Friary House Surgery, Plymouth: patient reviews and CQC rating
Friary House Surgery is a GP practice in Plymouth with 11,162 registered patients (September 2026). In the 2026 GP Patient Survey, 62% 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 January 2018. It has 3.0 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs, or 3,677 patients per GP.
Latest data: September 2026. Patient survey 2026; registered patients September 2026; appointments to August 2026.
What patients say about Friary House Surgery
Its result closest to England is the share who said the wait for their last appointment was about right: 68%, against 69% across England. Its weakest is the share who found it easy to get through to the practice by phone: 19%, below the England figure of 57%. Of the 11 results in the table, 0 are above England and 9 below by more than the survey's margin of error, and 2 within it.
On overall experience it is 18th of the 24 practices in Plymouth with 50 or more responses. 19% found it easy to get through by phone (England: 57%). The overall experience result is 10 points higher than in 2025 (52%). 95 patients answered the survey (response rate 22%).
| Survey question | Friary House Surgery | Devon | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overall experience good | 62% | 79% | 77% |
| Easy to contact by phone | 19% | 59% | 57% |
| Easy to contact via the website | 52% | 62% | 58% |
| Easy to contact via the NHS App | 34% | 55% | 54% |
| Reception team helpful | 75% | 87% | 85% |
| Last contact good | 58% | 76% | 73% |
| Wait for appointment about right | 68% | 70% | 69% |
| Listened to well | 73% | 90% | 87% |
| Treated with care and concern | 74% | 88% | 86% |
| Confidence and trust in the clinician | 85% | 94% | 93% |
| Needs met | 80% | 91% | 90% |
In the Friends and Family Test for July 2026, 77% of 364 responses rated the practice good or very good (England: 92%).
CQC's overall rating for Friary House Surgery is Good, published in January 2018. All 5 key questions are rated Good. It held the same rating in the report before (January 2017).
| Key question | Rating |
|---|---|
| Safe | Good |
| Well-led | Good |
| Caring | Good |
| Responsive | Good |
| Effective | Good |
11,162 patients were registered at Friary House Surgery in September 2026, down 9.6% on a year earlier (England: down 1.1%).
17% of its patients are aged 65 or over, against 19% across England. With 3.0 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs, there are 3,677 patients per GP, more than the England figure of 2,171 and Devon's 1,863. The practice also has 6.2 nurses and 5.2 other clinical staff such as pharmacists and physiotherapists (full-time equivalent).
| Year | Qualified GPs (FTE) | All GPs incl. trainees (FTE) |
|---|---|---|
| August 2023 | 3.3 | 5.4 |
| August 2024 | 4.0 | 6.0 |
| August 2025 | 3.0 | 3.0 |
| August 2026 | 3.0 | 3.0 |
From June 2026 to August 2026 the practice recorded 8,773 appointments a month, or 786 per 1,000 registered patients (England: 510). 26% were face to face (England: 63%). 43% took place on the day they were booked and 1% more than 28 days after booking (England: 45% and 5%).
18% were with a GP rather than another member of the practice team. 3% of booked patients did not attend.
| Measure | Friary House Surgery | Devon | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Appointments per 1,000 patients a month | 786 | 626 | 510 |
| Face to face | 26% | 54% | 63% |
| Same day as booked | 43% | 45% | 45% |
| More than 28 days after booking | 1% | 6% | 5% |
| Did not attend | 3% | 3% | 4% |
Compared with England, the practice has a higher share of patients on its registers for osteoporosis (2.3% against 1.2%), serious mental illness (1.6% against 1.0%) and COPD (2.3% against 1.9%). It has a lower share for palliative or supportive care needs (0.2% against 0.6%) and chronic kidney disease (3.0% against 4.6%). The practice's patients live in areas with an average deprivation score of 27.4 (England: 21.8; higher is more deprived).
Life expectancy for its patients' neighbourhoods is 81.5 years for women and 77.4 for men (England: 83.0 and 79.1).
| Condition register | Age group | Practice (2024/25) | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Depression | 18+ yrs | 14.5% | 14.3% |
| High blood pressure | All ages | 13.5% | 15.2% |
| Diabetes | 17+ yrs | 7.7% | 7.9% |
| Asthma | 6+ yrs | 7.0% | 6.6% |
| Cancer | All ages | 3.7% | 3.8% |
| Coronary heart disease | All ages | 3.1% | 3.0% |
| Chronic kidney disease | 18+ yrs | 3.0% | 4.6% |
| COPD | All ages | 2.3% | 1.9% |
| Osteoporosis | 50+ yrs | 2.3% | 1.2% |
| Atrial fibrillation | All ages | 2.0% | 2.2% |
| Stroke and TIA | All ages | 1.9% | 1.9% |
| Serious mental illness | All ages | 1.6% | 1.0% |
| Heart failure | All ages | 1.2% | 1.1% |
| Dementia | All ages | 1.0% | 0.8% |
| Epilepsy | 18+ yrs | 0.9% | 0.8% |
| Learning disability | All ages | 0.8% | 0.6% |
| Peripheral arterial disease | All ages | 0.6% | 0.6% |
| Rheumatoid arthritis | 16+ yrs | 0.6% | 0.8% |
| Palliative care | All ages | 0.2% | 0.6% |
| Screening coverage | Period | Practice | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bowel cancer screening (aged 60 to 74) | 2024/25 | 70.8% | 72.9% |
| Breast cancer screening (women aged 53 to 70) | 2024/25 | 70.2% | 72.2% |
| Cervical screening (women aged 25 to 49) | 2023/24 | 62.4% | 67.5% |
| Cervical screening (women aged 50 to 64) | 2023/24 | 72.8% | 74.9% |
Friary House Surgery, Beaumont Road, St Judes, Plymouth, PL4 9BH. Phone: 01752 663138. Website: www.friaryhousesurgery.nhs.uk.
| Nearby practice | Distance | Overall experience good |
|---|---|---|
| Wycliffe Surgery | 0.6 km | 80% |
| Lisson Grove and Woolwell Medical Centres | 1.1 km | 75% |
| North Road West Medical Centre | 1.3 km | 83% |
| West Hoe Surgery | 1.7 km | 90% |
| Adelaide Street Surgery | 2.0 km | 77% |
- Budshead Medical Practice (59% overall experience good)
- Elm Surgery (81% overall experience good)
- Oakside Surgery (59% overall experience good)
- Southway Surgery (79% overall experience good)
How do patients rate Friary House Surgery?
In the 2026 GP Patient Survey, 62% of patients described their overall experience of Friary House Surgery as good, below the England figure of 77%. 19% found it easy to get through by phone.
How many patients are registered at Friary House Surgery?
11,162 patients were registered in September 2026, down 9.6% on a year earlier.
What is Friary House Surgery's CQC rating?
Good overall, published in January 2018.
How many GPs does Friary House Surgery have?
3.0 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs (4 qualified GPs by headcount), which is 3,677 patients per GP against 2,171 across England.
Are appointments at Friary House Surgery face to face?
26% of appointments from June 2026 to August 2026 were face to face, against 63% across England.
What is Friary House Surgery's phone number?
01752 663138.