getting vaccinated helps protect you, your family and those who may be more vulnerable to flu.

If you’re unsure whether you’re eligible, please contact the practice and we’ll be happy to advise.

13/08/2026

📱Make the most of your NHS App – and help us help you

We know that accessing GP services can sometimes be frustrating, and we want to make things as straightforward as possible for our patients.

Our surgery is currently under immense pressure, with very high demand for appointments, prescriptions, test results and administrative queries. At the same time, NHS services are facing significant financial pressures and funding constraints.

One simple way you can help us — and potentially save yourself time — is by making sure you have the NHS App downloaded and that notifications are switched ON. 🔔

Why use the NHS App?
✅ Receive important messages and updates from your GP surgery
✅ View test results when they are made available
✅ Order repeat prescriptions
✅ Manage appointments, check hospital referrals and access other NHS services
✅ Receive notifications rather than having to repeatedly contact the surgery
✅ Check whether information or an update is already available before contacting us

📲 Please check your NHS App first whenever you have a query. You may already have received a message, result, prescription update or other information that you need.

🔔 Please check your notifications
If you have the NHS App, please take a moment to check that notifications are enabled and that you are regularly checking the app.

This small step can make a real difference. Every telephone call, online query and reception contact takes staff time. By using the digital services available to you, you can often get the information you need without waiting to contact the practice.

We appreciate your patience and understanding while our hardworking team continues to provide care under exceptionally challenging circumstances.

Thank you for helping us to help you. ❤️

https://www.nhs.uk/nhs-app/

11/08/2026

💙 Take the first step towards a healthier you. We're here to support you! 💙

Our Exercise on Referral programme is designed to help adults with certain health conditions or health risks become more active in a safe, supportive and friendly environment.

For just £4 per session, you'll receive:
🏋️ A personalised exercise programme tailored to your needs
👨‍🏫 Support from specialist instructors throughout the 12-week programme
🤝 The opportunity to exercise with others in a welcoming group setting
❤️ Help to improve your physical health, confidence and overall wellbeing

Exercise on Referral can support people looking to:
✅ Lower blood pressure
✅ Manage diabetes
✅ Ease joint pain
✅ Support weight management
✅ Improve mental wellbeing
✅ Reduce the risk of long-term health conditions

To join the programme, you'll need a referral from your GP or another healthcare professional.

If you think Exercise on Referral could benefit you, speak to your GP or health professional about getting referred today.

📍 Gateshead Leisure Centre – Supporting our community every step of the way. 💙

10/08/2026

NHS APP

Following the recent power outage, which affected many GP practices over a two-day period, it reinforced the importance of having the NHS App enabled for both patients and the practice team.
When clinical systems were temporarily unavailable, the information stored and visible through the NHS App proved extremely helpful for patients and supported the team in maintaining communication as effectively as possible.
If you do not already have the NHS App, we would kindly encourage you to consider downloading it today and ensuring that notifications are switched on.
The NHS App is a safe, secure, and reliable way for us to communicate with you. It allows you to receive messages from the practice, view appointments, request prescriptions, and access important health information when available.
You can download the NHS App here:

🔗 https://www.nhs.uk/nhs-app/

Having more patients connected to the NHS App is a great help to both our patients and the practice team, particularly during periods when normal systems may be disrupted.
Thank you for supporting Sunniside Medical Practice and helping us improve safe and effective communication for everyone.

Use the NHS App to view your health information and manage your healthcare online using a phone, tablet or computer.

10/08/2026

UP-DATE 10/08/2026

We are pleased to advise that the surgery’s systems are now fully operational.

Thank you for your patience and understanding while we worked through this disruption.

07/08/2026

Update 07/08/2026 18:20 pm

The surgery continues to be affected by the nationwide IT outage impacting many GP practices. We will provide a further update on Monday morning.

If you have a medical emergency, please call 999. For urgent medical advice, contact 111 or speak to your local pharmacy.

If the outage has not been resolved by Monday, we kindly ask that you only contact the practice if your enquiry is urgent and cannot safely wait. Our team is continuing to work without access to our clinical systems, and we appreciate your patience and understanding during this time.

07/08/2026

Important Update – Ongoing Service Disruption

Sunniside Surgery is continuing to experience a major outage affecting all of our IT systems and telephone lines. As a result, we are currently unable to operate our services as normal.

If you require urgent medical treatment, please call 999. For medical advice, please contact NHS 111 or speak to your local pharmacy.

If you need to contact the practice today and your enquiry cannot wait until our systems are restored, please:

* Call 07434 827114

* Email [email protected]

We will continue to post updates throughout the day as more information becomes available.

We sincerely apologise for the disruption and appreciate how inconvenient this is. Please be assured that this issue is being treated as a high priority, and our staff are working hard to support patients and restore services as quickly as possible.

Thank you for your patience and understanding.

Please share this information

06/08/2026

PATIENT NOTICE

UPDATE: 07:15am we have came in this morning, computers and phones are still down.

UPDATE: We have been informed this is a national outage and we have yet to be given a time of when this will be resolved.

All of our computers and phones are down at the moment. We are working hard to get this fixed.

We will update this post when it is resolved.

In an emergency call 999, and any urgent medical advice contact 111.

Thankyou for your patience.