Ward Practice, Honiton: patient reviews and CQC rating
Ward Practice is a GP practice in Honiton with 17,762 registered patients (September 2026). In the 2026 GP Patient Survey, 77% 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 July 2018. It has 9.2 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs, or 1,935 patients per GP.
Latest data: September 2026. Patient survey 2026; registered patients September 2026; appointments to August 2026.
What patients say about Ward Practice
Its best result against England is the share who found it easy to contact the practice through its website: 72%, above the England figure of 58%. Its weakest is the share who found it easy to get through to the practice by phone: 40%, below the England figure of 57%. 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.
40% found it easy to get through by phone (England: 57%). The overall experience result is 3 points lower than in 2025 (80%). 92 patients answered the survey (response rate 32%).
| Survey question | Ward Practice | Devon | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overall experience good | 77% | 79% | 77% |
| Easy to contact by phone | 40% | 59% | 57% |
| Easy to contact via the website | 72% | 62% | 58% |
| Easy to contact via the NHS App | 51% | 55% | 54% |
| Reception team helpful | 83% | 87% | 85% |
| Last contact good | 73% | 76% | 73% |
| Wait for appointment about right | 77% | 70% | 69% |
| Listened to well | 91% | 90% | 87% |
| Treated with care and concern | 94% | 88% | 86% |
| Confidence and trust in the clinician | 96% | 94% | 93% |
| Needs met | 94% | 91% | 90% |
In the Friends and Family Test for July 2026, 96% of 722 responses rated the practice good or very good (England: 92%).
CQC's overall rating for Ward Practice is Good, published in July 2018. All 5 key questions are rated Good. It held the same rating in the report before (September 2017).
| Key question | Rating |
|---|---|
| Safe | Good |
| Well-led | Good |
| Caring | Good |
| Responsive | Good |
| Effective | Good |
17,762 patients were registered at Ward Practice in September 2026, down 1.3% on a year earlier (England: down 1.1%).
30% of its patients are aged 65 or over, against 19% across England. With 9.2 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs, there are 1,935 patients per GP, fewer than the England figure of 2,171 and Devon's 1,863. The practice also has 7.6 nurses and 4.3 other clinical staff such as pharmacists and physiotherapists (full-time equivalent).
| Year | Qualified GPs (FTE) | All GPs incl. trainees (FTE) |
|---|---|---|
| August 2023 | 9.6 | 12.3 |
| August 2024 | 9.5 | 11.6 |
| August 2025 | 10.7 | 11.8 |
| August 2026 | 9.2 | 11.3 |
From June 2026 to August 2026 the practice recorded 9,573 appointments a month, or 539 per 1,000 registered patients (England: 510). 61% were face to face (England: 63%). 41% took place on the day they were booked and 12% more than 28 days after booking (England: 45% and 5%).
46% were with a GP rather than another member of the practice team. 2% of booked patients did not attend.
| Measure | Ward Practice | Devon | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Appointments per 1,000 patients a month | 539 | 626 | 510 |
| Face to face | 61% | 54% | 63% |
| Same day as booked | 41% | 45% | 45% |
| More than 28 days after booking | 12% | 6% | 5% |
| Did not attend | 2% | 3% | 4% |
Compared with England, the practice has a higher share of patients on its registers for dementia (1.5% against 0.8%), atrial fibrillation (4.0% against 2.2%) and osteoporosis (2.1% against 1.2%). It has a lower share for serious mental illness (0.8% against 1.0%). The practice's patients live in areas with an average deprivation score of 15.6 (England: 21.8; higher is more deprived).
Life expectancy for its patients' neighbourhoods is 85.4 years for women and 81.7 for men (England: 83.0 and 79.1).
| Condition register | Age group | Practice (2024/25) | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| High blood pressure | All ages | 20.3% | 15.2% |
| Depression | 18+ yrs | 16.7% | 14.3% |
| Asthma | 6+ yrs | 9.7% | 6.6% |
| Chronic kidney disease | 18+ yrs | 8.2% | 4.6% |
| Diabetes | 17+ yrs | 8.2% | 7.9% |
| Cancer | All ages | 5.3% | 3.8% |
| Coronary heart disease | All ages | 4.6% | 3.0% |
| Atrial fibrillation | All ages | 4.0% | 2.2% |
| Stroke and TIA | All ages | 2.9% | 1.9% |
| COPD | All ages | 2.5% | 1.9% |
| Osteoporosis | 50+ yrs | 2.1% | 1.2% |
| Heart failure | All ages | 1.9% | 1.1% |
| Dementia | All ages | 1.5% | 0.8% |
| Epilepsy | 18+ yrs | 1.1% | 0.8% |
| Rheumatoid arthritis | 16+ yrs | 1.0% | 0.8% |
| Learning disability | All ages | 0.9% | 0.6% |
| Serious mental illness | All ages | 0.8% | 1.0% |
| Peripheral arterial disease | All ages | 0.7% | 0.6% |
| Palliative care | All ages | 0.5% | 0.6% |
| Screening coverage | Period | Practice | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bowel cancer screening (aged 60 to 74) | 2024/25 | 81.0% | 72.9% |
| Breast cancer screening (women aged 53 to 70) | 2024/25 | 78.6% | 72.2% |
| Cervical screening (women aged 25 to 49) | 2023/24 | 73.7% | 67.5% |
| Cervical screening (women aged 50 to 64) | 2023/24 | 75.0% | 74.9% |
95% of the practice's patients live in the EX14 postcode district. 99% live in East Devon, the council area the practice is in.
| Postcode district | Registered patients | Share |
|---|---|---|
| EX14 | 16,877 | 95% |
Ward Practice, Honiton Surgery, Marlpits Road, Honiton, EX14 2NY. Phone: 01404 548544. Website: www.honitonsurgery.nhs.uk/.
| Nearby practice | Distance | Overall experience good |
|---|---|---|
| Coleridge Medical Centre | 8.2 km | 81% |
| Beacon Medical Centre | 11.4 km | 82% |
| Seaton and Colyton Medical Practice | 12.1 km | 91% |
| Townsend House Medical Centre | 12.5 km | 83% |
| Axminster Medical Practice | 13.4 km | 92% |
- Beacon Medical Centre (82% overall experience good)
- Coleridge Medical Centre (81% overall experience good)
How do patients rate Ward Practice?
In the 2026 GP Patient Survey, 77% of patients described their overall experience of Ward Practice as good, against 77% across England. 40% found it easy to get through by phone.
How many patients are registered at Ward Practice?
17,762 patients were registered in September 2026, down 1.3% on a year earlier.
What is Ward Practice's CQC rating?
Good overall, published in July 2018.
How many GPs does Ward Practice have?
9.2 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs (16 qualified GPs by headcount), which is 1,935 patients per GP against 2,171 across England.
Are appointments at Ward Practice face to face?
61% of appointments from June 2026 to August 2026 were face to face, against 63% across England.
What is Ward Practice's phone number?
01404 548544.