Southway Surgery, Plymouth: patient reviews and CQC rating
Southway Surgery is a GP practice in Plymouth with 5,536 registered patients (September 2026). In the 2026 GP Patient Survey, 79% 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 December 2018. It has 2.4 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs, or 2,281 patients per GP.
Latest data: September 2026. Patient survey 2026; registered patients September 2026; appointments to August 2026.
What patients say about Southway Surgery
Its best result against England is the share who found it easy to contact the practice through its website: 75%, above the England figure of 58%. Its weakest is the share who found the reception and administrative team helpful: 83%, against 85% across England. Of the 11 results in the table, 2 are above England and 0 below by more than the survey's margin of error, and 9 within it.
On overall experience it is 12th of the 24 practices in Plymouth with 50 or more responses. 63% found it easy to get through by phone (England: 57%). The overall experience result is 1 point lower than in 2025 (80%). 94 patients answered the survey (response rate 26%).
| Survey question | Southway Surgery | Devon | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overall experience good | 79% | 79% | 77% |
| Easy to contact by phone | 63% | 59% | 57% |
| Easy to contact via the website | 75% | 62% | 58% |
| Easy to contact via the NHS App | 56% | 55% | 54% |
| Reception team helpful | 83% | 87% | 85% |
| Last contact good | 81% | 76% | 73% |
| Wait for appointment about right | 83% | 70% | 69% |
| Listened to well | 87% | 90% | 87% |
| Treated with care and concern | 88% | 88% | 86% |
| Confidence and trust in the clinician | 95% | 94% | 93% |
| Needs met | 93% | 91% | 90% |
In the Friends and Family Test for July 2026, 81% of 27 responses rated the practice good or very good (England: 92%).
CQC's overall rating for Southway Surgery 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 |
5,536 patients were registered at Southway Surgery in September 2026, down 1.3% on a year earlier (England: down 1.1%).
18% of its patients are aged 65 or over, against 19% across England. With 2.4 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs, there are 2,281 patients per GP, close to the England figure of 2,171 and Devon's 1,863. The practice also has 2.3 nurses and 0.5 other clinical staff such as pharmacists and physiotherapists (full-time equivalent).
| Year | Qualified GPs (FTE) | All GPs incl. trainees (FTE) |
|---|---|---|
| August 2023 | 2.2 | 2.2 |
| August 2024 | 2.2 | 2.2 |
| August 2025 | 3.1 | 3.1 |
| August 2026 | 2.4 | 2.4 |
From June 2026 to August 2026 the practice recorded 2,723 appointments a month, or 492 per 1,000 registered patients (England: 510). 57% were face to face (England: 63%). 49% took place on the day they were booked and 2% more than 28 days after booking (England: 45% and 5%).
52% were with a GP rather than another member of the practice team. 5% of booked patients did not attend.
| Measure | Southway Surgery | Devon | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Appointments per 1,000 patients a month | 492 | 626 | 510 |
| Face to face | 57% | 54% | 63% |
| Same day as booked | 49% | 45% | 45% |
| More than 28 days after booking | 2% | 6% | 5% |
| Did not attend | 5% | 3% | 4% |
Compared with England, the practice has a higher share of patients on its registers for a learning disability (1.0% against 0.6%), epilepsy (1.4% against 0.8%) and depression (23.5% against 14.3%). The practice's patients live in areas with an average deprivation score of 28.3 (England: 21.8; higher is more deprived). Life expectancy for its patients' neighbourhoods is 80.9 years for women and 79.8 for men (England: 83.0 and 79.1).
| Condition register | Age group | Practice (2024/25) | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Depression | 18+ yrs | 23.5% | 14.3% |
| High blood pressure | All ages | 14.2% | 15.2% |
| Diabetes | 17+ yrs | 9.7% | 7.9% |
| Asthma | 6+ yrs | 7.7% | 6.6% |
| Chronic kidney disease | 18+ yrs | 5.9% | 4.6% |
| Cancer | All ages | 3.9% | 3.8% |
| Coronary heart disease | All ages | 3.8% | 3.0% |
| COPD | All ages | 2.7% | 1.9% |
| Atrial fibrillation | All ages | 2.3% | 2.2% |
| Stroke and TIA | All ages | 1.9% | 1.9% |
| Osteoporosis | 50+ yrs | 1.4% | 1.2% |
| Epilepsy | 18+ yrs | 1.4% | 0.8% |
| Heart failure | All ages | 1.3% | 1.1% |
| Rheumatoid arthritis | 16+ yrs | 1.1% | 0.8% |
| Learning disability | All ages | 1.0% | 0.6% |
| Serious mental illness | All ages | 0.9% | 1.0% |
| Peripheral arterial disease | All ages | 0.5% | 0.6% |
| Dementia | All ages | 0.4% | 0.8% |
| Palliative care | All ages | 0.3% | 0.6% |
| Screening coverage | Period | Practice | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bowel cancer screening (aged 60 to 74) | 2024/25 | 69.5% | 72.9% |
| Breast cancer screening (women aged 53 to 70) | 2024/25 | 75.4% | 72.2% |
| Cervical screening (women aged 25 to 49) | 2023/24 | 71.6% | 67.5% |
| Cervical screening (women aged 50 to 64) | 2023/24 | 68.0% | 74.9% |
Southway Surgery, 33 Rockfield Avenue, Southway, Plymouth, PL6 6DX. Phone: 01752 776650. Website: www.southwaysurgery.com.
| Nearby practice | Distance | Overall experience good |
|---|---|---|
| Roborough Surgery | 1.3 km | 76% |
| Budshead Medical Practice | 1.7 km | 59% |
| Dr Hall, Hillman, Macartney, Mr Smith-Avery, Dr Garstang, Dr Mair & Dr Lindsay | 2.1 km | 80% |
| Oakside Surgery | 2.6 km | 59% |
| Elm Surgery | 3.4 km | 81% |
- Budshead Medical Practice (59% overall experience good)
- Elm Surgery (81% overall experience good)
- Friary House Surgery (62% overall experience good)
- Oakside Surgery (59% overall experience good)
How do patients rate Southway Surgery?
In the 2026 GP Patient Survey, 79% of patients described their overall experience of Southway Surgery as good, against 77% across England. 63% found it easy to get through by phone.
How many patients are registered at Southway Surgery?
5,536 patients were registered in September 2026, down 1.3% on a year earlier.
What is Southway Surgery's CQC rating?
Good overall, published in December 2018.
How many GPs does Southway Surgery have?
2.4 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs (4 qualified GPs by headcount), which is 2,281 patients per GP against 2,171 across England.
Are appointments at Southway Surgery face to face?
57% of appointments from June 2026 to August 2026 were face to face, against 63% across England.
What is Southway Surgery's phone number?
01752 776650.