Hill Barton Surgery, Exeter: patient reviews and CQC rating
Hill Barton Surgery is a GP practice in Exeter with 4,629 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 Good overall, in a report published in September 2019. It has 2.4 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs, or 1,908 patients per GP.
Latest data: September 2026. Patient survey 2026; registered patients September 2026; appointments to August 2026.
What patients say about Hill Barton Surgery
Its best result against England is the share who found it easy to get through to the practice by phone: 81%, above the England figure of 57%. Its weakest is the share who said their needs were met at their last appointment: 84%, below the England figure of 90%. Of the 11 results in the table, 2 are above England and 2 below by more than the survey's margin of error, and 7 within it.
On overall experience it is 15th of the 20 practices in Exeter with 50 or more responses. 81% found it easy to get through by phone (England: 57%). The overall experience result is 2 points higher than in 2025 (80%). 112 patients answered the survey (response rate 34%).
| Survey question | Hill Barton Surgery | Devon | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overall experience good | 82% | 79% | 77% |
| Easy to contact by phone | 81% | 59% | 57% |
| Easy to contact via the website | 66% | 62% | 58% |
| Easy to contact via the NHS App | 76% | 55% | 54% |
| Reception team helpful | 84% | 87% | 85% |
| Last contact good | 75% | 76% | 73% |
| Wait for appointment about right | 69% | 70% | 69% |
| Listened to well | 82% | 90% | 87% |
| Treated with care and concern | 82% | 88% | 86% |
| Confidence and trust in the clinician | 87% | 94% | 93% |
| Needs met | 84% | 91% | 90% |
CQC's overall rating for Hill Barton Surgery is Good, published in September 2019. All 5 key questions are rated Good. It held the same rating in the report before (August 2015).
| Key question | Rating |
|---|---|
| Safe | Good |
| Well-led | Good |
| Caring | Good |
| Responsive | Good |
| Effective | Good |
4,629 patients were registered at Hill Barton Surgery in September 2026, up 0.9% on a year earlier (England: down 1.1%).
17% of its patients are aged 65 or over, against 19% across England. With 2.4 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs, there are 1,908 patients per GP, fewer than the England figure of 2,171 and Devon's 1,863. The practice also has 1.3 nurses (full-time equivalent).
| Year | Qualified GPs (FTE) | All GPs incl. trainees (FTE) |
|---|---|---|
| August 2023 | 2.4 | 2.4 |
| August 2024 | 2.4 | 2.4 |
| August 2025 | 2.4 | 2.4 |
| August 2026 | 2.4 | 2.4 |
From June 2026 to August 2026 the practice recorded 2,003 appointments a month, or 433 per 1,000 registered patients (England: 510). 69% were face to face (England: 63%). 39% took place on the day they were booked and 7% more than 28 days after booking (England: 45% and 5%).
45% were with a GP rather than another member of the practice team. 2% of booked patients did not attend.
| Measure | Hill Barton Surgery | Devon | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Appointments per 1,000 patients a month | 433 | 626 | 510 |
| Face to face | 69% | 54% | 63% |
| Same day as booked | 39% | 45% | 45% |
| More than 28 days after booking | 7% | 6% | 5% |
| Did not attend | 2% | 3% | 4% |
Compared with England, the practice has a lower share of patients for serious mental illness (0.4% against 1.0%), atrial fibrillation (1.4% against 2.2%) and depression (10.6% against 14.3%). The practice's patients live in areas with an average deprivation score of 12.8 (England: 21.8; higher is more deprived). Life expectancy for its patients' neighbourhoods is 86.6 years for women and 81.0 for men (England: 83.0 and 79.1).
| Condition register | Age group | Practice (2024/25) | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| High blood pressure | All ages | 14.0% | 15.2% |
| Depression | 18+ yrs | 10.6% | 14.3% |
| Asthma | 6+ yrs | 6.9% | 6.6% |
| Diabetes | 17+ yrs | 6.5% | 7.9% |
| Chronic kidney disease | 18+ yrs | 3.9% | 4.6% |
| Cancer | All ages | 3.3% | 3.8% |
| Coronary heart disease | All ages | 2.2% | 3.0% |
| COPD | All ages | 1.5% | 1.9% |
| Stroke and TIA | All ages | 1.4% | 1.9% |
| Atrial fibrillation | All ages | 1.4% | 2.2% |
| Epilepsy | 18+ yrs | 0.8% | 0.8% |
| Osteoporosis | 50+ yrs | 0.7% | 1.2% |
| Heart failure | All ages | 0.7% | 1.1% |
| Rheumatoid arthritis | 16+ yrs | 0.6% | 0.8% |
| Dementia | All ages | 0.5% | 0.8% |
| Serious mental illness | All ages | 0.4% | 1.0% |
| Learning disability | All ages | 0.4% | 0.6% |
| Peripheral arterial disease | All ages | 0.4% | 0.6% |
| Palliative care | All ages | 0.2% | 0.6% |
| Screening coverage | Period | Practice | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bowel cancer screening (aged 60 to 74) | 2024/25 | 77.2% | 72.9% |
| Breast cancer screening (women aged 53 to 70) | 2024/25 | 78.8% | 72.2% |
| Cervical screening (women aged 25 to 49) | 2023/24 | 75.3% | 67.5% |
| Cervical screening (women aged 50 to 64) | 2023/24 | 83.5% | 74.9% |
Hill Barton Surgery, 1 Lower Hill Barton Road, Exeter, EX1 3EN. Phone: 01392 444242. Website: www.hillbartonsurgery.co.uk.
| Nearby practice | Distance | Overall experience good |
|---|---|---|
| Whipton Surgery | 1.2 km | 84% |
| Wonford Green Surgery | 1.6 km | 91% |
| The Heavitree Practice | 1.7 km | 98% |
| The South Lawn Medical Practice | 1.7 km | 86% |
| Pinhoe Surgery | 1.8 km | 89% |
- Isca Medical Practice (84% overall experience good)
- Mount Pleasant Health Centre (86% overall experience good)
- The Heavitree Practice (98% overall experience good)
- The South Lawn Medical Practice (86% overall experience good)
How do patients rate Hill Barton Surgery?
In the 2026 GP Patient Survey, 82% of patients described their overall experience of Hill Barton Surgery as good, against 77% across England. 81% found it easy to get through by phone.
How many patients are registered at Hill Barton Surgery?
4,629 patients were registered in September 2026, up 0.9% on a year earlier.
What is Hill Barton Surgery's CQC rating?
Good overall, published in September 2019.
How many GPs does Hill Barton Surgery have?
2.4 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs (3 qualified GPs by headcount), which is 1,908 patients per GP against 2,171 across England.
Are appointments at Hill Barton Surgery face to face?
69% of appointments from June 2026 to August 2026 were face to face, against 63% across England.
What is Hill Barton Surgery's phone number?
01392 444242.