Buckfastleigh Medical Centre, Buckfastleigh: patient reviews and CQC rating
Buckfastleigh Medical Centre is a GP practice in Buckfastleigh with 5,140 registered patients (September 2026). In the 2026 GP Patient Survey, 89% of its patients described their overall experience as good, above the England figure of 77% (Devon: 79%). The Care Quality Commission rates it Good overall, in a report published in August 2017. It has 4.3 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs, or 1,208 patients per GP.
Latest data: September 2026. Patient survey 2026; registered patients September 2026; appointments to August 2026.
What patients say about Buckfastleigh Medical Centre
Its best result against England is the share who found it easy to get through to the practice by phone: 91%, above the England figure of 57%. Its weakest is the share who said the wait for their last appointment was about right: 62%, against 69% across England. Of the 11 results in the table, 5 are above England and 0 below by more than the survey's margin of error, and 6 within it.
91% found it easy to get through by phone (England: 57%). The overall experience result is 1 point lower than in 2025 (90%). 118 patients answered the survey (response rate 38%).
| Survey question | Buckfastleigh Medical Centre | Devon | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overall experience good | 89% | 79% | 77% |
| Easy to contact by phone | 91% | 59% | 57% |
| Easy to contact via the website | 65% | 62% | 58% |
| Easy to contact via the NHS App | 80% | 55% | 54% |
| Reception team helpful | 95% | 87% | 85% |
| Last contact good | 86% | 76% | 73% |
| Wait for appointment about right | 62% | 70% | 69% |
| Listened to well | 88% | 90% | 87% |
| Treated with care and concern | 88% | 88% | 86% |
| Confidence and trust in the clinician | 89% | 94% | 93% |
| Needs met | 92% | 91% | 90% |
In the Friends and Family Test for July 2026, 98% of 233 responses rated the practice good or very good (England: 92%).
CQC's overall rating for Buckfastleigh Medical Centre is Good, published in August 2017. All 5 key questions are rated Good. It held the same rating in the report before (April 2016).
| Key question | Rating |
|---|---|
| Safe | Good |
| Well-led | Good |
| Caring | Good |
| Responsive | Good |
| Effective | Good |
5,140 patients were registered at Buckfastleigh Medical Centre in September 2026, up 1.2% on a year earlier (England: down 1.1%).
26% of its patients are aged 65 or over, against 19% across England. With 4.3 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs, there are 1,208 patients per GP, fewer than the England figure of 2,171 and Devon's 1,863. The practice also has 2.8 nurses and 0.8 other clinical staff such as pharmacists and physiotherapists (full-time equivalent).
| Year | Qualified GPs (FTE) | All GPs incl. trainees (FTE) |
|---|---|---|
| August 2023 | 4.7 | 6.9 |
| August 2024 | 4.3 | 4.3 |
| August 2025 | 4.3 | 4.3 |
| August 2026 | 4.3 | 4.3 |
From June 2026 to August 2026 the practice recorded 3,252 appointments a month, or 633 per 1,000 registered patients (England: 510). 71% were face to face (England: 63%). 37% took place on the day they were booked and 11% more than 28 days after booking (England: 45% and 5%).
50% were with a GP rather than another member of the practice team. 3% of booked patients did not attend.
| Measure | Buckfastleigh Medical Centre | Devon | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Appointments per 1,000 patients a month | 633 | 626 | 510 |
| Face to face | 71% | 54% | 63% |
| Same day as booked | 37% | 45% | 45% |
| More than 28 days after booking | 11% | 6% | 5% |
| Did not attend | 3% | 3% | 4% |
Compared with England, the practice has a higher share of patients on its registers for osteoporosis (3.2% against 1.2%), a learning disability (1.4% against 0.6%) and depression (24.5% against 14.3%). The practice's patients live in areas with an average deprivation score of 22.1 (England: 21.8; higher is more deprived). Life expectancy for its patients' neighbourhoods is 84.3 years for women and 80.8 for men (England: 83.0 and 79.1).
| Condition register | Age group | Practice (2024/25) | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Depression | 18+ yrs | 24.5% | 14.3% |
| High blood pressure | All ages | 18.0% | 15.2% |
| Diabetes | 17+ yrs | 7.4% | 7.9% |
| Asthma | 6+ yrs | 7.0% | 6.6% |
| Chronic kidney disease | 18+ yrs | 6.2% | 4.6% |
| Cancer | All ages | 5.2% | 3.8% |
| Coronary heart disease | All ages | 4.0% | 3.0% |
| Osteoporosis | 50+ yrs | 3.2% | 1.2% |
| Atrial fibrillation | All ages | 3.0% | 2.2% |
| COPD | All ages | 2.6% | 1.9% |
| Stroke and TIA | All ages | 2.3% | 1.9% |
| Serious mental illness | All ages | 1.5% | 1.0% |
| Learning disability | All ages | 1.4% | 0.6% |
| Rheumatoid arthritis | 16+ yrs | 1.2% | 0.8% |
| Heart failure | All ages | 1.2% | 1.1% |
| Dementia | All ages | 1.1% | 0.8% |
| Epilepsy | 18+ yrs | 1.0% | 0.8% |
| Peripheral arterial disease | All ages | 0.8% | 0.6% |
| Palliative care | All ages | 0.6% | 0.6% |
| Screening coverage | Period | Practice | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bowel cancer screening (aged 60 to 74) | 2024/25 | 73.2% | 72.9% |
| Breast cancer screening (women aged 53 to 70) | 2024/25 | 65.4% | 72.2% |
| Cervical screening (women aged 25 to 49) | 2023/24 | 72.9% | 67.5% |
| Cervical screening (women aged 50 to 64) | 2023/24 | 73.1% | 74.9% |
Buckfastleigh Medical Centre, Bossell Road,, Buckfastleigh, TQ11 0DE. Phone: 01364 642534.
| Nearby practice | Distance | Overall experience good |
|---|---|---|
| Ashburton Surgery | 4.9 km | 84% |
| South Brent Health Centre | 7.3 km | 97% |
| Leatside Surgery | 8.6 km | 87% |
| Catherine House Surgery | 9.1 km | 92% |
| Albany Surgery | 13.4 km | 70% |
- Ashburton Surgery (84% overall experience good)
- Catherine House Surgery (92% overall experience good)
- Leatside Surgery (87% overall experience good)
- South Brent Health Centre (97% overall experience good)
How do patients rate Buckfastleigh Medical Centre?
In the 2026 GP Patient Survey, 89% of patients described their overall experience of Buckfastleigh Medical Centre as good, above the England figure of 77%. 91% found it easy to get through by phone.
How many patients are registered at Buckfastleigh Medical Centre?
5,140 patients were registered in September 2026, up 1.2% on a year earlier.
What is Buckfastleigh Medical Centre's CQC rating?
Good overall, published in August 2017.
How many GPs does Buckfastleigh Medical Centre have?
4.3 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs (6 qualified GPs by headcount), which is 1,208 patients per GP against 2,171 across England.
Are appointments at Buckfastleigh Medical Centre face to face?
71% of appointments from June 2026 to August 2026 were face to face, against 63% across England.
What is Buckfastleigh Medical Centre's phone number?
01364 642534.