Elm Surgery, Plymouth: patient reviews and CQC rating
Elm Surgery is a GP practice in Plymouth with 9,872 registered patients (September 2026). In the 2026 GP Patient Survey, 81% 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 November 2022. It has 5.1 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs, or 1,922 patients per GP.
Latest data: September 2026. Patient survey 2026; registered patients September 2026; appointments to August 2026.
What patients say about Elm Surgery
Its best result against England is the share who found it easy to contact the practice using the NHS App: 72%, above the England figure of 54%. Its weakest is the share who said their needs were met at their last appointment: 90%, against 90% across England. Of the 11 results in the table, 6 are above England and 0 below by more than the survey's margin of error, and 5 within it.
On overall experience it is 8th of the 24 practices in Plymouth with 50 or more responses. 67% found it easy to get through by phone (England: 57%). The overall experience result is 9 points higher than in 2025 (72%). 114 patients answered the survey (response rate 33%).
| Survey question | Elm Surgery | Devon | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overall experience good | 81% | 79% | 77% |
| Easy to contact by phone | 67% | 59% | 57% |
| Easy to contact via the website | 70% | 62% | 58% |
| Easy to contact via the NHS App | 72% | 55% | 54% |
| Reception team helpful | 96% | 87% | 85% |
| Last contact good | 73% | 76% | 73% |
| Wait for appointment about right | 80% | 70% | 69% |
| Listened to well | 88% | 90% | 87% |
| Treated with care and concern | 87% | 88% | 86% |
| Confidence and trust in the clinician | 100% | 94% | 93% |
| Needs met | 90% | 91% | 90% |
In the Friends and Family Test for July 2026, 96% of 270 responses rated the practice good or very good (England: 92%).
CQC's overall rating for Elm Surgery is Good, published in November 2022. All 5 key questions are rated Good. It held the same rating in the report before (September 2016).
| Key question | Rating |
|---|---|
| Safe | Good |
| Well-led | Good |
| Caring | Good |
| Responsive | Good |
| Effective | Good |
9,872 patients were registered at Elm Surgery in September 2026, almost the same as a year earlier.
26% of its patients are aged 65 or over, against 19% across England. With 5.1 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs, there are 1,922 patients per GP, fewer than the England figure of 2,171 and Devon's 1,863. The practice also has 0.9 nurses and 1.2 other clinical staff such as pharmacists and physiotherapists (full-time equivalent).
| Year | Qualified GPs (FTE) | All GPs incl. trainees (FTE) |
|---|---|---|
| August 2023 | 4.8 | 4.8 |
| August 2024 | 4.8 | 8.0 |
| August 2025 | 4.8 | 8.0 |
| August 2026 | 5.1 | 7.1 |
From June 2026 to August 2026 the practice recorded 7,264 appointments a month, or 736 per 1,000 registered patients (England: 510). 29% were face to face (England: 63%). 60% took place on the day they were booked and 5% more than 28 days after booking (England: 45% and 5%).
31% were with a GP rather than another member of the practice team. 2% of booked patients did not attend.
| Measure | Elm Surgery | Devon | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Appointments per 1,000 patients a month | 736 | 626 | 510 |
| Face to face | 29% | 54% | 63% |
| Same day as booked | 60% | 45% | 45% |
| More than 28 days after booking | 5% | 6% | 5% |
| Did not attend | 2% | 3% | 4% |
Compared with England, the practice has a higher share of patients on its registers for coronary heart disease (5.8% against 3.0%), peripheral arterial disease (1.1% against 0.6%) and COPD (3.4% against 1.9%). It has a lower share for palliative or supportive care needs (0.1% against 0.6%). The practice's patients live in areas with an average deprivation score of 18.8 (England: 21.8; higher is more deprived).
Life expectancy for its patients' neighbourhoods is 83.4 years for women and 79.6 for men (England: 83.0 and 79.1).
| Condition register | Age group | Practice (2024/25) | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Depression | 18+ yrs | 20.8% | 14.3% |
| High blood pressure | All ages | 20.1% | 15.2% |
| Diabetes | 17+ yrs | 10.0% | 7.9% |
| Asthma | 6+ yrs | 7.7% | 6.6% |
| Coronary heart disease | All ages | 5.8% | 3.0% |
| Chronic kidney disease | 18+ yrs | 4.8% | 4.6% |
| Cancer | All ages | 4.4% | 3.8% |
| COPD | All ages | 3.4% | 1.9% |
| Atrial fibrillation | All ages | 2.7% | 2.2% |
| Stroke and TIA | All ages | 2.4% | 1.9% |
| Heart failure | All ages | 1.7% | 1.1% |
| Osteoporosis | 50+ yrs | 1.2% | 1.2% |
| Peripheral arterial disease | All ages | 1.1% | 0.6% |
| Epilepsy | 18+ yrs | 1.0% | 0.8% |
| Rheumatoid arthritis | 16+ yrs | 1.0% | 0.8% |
| Serious mental illness | All ages | 0.9% | 1.0% |
| Dementia | All ages | 0.5% | 0.8% |
| Learning disability | All ages | 0.5% | 0.6% |
| Palliative care | All ages | 0.1% | 0.6% |
| Screening coverage | Period | Practice | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bowel cancer screening (aged 60 to 74) | 2024/25 | 77.6% | 72.9% |
| Breast cancer screening (women aged 53 to 70) | 2024/25 | 76.1% | 72.2% |
| Cervical screening (women aged 25 to 49) | 2023/24 | 76.7% | 67.5% |
| Cervical screening (women aged 50 to 64) | 2023/24 | 76.2% | 74.9% |
Elm Surgery, 123 Leypark Walk, Estover, Plymouth, PL6 8UF. Phone: 01752 776772. Website: www.elmsurgery.co.uk.
| Nearby practice | Distance | Overall experience good |
|---|---|---|
| Roborough Surgery | 2.5 km | 76% |
| Dr Hall, Hillman, Macartney, Mr Smith-Avery, Dr Garstang, Dr Mair & Dr Lindsay | 2.7 km | 80% |
| Southway Surgery | 3.4 km | 79% |
| Lisson Grove and Woolwell Medical Centres | 3.8 km | 75% |
| Plympton Health Centre | 3.9 km | 50% |
- Budshead Medical Practice (59% 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 Elm Surgery?
In the 2026 GP Patient Survey, 81% of patients described their overall experience of Elm Surgery as good, against 77% across England. 67% found it easy to get through by phone.
How many patients are registered at Elm Surgery?
9,872 patients were registered in September 2026, up 0.4% on a year earlier.
What is Elm Surgery's CQC rating?
Good overall, published in November 2022.
How many GPs does Elm Surgery have?
5.1 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs (8 qualified GPs by headcount), which is 1,922 patients per GP against 2,171 across England.
Are appointments at Elm Surgery face to face?
29% of appointments from June 2026 to August 2026 were face to face, against 63% across England.
What is Elm Surgery's phone number?
01752 776772.