Budshead Medical Practice, Plymouth: patient reviews and CQC rating
Budshead Medical Practice is a GP practice in Plymouth with 7,314 registered patients (September 2026). In the 2026 GP Patient Survey, 59% of its patients described their overall experience as good, below the England figure of 77% (Devon: 79%). The Care Quality Commission rates it Good overall, in a report published in December 2018. It has 3.1 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs, or 2,395 patients per GP.
Latest data: September 2026. Patient survey 2026; registered patients September 2026; appointments to August 2026.
What patients say about Budshead Medical Practice
Its best result against England is the share who found the reception and administrative team helpful: 88%, against 85% across England. Its weakest is the share who said the wait for their last appointment was about right: 44%, below the England figure of 69%. Of the 11 results in the table, 0 are above England and 8 below by more than the survey's margin of error, and 3 within it.
On overall experience it is 19th of the 24 practices in Plymouth with 50 or more responses. 54% found it easy to get through by phone (England: 57%). The overall experience result is 9 points lower than in 2025 (68%). 87 patients answered the survey (response rate 22%).
| Survey question | Budshead Medical Practice | Devon | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overall experience good | 59% | 79% | 77% |
| Easy to contact by phone | 54% | 59% | 57% |
| Easy to contact via the website | 54% | 62% | 58% |
| Easy to contact via the NHS App | 41% | 55% | 54% |
| Reception team helpful | 88% | 87% | 85% |
| Last contact good | 59% | 76% | 73% |
| Wait for appointment about right | 44% | 70% | 69% |
| Listened to well | 72% | 90% | 87% |
| Treated with care and concern | 74% | 88% | 86% |
| Confidence and trust in the clinician | 76% | 94% | 93% |
| Needs met | 75% | 91% | 90% |
In the Friends and Family Test for July 2026, 95% of 145 responses rated the practice good or very good (England: 92%).
CQC's overall rating for Budshead Medical Practice is Good, published in December 2018. All 5 key questions are rated Good. It held the same rating in the report before (March 2016).
| Key question | Rating |
|---|---|
| Safe | Good |
| Well-led | Good |
| Caring | Good |
| Responsive | Good |
| Effective | Good |
7,314 patients were registered at Budshead Medical Practice in September 2026, down 2.9% on a year earlier (England: down 1.1%).
17% of its patients are aged 65 or over, against 19% across England. With 3.1 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs, there are 2,395 patients per GP, more than the England figure of 2,171 and Devon's 1,863. The practice also has 3.2 nurses and 2.1 other clinical staff such as pharmacists and physiotherapists (full-time equivalent).
| Year | Qualified GPs (FTE) | All GPs incl. trainees (FTE) |
|---|---|---|
| August 2023 | 3.0 | 3.8 |
| August 2024 | 2.0 | 2.8 |
| August 2025 | 2.8 | 4.7 |
| August 2026 | 3.1 | 4.1 |
From June 2026 to August 2026 the practice recorded 6,008 appointments a month, or 821 per 1,000 registered patients (England: 510). 30% were face to face (England: 63%). 60% took place on the day they were booked and 12% more than 28 days after booking (England: 45% and 5%).
26% were with a GP rather than another member of the practice team. 3% of booked patients did not attend.
| Measure | Budshead Medical Practice | Devon | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Appointments per 1,000 patients a month | 821 | 626 | 510 |
| Face to face | 30% | 54% | 63% |
| Same day as booked | 60% | 45% | 45% |
| More than 28 days after booking | 12% | 6% | 5% |
| Did not attend | 3% | 3% | 4% |
Compared with England, the practice has a higher share of patients on its registers for depression (34.2% against 14.3%), COPD (4.0% against 1.9%) and a learning disability (1.2% against 0.6%). It has a lower share for palliative or supportive care needs (0.2% against 0.6%), dementia (0.4% against 0.8%) and chronic kidney disease (3.0% against 4.6%). The practice's patients live in areas with an average deprivation score of 36.9 (England: 21.8; higher is more deprived).
Life expectancy for its patients' neighbourhoods is 82.1 years for women and 77.5 for men (England: 83.0 and 79.1).
| Condition register | Age group | Practice (2024/25) | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Depression | 18+ yrs | 34.2% | 14.3% |
| High blood pressure | All ages | 15.9% | 15.2% |
| Diabetes | 17+ yrs | 9.8% | 7.9% |
| Asthma | 6+ yrs | 8.9% | 6.6% |
| COPD | All ages | 4.0% | 1.9% |
| Coronary heart disease | All ages | 3.8% | 3.0% |
| Cancer | All ages | 3.5% | 3.8% |
| Chronic kidney disease | 18+ yrs | 3.0% | 4.6% |
| Stroke and TIA | All ages | 1.9% | 1.9% |
| Atrial fibrillation | All ages | 1.7% | 2.2% |
| Heart failure | All ages | 1.4% | 1.1% |
| Serious mental illness | All ages | 1.3% | 1.0% |
| Learning disability | All ages | 1.2% | 0.6% |
| Epilepsy | 18+ yrs | 1.1% | 0.8% |
| Rheumatoid arthritis | 16+ yrs | 1.0% | 0.8% |
| Peripheral arterial disease | All ages | 0.9% | 0.6% |
| Osteoporosis | 50+ yrs | 0.8% | 1.2% |
| Dementia | All ages | 0.4% | 0.8% |
| Palliative care | All ages | 0.2% | 0.6% |
| Screening coverage | Period | Practice | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bowel cancer screening (aged 60 to 74) | 2024/25 | 72.0% | 72.9% |
| Breast cancer screening (women aged 53 to 70) | 2024/25 | 67.7% | 72.2% |
| Cervical screening (women aged 25 to 49) | 2023/24 | 69.2% | 67.5% |
| Cervical screening (women aged 50 to 64) | 2023/24 | 71.4% | 74.9% |
Budshead Medical Practice, 433 Budshead Road, Plymouth, PL5 4DU. Phone: 01752 206002. Website: www.budsheadmedicalpractice.org.uk.
| Nearby practice | Distance | Overall experience good |
|---|---|---|
| Oakside Surgery | 0.9 km | 59% |
| Dr Hall, Hillman, Macartney, Mr Smith-Avery, Dr Garstang, Dr Mair & Dr Lindsay | 1.5 km | 80% |
| Southway Surgery | 1.7 km | 79% |
| Peverell Park Surgery | 2.7 km | 77% |
| Roborough Surgery | 2.7 km | 76% |
- Elm Surgery (81% overall experience good)
- Friary House Surgery (62% overall experience good)
- Oakside Surgery (59% overall experience good)
- Southway Surgery (79% overall experience good)
How do patients rate Budshead Medical Practice?
In the 2026 GP Patient Survey, 59% of patients described their overall experience of Budshead Medical Practice as good, below the England figure of 77%. 54% found it easy to get through by phone.
How many patients are registered at Budshead Medical Practice?
7,314 patients were registered in September 2026, down 2.9% on a year earlier.
What is Budshead Medical Practice's CQC rating?
Good overall, published in December 2018.
How many GPs does Budshead Medical Practice have?
3.1 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs (4 qualified GPs by headcount), which is 2,395 patients per GP against 2,171 across England.
Are appointments at Budshead Medical Practice face to face?
30% of appointments from June 2026 to August 2026 were face to face, against 63% across England.
What is Budshead Medical Practice's phone number?
01752 206002.