Litchdon Medical Centre, Barnstaple: patient reviews and CQC rating
Litchdon Medical Centre is a GP practice in Barnstaple with 16,759 registered patients (September 2026). In the 2026 GP Patient Survey, 82% of its patients described their overall experience as good, against 77% across England (Devon: 79%). The Care Quality Commission rates it Outstanding overall, in a report published in December 2019. It has 8.4 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs, or 1,990 patients per GP.
Latest data: September 2026. Patient survey 2026; registered patients September 2026; appointments to August 2026.
What patients say about Litchdon Medical Centre
Its best result against England is the share who found it easy to get through to the practice by phone: 80%, above the England figure of 57%. Its weakest is the share who said the wait for their last appointment was about right: 42%, below the England figure of 69%. Of the 11 results in the table, 2 are above England and 1 below by more than the survey's margin of error, and 8 within it.
On overall experience it is 2nd of the 4 practices in Barnstaple with 50 or more responses. 80% found it easy to get through by phone (England: 57%). The overall experience result is unchanged from 2025 (82%). 94 patients answered the survey (response rate 29%).
| Survey question | Litchdon Medical Centre | Devon | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overall experience good | 82% | 79% | 77% |
| Easy to contact by phone | 80% | 59% | 57% |
| Easy to contact via the website | 53% | 62% | 58% |
| Easy to contact via the NHS App | 41% | 55% | 54% |
| Reception team helpful | 93% | 87% | 85% |
| Last contact good | 78% | 76% | 73% |
| Wait for appointment about right | 42% | 70% | 69% |
| Listened to well | 89% | 90% | 87% |
| Treated with care and concern | 84% | 88% | 86% |
| Confidence and trust in the clinician | 88% | 94% | 93% |
| Needs met | 95% | 91% | 90% |
In the Friends and Family Test for July 2026, 94% of 470 responses rated the practice good or very good (England: 92%).
CQC's overall rating for Litchdon Medical Centre is Outstanding, published in December 2019. 3 key questions are rated differently: Safe Good, Caring Good and Effective Good. It held the same rating in the report before (October 2015).
| Key question | Rating |
|---|---|
| Safe | Good |
| Well-led | Outstanding |
| Caring | Good |
| Responsive | Outstanding |
| Effective | Good |
16,759 patients were registered at Litchdon Medical Centre in September 2026, almost the same as a year earlier.
25% of its patients are aged 65 or over, against 19% across England. With 8.4 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs, there are 1,990 patients per GP, close to the England figure of 2,171 and Devon's 1,863. The practice also has 8.7 nurses and 5.3 other clinical staff such as pharmacists and physiotherapists (full-time equivalent).
| Year | Qualified GPs (FTE) | All GPs incl. trainees (FTE) |
|---|---|---|
| August 2023 | 9.0 | 13.2 |
| August 2024 | 8.8 | 11.8 |
| August 2025 | 8.4 | 12.7 |
| August 2026 | 8.4 | 11.6 |
From June 2026 to August 2026 the practice recorded 9,357 appointments a month, or 558 per 1,000 registered patients (England: 510). 50% were face to face (England: 63%). 33% took place on the day they were booked and 14% more than 28 days after booking (England: 45% and 5%).
27% were with a GP rather than another member of the practice team. 3% of booked patients did not attend.
| Measure | Litchdon Medical Centre | Devon | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Appointments per 1,000 patients a month | 558 | 626 | 510 |
| Face to face | 50% | 54% | 63% |
| Same day as booked | 33% | 45% | 45% |
| More than 28 days after booking | 14% | 6% | 5% |
| Did not attend | 3% | 3% | 4% |
Compared with England, the practice has a higher share of patients on its registers for coronary heart disease (5.0% against 3.0%), cancer (6.1% against 3.8%) and heart failure (1.7% against 1.1%). The practice's patients live in areas with an average deprivation score of 21.0 (England: 21.8; higher is more deprived). Life expectancy for its patients' neighbourhoods is 84.6 years for women and 79.6 for men (England: 83.0 and 79.1).
| Condition register | Age group | Practice (2024/25) | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| High blood pressure | All ages | 17.7% | 15.2% |
| Depression | 18+ yrs | 14.4% | 14.3% |
| Asthma | 6+ yrs | 8.9% | 6.6% |
| Diabetes | 17+ yrs | 8.2% | 7.9% |
| Cancer | All ages | 6.1% | 3.8% |
| Chronic kidney disease | 18+ yrs | 5.1% | 4.6% |
| Coronary heart disease | All ages | 5.0% | 3.0% |
| Atrial fibrillation | All ages | 3.2% | 2.2% |
| Stroke and TIA | All ages | 2.9% | 1.9% |
| COPD | All ages | 2.0% | 1.9% |
| Heart failure | All ages | 1.7% | 1.1% |
| Osteoporosis | 50+ yrs | 1.4% | 1.2% |
| Epilepsy | 18+ yrs | 1.1% | 0.8% |
| Serious mental illness | All ages | 1.0% | 1.0% |
| Rheumatoid arthritis | 16+ yrs | 0.9% | 0.8% |
| Dementia | All ages | 0.9% | 0.8% |
| Palliative care | All ages | 0.6% | 0.6% |
| Peripheral arterial disease | All ages | 0.6% | 0.6% |
| Learning disability | All ages | 0.5% | 0.6% |
| Screening coverage | Period | Practice | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bowel cancer screening (aged 60 to 74) | 2024/25 | 78.5% | 72.9% |
| Breast cancer screening (women aged 53 to 70) | 2024/25 | 78.7% | 72.2% |
| Cervical screening (women aged 25 to 49) | 2023/24 | 79.6% | 67.5% |
| Cervical screening (women aged 50 to 64) | 2023/24 | 80.6% | 74.9% |
Litchdon Medical Centre, Landkey Road, Barnstaple, EX32 9LL. Phone: 01271 323443. Website: www.litchdonmedicalgroup.co.uk.
| Nearby practice | Distance | Overall experience good |
|---|---|---|
| Brannam Medical Centre | 1.3 km | 90% |
| Queen's Medical Centre | 1.6 km | 78% |
| Fremington Medical Centre | 5.6 km | 79% |
| Caen Medical Centre | 9.5 km | 73% |
| The Wooda Surgery | 12.5 km | 97% |
- Brannam Medical Centre (90% overall experience good)
- Fremington Medical Centre (79% overall experience good)
- Queen's Medical Centre (78% overall experience good)
How do patients rate Litchdon Medical Centre?
In the 2026 GP Patient Survey, 82% of patients described their overall experience of Litchdon Medical Centre as good, against 77% across England. 80% found it easy to get through by phone.
How many patients are registered at Litchdon Medical Centre?
16,759 patients were registered in September 2026, down 0.4% on a year earlier.
What is Litchdon Medical Centre's CQC rating?
Outstanding overall, published in December 2019.
How many GPs does Litchdon Medical Centre have?
8.4 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs (13 qualified GPs by headcount), which is 1,990 patients per GP against 2,171 across England.
Are appointments at Litchdon Medical Centre face to face?
50% of appointments from June 2026 to August 2026 were face to face, against 63% across England.
What is Litchdon Medical Centre's phone number?
01271 323443.