Queen's Medical Centre, Barnstaple: patient reviews and CQC rating
Queen's Medical Centre is a GP practice in Barnstaple with 11,288 registered patients (September 2026). In the 2026 GP Patient Survey, 78% of its patients described their overall experience as good, against 77% across England (Devon: 79%). The Care Quality Commission rates it Good overall, in a report published in February 2016. It has 3.0 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs, or 3,739 patients per GP.
Latest data: September 2026. Patient survey 2026; registered patients September 2026; appointments to August 2026.
What patients say about Queen's Medical Centre
Its best result against England is the share who found it easy to contact the practice using the NHS App: 78%, above the England figure of 54%. Its weakest is the share who found it easy to contact the practice through its website: 42%, against 58% across England. Of the 11 results in the table, 1 is above England and 0 below by more than the survey's margin of error, and 10 within it.
On overall experience it is 4th of the 4 practices in Barnstaple with 50 or more responses. 53% found it easy to get through by phone (England: 57%). The overall experience result is 26 points higher than in 2025 (52%). 99 patients answered the survey (response rate 24%).
| Survey question | Queen's Medical Centre | Devon | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overall experience good | 78% | 79% | 77% |
| Easy to contact by phone | 53% | 59% | 57% |
| Easy to contact via the website | 42% | 62% | 58% |
| Easy to contact via the NHS App | 78% | 55% | 54% |
| Reception team helpful | 88% | 87% | 85% |
| Last contact good | 71% | 76% | 73% |
| Wait for appointment about right | 65% | 70% | 69% |
| Listened to well | 81% | 90% | 87% |
| Treated with care and concern | 84% | 88% | 86% |
| Confidence and trust in the clinician | 91% | 94% | 93% |
| Needs met | 84% | 91% | 90% |
In the Friends and Family Test for July 2026, 66% of 139 responses rated the practice good or very good (England: 92%).
CQC's overall rating for Queen's Medical Centre is Good, published in February 2016. All 5 key questions are rated Good.
| Key question | Rating |
|---|---|
| Safe | Good |
| Well-led | Good |
| Caring | Good |
| Responsive | Good |
| Effective | Good |
11,288 patients were registered at Queen's Medical Centre in September 2026, down 3.3% on a year earlier (England: down 1.1%).
21% of its patients are aged 65 or over, against 19% across England. With 3.0 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs, there are 3,739 patients per GP, more than the England figure of 2,171 and Devon's 1,863. The practice also has 4.6 nurses and 3.5 other clinical staff such as pharmacists and physiotherapists (full-time equivalent).
| Year | Qualified GPs (FTE) | All GPs incl. trainees (FTE) |
|---|---|---|
| August 2023 | 1.6 | 1.6 |
| August 2024 | 1.6 | 1.6 |
| August 2025 | 2.2 | 2.2 |
| August 2026 | 3.0 | 3.0 |
From June 2026 to August 2026 the practice recorded 5,034 appointments a month, or 446 per 1,000 registered patients (England: 510). 78% were face to face (England: 63%). 23% took place on the day they were booked and 8% more than 28 days after booking (England: 45% and 5%).
33% were with a GP rather than another member of the practice team. 6% of booked patients did not attend.
| Measure | Queen's Medical Centre | Devon | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Appointments per 1,000 patients a month | 446 | 626 | 510 |
| Face to face | 78% | 54% | 63% |
| Same day as booked | 23% | 45% | 45% |
| More than 28 days after booking | 8% | 6% | 5% |
| Did not attend | 6% | 3% | 4% |
Compared with England, the practice has a higher share of patients on its registers for peripheral arterial disease (0.8% against 0.6%), coronary heart disease (4.1% against 3.0%) and stroke or TIA (2.6% against 1.9%). It has a lower share for osteoporosis (0.2% against 1.2%) and palliative or supportive care needs (0.3% against 0.6%). The practice's patients live in areas with an average deprivation score of 26.1 (England: 21.8; higher is more deprived).
Life expectancy for its patients' neighbourhoods is 84.5 years for women and 79.5 for men (England: 83.0 and 79.1).
| Condition register | Age group | Practice (2024/25) | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| High blood pressure | All ages | 14.4% | 15.2% |
| Depression | 18+ yrs | 13.4% | 14.3% |
| Diabetes | 17+ yrs | 7.1% | 7.9% |
| Asthma | 6+ yrs | 6.9% | 6.6% |
| Chronic kidney disease | 18+ yrs | 5.7% | 4.6% |
| Cancer | All ages | 4.2% | 3.8% |
| Coronary heart disease | All ages | 4.1% | 3.0% |
| Stroke and TIA | All ages | 2.6% | 1.9% |
| COPD | All ages | 2.5% | 1.9% |
| Atrial fibrillation | All ages | 2.3% | 2.2% |
| Serious mental illness | All ages | 1.3% | 1.0% |
| Heart failure | All ages | 1.1% | 1.1% |
| Rheumatoid arthritis | 16+ yrs | 0.9% | 0.8% |
| Peripheral arterial disease | All ages | 0.8% | 0.6% |
| Epilepsy | 18+ yrs | 0.7% | 0.8% |
| Dementia | All ages | 0.6% | 0.8% |
| Learning disability | All ages | 0.5% | 0.6% |
| Palliative care | All ages | 0.3% | 0.6% |
| Osteoporosis | 50+ yrs | 0.2% | 1.2% |
| Screening coverage | Period | Practice | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bowel cancer screening (aged 60 to 74) | 2024/25 | 70.3% | 72.9% |
| Breast cancer screening (women aged 53 to 70) | 2024/25 | 63.0% | 72.2% |
| Cervical screening (women aged 25 to 49) | 2023/24 | 57.7% | 67.5% |
| Cervical screening (women aged 50 to 64) | 2023/24 | 69.1% | 74.9% |
Queen's Medical Centre, 6-7 Queen Street, Barnstaple, EX32 8HY. Phone: 01271 372672. Website: www.queensmc.com/.
| Nearby practice | Distance | Overall experience good |
|---|---|---|
| Brannam Medical Centre | 0.3 km | 90% |
| Litchdon Medical Centre | 1.6 km | 82% |
| Fremington Medical Centre | 4.7 km | 79% |
| Caen Medical Centre | 8.0 km | 73% |
| Northam Surgery | 12.0 km | 88% |
- Brannam Medical Centre (90% overall experience good)
- Fremington Medical Centre (79% overall experience good)
- Litchdon Medical Centre (82% overall experience good)
How do patients rate Queen's Medical Centre?
In the 2026 GP Patient Survey, 78% of patients described their overall experience of Queen's Medical Centre as good, against 77% across England. 53% found it easy to get through by phone.
How many patients are registered at Queen's Medical Centre?
11,288 patients were registered in September 2026, down 3.3% on a year earlier.
What is Queen's Medical Centre's CQC rating?
Good overall, published in February 2016.
How many GPs does Queen's Medical Centre have?
3.0 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs (6 qualified GPs by headcount), which is 3,739 patients per GP against 2,171 across England.
Are appointments at Queen's Medical Centre face to face?
78% of appointments from June 2026 to August 2026 were face to face, against 63% across England.
What is Queen's Medical Centre's phone number?
01271 372672.