Combe Coastal Practice, Ilfracombe: patient reviews and CQC rating
Combe Coastal Practice is a GP practice in Ilfracombe with 17,984 registered patients (September 2026). In the 2026 GP Patient Survey, 85% 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 October 2017. It has 10.9 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs, or 1,653 patients per GP.
Latest data: September 2026. Patient survey 2026; registered patients September 2026; appointments to August 2026.
What patients say about Combe Coastal Practice
Its best result against England is the share who said the healthcare professional was good at listening to them: 96%, above the England figure of 87%. Its weakest is the share who found it easy to contact the practice through its website: 45%, against 58% across England. 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.
60% found it easy to get through by phone (England: 57%). The overall experience result is 3 points lower than in 2025 (88%). 108 patients answered the survey (response rate 32%).
| Survey question | Combe Coastal Practice | Devon | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overall experience good | 85% | 79% | 77% |
| Easy to contact by phone | 60% | 59% | 57% |
| Easy to contact via the website | 45% | 62% | 58% |
| Easy to contact via the NHS App | 56% | 55% | 54% |
| Reception team helpful | 90% | 87% | 85% |
| Last contact good | 76% | 76% | 73% |
| Wait for appointment about right | 59% | 70% | 69% |
| Listened to well | 96% | 90% | 87% |
| Treated with care and concern | 92% | 88% | 86% |
| Confidence and trust in the clinician | 94% | 94% | 93% |
| Needs met | 92% | 91% | 90% |
In the Friends and Family Test for July 2026, 94% of 455 responses rated the practice good or very good (England: 92%).
CQC's overall rating for Combe Coastal Practice is Good, published in October 2017. All 5 key questions are rated Good. It held the same rating in the report before (March 2015).
| Key question | Rating |
|---|---|
| Safe | Good |
| Well-led | Good |
| Caring | Good |
| Responsive | Good |
| Effective | Good |
17,984 patients were registered at Combe Coastal Practice in September 2026, down 1.1% on a year earlier (England: down 1.1%).
28% of its patients are aged 65 or over, against 19% across England. With 10.9 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs, there are 1,653 patients per GP, fewer than the England figure of 2,171 and Devon's 1,863. The practice also has 5.8 nurses and 3.1 other clinical staff such as pharmacists and physiotherapists (full-time equivalent).
| Year | Qualified GPs (FTE) | All GPs incl. trainees (FTE) |
|---|---|---|
| August 2023 | 10.6 | 13.3 |
| August 2024 | 10.5 | 14.3 |
| August 2025 | 10.9 | 12.8 |
| August 2026 | 10.9 | 13.0 |
From June 2026 to August 2026 the practice recorded 11,396 appointments a month, or 634 per 1,000 registered patients (England: 510). 66% were face to face (England: 63%). 37% took place on the day they were booked and 2% more than 28 days after booking (England: 45% and 5%).
43% were with a GP rather than another member of the practice team. 4% of booked patients did not attend.
| Measure | Combe Coastal Practice | Devon | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Appointments per 1,000 patients a month | 634 | 626 | 510 |
| Face to face | 66% | 54% | 63% |
| Same day as booked | 37% | 45% | 45% |
| More than 28 days after booking | 2% | 6% | 5% |
| Did not attend | 4% | 3% | 4% |
Compared with England, the practice has a higher share of patients on its registers for stroke or TIA (3.2% against 1.9%), peripheral arterial disease (0.9% against 0.6%) and coronary heart disease (4.7% against 3.0%). It has a lower share for osteoporosis (0.2% against 1.2%) and a learning disability (0.3% against 0.6%). The practice's patients live in areas with an average deprivation score of 27.5 (England: 21.8; higher is more deprived).
Life expectancy for its patients' neighbourhoods is 83.1 years for women and 78.0 for men (England: 83.0 and 79.1).
| Condition register | Age group | Practice (2024/25) | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| High blood pressure | All ages | 16.2% | 15.2% |
| Depression | 18+ yrs | 13.2% | 14.3% |
| Asthma | 6+ yrs | 9.0% | 6.6% |
| Diabetes | 17+ yrs | 7.5% | 7.9% |
| Cancer | All ages | 4.8% | 3.8% |
| Coronary heart disease | All ages | 4.7% | 3.0% |
| Chronic kidney disease | 18+ yrs | 4.4% | 4.6% |
| Stroke and TIA | All ages | 3.2% | 1.9% |
| Atrial fibrillation | All ages | 3.1% | 2.2% |
| COPD | All ages | 2.8% | 1.9% |
| Serious mental illness | All ages | 1.3% | 1.0% |
| Dementia | All ages | 1.2% | 0.8% |
| Heart failure | All ages | 1.1% | 1.1% |
| Peripheral arterial disease | All ages | 0.9% | 0.6% |
| Rheumatoid arthritis | 16+ yrs | 0.9% | 0.8% |
| Epilepsy | 18+ yrs | 0.9% | 0.8% |
| Palliative care | All ages | 0.7% | 0.6% |
| Learning disability | 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 | 73.7% | 72.9% |
| Breast cancer screening (women aged 53 to 70) | 2024/25 | 70.8% | 72.2% |
| Cervical screening (women aged 25 to 49) | 2023/24 | 69.3% | 67.5% |
| Cervical screening (women aged 50 to 64) | 2023/24 | 72.1% | 74.9% |
Combe Coastal Practice, The Medical Centre, St Brannock's Road, Ilfracombe, EX34 8EG. Phone: 01271 863840. Website: www.watersidepractice.co.uk.
| Nearby practice | Distance | Overall experience good |
|---|---|---|
| Caen Medical Centre | 11.0 km | 73% |
| Queen's Medical Centre | 14.6 km | 78% |
| Brannam Medical Centre | 14.9 km | 90% |
| Fremington Medical Centre | 14.9 km | 79% |
| Litchdon Medical Centre | 16.1 km | 82% |
- Caen Medical Centre (73% overall experience good)
- South Molton Medical Centre (81% overall experience good)
How do patients rate Combe Coastal Practice?
In the 2026 GP Patient Survey, 85% of patients described their overall experience of Combe Coastal Practice as good, above the England figure of 77%. 60% found it easy to get through by phone.
How many patients are registered at Combe Coastal Practice?
17,984 patients were registered in September 2026, down 1.1% on a year earlier.
What is Combe Coastal Practice's CQC rating?
Good overall, published in October 2017.
How many GPs does Combe Coastal Practice have?
10.9 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs (17 qualified GPs by headcount), which is 1,653 patients per GP against 2,171 across England.
Are appointments at Combe Coastal Practice face to face?
66% of appointments from June 2026 to August 2026 were face to face, against 63% across England.
What is Combe Coastal Practice's phone number?
01271 863840.