Barnfield Hill Surgery, Exeter: patient reviews and CQC rating
Barnfield Hill Surgery is a GP practice in Exeter with 8,618 registered patients (September 2026). In the 2026 GP Patient Survey, 91% 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 November 2018. It has 4.7 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs, or 1,821 patients per GP.
Latest data: September 2026. Patient survey 2026; registered patients September 2026; appointments to August 2026.
What patients say about Barnfield Hill Surgery
Its best result against England is the share who found it easy to get through to the practice by phone: 88%, above the England figure of 57%. Its weakest is the share who found it easy to contact the practice through its website: 52%, against 58% across England. Of the 11 results in the table, 7 are above England and 0 below by more than the survey's margin of error, and 4 within it.
On overall experience it is 6th of the 20 practices in Exeter with 50 or more responses. 88% found it easy to get through by phone (England: 57%). The overall experience result is 1 point higher than in 2025 (90%). 105 patients answered the survey (response rate 30%).
| Survey question | Barnfield Hill Surgery | Devon | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overall experience good | 91% | 79% | 77% |
| Easy to contact by phone | 88% | 59% | 57% |
| Easy to contact via the website | 52% | 62% | 58% |
| Easy to contact via the NHS App | 54% | 55% | 54% |
| Reception team helpful | 95% | 87% | 85% |
| Last contact good | 95% | 76% | 73% |
| Wait for appointment about right | 77% | 70% | 69% |
| Listened to well | 94% | 90% | 87% |
| Treated with care and concern | 95% | 88% | 86% |
| Confidence and trust in the clinician | 97% | 94% | 93% |
| Needs met | 97% | 91% | 90% |
In the Friends and Family Test for July 2026, 95% of 307 responses rated the practice good or very good (England: 92%).
CQC's overall rating for Barnfield Hill Surgery is Good, published in November 2018. All 5 key questions are rated Good. It held the same rating in the report before (January 2018).
| Key question | Rating |
|---|---|
| Safe | Good |
| Well-led | Good |
| Caring | Good |
| Responsive | Good |
| Effective | Good |
8,618 patients were registered at Barnfield Hill Surgery in September 2026, almost the same as a year earlier.
20% of its patients are aged 65 or over, against 19% across England. With 4.7 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs, there are 1,821 patients per GP, fewer than the England figure of 2,171 and Devon's 1,863. The practice also has 1.1 nurses and 1.8 other clinical staff such as pharmacists and physiotherapists (full-time equivalent).
| Year | Qualified GPs (FTE) | All GPs incl. trainees (FTE) |
|---|---|---|
| August 2023 | 2.6 | 3.6 |
| August 2024 | 2.6 | 3.4 |
| August 2025 | 4.5 | 5.6 |
| August 2026 | 4.7 | 5.8 |
From June 2026 to August 2026 the practice recorded 3,521 appointments a month, or 409 per 1,000 registered patients (England: 510). 54% were face to face (England: 63%). 28% took place on the day they were booked and 8% more than 28 days after booking (England: 45% and 5%).
50% were with a GP rather than another member of the practice team. 4% of booked patients did not attend.
| Measure | Barnfield Hill Surgery | Devon | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Appointments per 1,000 patients a month | 409 | 626 | 510 |
| Face to face | 54% | 54% | 63% |
| Same day as booked | 28% | 45% | 45% |
| More than 28 days after booking | 8% | 6% | 5% |
| Did not attend | 4% | 3% | 4% |
Compared with England, the practice has a higher share of patients on its registers for serious mental illness (1.6% against 1.0%), depression (18.5% against 14.3%) and cancer (4.7% against 3.8%). The practice's patients live in areas with an average deprivation score of 17.1 (England: 21.8; higher is more deprived). Life expectancy for its patients' neighbourhoods is 83.9 years for women and 78.5 for men (England: 83.0 and 79.1).
| Condition register | Age group | Practice (2024/25) | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Depression | 18+ yrs | 18.5% | 14.3% |
| High blood pressure | All ages | 14.5% | 15.2% |
| Asthma | 6+ yrs | 7.6% | 6.6% |
| Diabetes | 17+ yrs | 6.4% | 7.9% |
| Cancer | All ages | 4.7% | 3.8% |
| Chronic kidney disease | 18+ yrs | 3.7% | 4.6% |
| Coronary heart disease | All ages | 2.6% | 3.0% |
| Atrial fibrillation | All ages | 2.0% | 2.2% |
| Stroke and TIA | All ages | 1.9% | 1.9% |
| Serious mental illness | All ages | 1.6% | 1.0% |
| COPD | All ages | 1.5% | 1.9% |
| Osteoporosis | 50+ yrs | 0.9% | 1.2% |
| Epilepsy | 18+ yrs | 0.9% | 0.8% |
| Heart failure | All ages | 0.8% | 1.1% |
| Dementia | All ages | 0.7% | 0.8% |
| Learning disability | All ages | 0.6% | 0.6% |
| Rheumatoid arthritis | 16+ yrs | 0.6% | 0.8% |
| Peripheral arterial disease | All ages | 0.5% | 0.6% |
| Palliative care | All ages | 0.4% | 0.6% |
| Screening coverage | Period | Practice | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bowel cancer screening (aged 60 to 74) | 2024/25 | 76.4% | 72.9% |
| Breast cancer screening (women aged 53 to 70) | 2024/25 | 70.9% | 72.2% |
| Cervical screening (women aged 25 to 49) | 2023/24 | 67.6% | 67.5% |
| Cervical screening (women aged 50 to 64) | 2023/24 | 79.6% | 74.9% |
Barnfield Hill Surgery, 12 Barnfield Hill, Exeter, EX1 1SR. Phone: 01392 432761. Website: www.barnfieldhillsurgery.co.uk.
| Nearby practice | Distance | Overall experience good |
|---|---|---|
| St Leonard's Practice | 0.1 km | 74% |
| Southernhay House Surgery | 0.2 km | 82% |
| Clock Tower Surgery | 0.6 km | 81% |
| Isca Medical Practice | 0.8 km | 84% |
| The Heavitree Practice | 1.1 km | 98% |
- Clock Tower Surgery (81% overall experience good)
- Southernhay House Surgery (82% overall experience good)
- St Leonard's Practice (74% overall experience good)
- Whipton Surgery (84% overall experience good)
How do patients rate Barnfield Hill Surgery?
In the 2026 GP Patient Survey, 91% of patients described their overall experience of Barnfield Hill Surgery as good, above the England figure of 77%. 88% found it easy to get through by phone.
How many patients are registered at Barnfield Hill Surgery?
8,618 patients were registered in September 2026, up 0.3% on a year earlier.
What is Barnfield Hill Surgery's CQC rating?
Good overall, published in November 2018.
How many GPs does Barnfield Hill Surgery have?
4.7 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs (9 qualified GPs by headcount), which is 1,821 patients per GP against 2,171 across England.
Are appointments at Barnfield Hill Surgery face to face?
54% of appointments from June 2026 to August 2026 were face to face, against 63% across England.
What is Barnfield Hill Surgery's phone number?
01392 432761.