Townsend House Medical Centre, Seaton: patient reviews and CQC rating
Townsend House Medical Centre is a GP practice in Seaton with 5,566 registered patients (September 2026). In the 2026 GP Patient Survey, 83% 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 April 2019. It has 4.9 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs, or 1,146 patients per GP.
Latest data: September 2026. Patient survey 2026; registered patients September 2026; appointments to August 2026.
What patients say about Townsend House Medical Centre
Its best result against England is the share who found it easy to contact the practice through its website: 69%, against 58% across England. Its weakest is the share who found the reception and administrative team helpful: 80%, against 85% across England. With 140 responses, none of its 11 results differs from England by more than the survey's margin of error.
52% found it easy to get through by phone (England: 57%). The overall experience result is 3 points lower than in 2025 (86%). 140 patients answered the survey (response rate 44%).
| Survey question | Townsend House Medical Centre | Devon | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overall experience good | 83% | 79% | 77% |
| Easy to contact by phone | 52% | 59% | 57% |
| Easy to contact via the website | 69% | 62% | 58% |
| Easy to contact via the NHS App | 56% | 55% | 54% |
| Reception team helpful | 80% | 87% | 85% |
| Last contact good | 72% | 76% | 73% |
| Wait for appointment about right | 65% | 70% | 69% |
| Listened to well | 90% | 90% | 87% |
| Treated with care and concern | 88% | 88% | 86% |
| Confidence and trust in the clinician | 96% | 94% | 93% |
| Needs met | 92% | 91% | 90% |
CQC's overall rating for Townsend House Medical Centre is Good, published in April 2019. All 5 key questions are rated Good. It held the same rating in the report before (November 2015).
| Key question | Rating |
|---|---|
| Safe | Good |
| Well-led | Good |
| Caring | Good |
| Responsive | Good |
| Effective | Good |
5,566 patients were registered at Townsend House Medical Centre in September 2026, down 1.3% on a year earlier (England: down 1.1%).
42% of its patients are aged 65 or over, against 19% across England. With 4.9 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs, there are 1,146 patients per GP, fewer than the England figure of 2,171 and Devon's 1,863. The practice also has 3.7 nurses (full-time equivalent).
| Year | Qualified GPs (FTE) | All GPs incl. trainees (FTE) |
|---|---|---|
| August 2023 | 5.5 | 7.2 |
| August 2024 | 5.5 | 7.1 |
| August 2025 | 4.9 | 5.4 |
| August 2026 | 4.9 | 5.5 |
From June 2026 to August 2026 the practice recorded 3,698 appointments a month, or 664 per 1,000 registered patients (England: 510). 75% were face to face (England: 63%). 27% took place on the day they were booked and 9% more than 28 days after booking (England: 45% and 5%).
49% were with a GP rather than another member of the practice team. 4% of booked patients did not attend.
| Measure | Townsend House Medical Centre | Devon | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Appointments per 1,000 patients a month | 664 | 626 | 510 |
| Face to face | 75% | 54% | 63% |
| Same day as booked | 27% | 45% | 45% |
| More than 28 days after booking | 9% | 6% | 5% |
| Did not attend | 4% | 3% | 4% |
Compared with England, the practice has a higher share of patients on its registers for osteoporosis (3.9% against 1.2%), peripheral arterial disease (1.8% against 0.6%) and dementia (2.3% against 0.8%). It has a lower share for depression (10.9% against 14.3%). The practice's patients live in areas with an average deprivation score of 13.5 (England: 21.8; higher is more deprived).
Life expectancy for its patients' neighbourhoods is 84.2 years for women and 82.1 for men (England: 83.0 and 79.1).
| Condition register | Age group | Practice (2024/25) | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| High blood pressure | All ages | 27.3% | 15.2% |
| Chronic kidney disease | 18+ yrs | 12.8% | 4.6% |
| Depression | 18+ yrs | 10.9% | 14.3% |
| Diabetes | 17+ yrs | 10.4% | 7.9% |
| Asthma | 6+ yrs | 8.9% | 6.6% |
| Cancer | All ages | 8.0% | 3.8% |
| Coronary heart disease | All ages | 6.3% | 3.0% |
| Atrial fibrillation | All ages | 5.8% | 2.2% |
| Stroke and TIA | All ages | 4.6% | 1.9% |
| Osteoporosis | 50+ yrs | 3.9% | 1.2% |
| COPD | All ages | 3.1% | 1.9% |
| Heart failure | All ages | 2.7% | 1.1% |
| Dementia | All ages | 2.3% | 0.8% |
| Peripheral arterial disease | All ages | 1.8% | 0.6% |
| Rheumatoid arthritis | 16+ yrs | 1.1% | 0.8% |
| Epilepsy | 18+ yrs | 0.9% | 0.8% |
| Serious mental illness | All ages | 0.7% | 1.0% |
| Learning disability | All ages | 0.6% | 0.6% |
| Palliative care | All ages | 0.4% | 0.6% |
| Screening coverage | Period | Practice | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bowel cancer screening (aged 60 to 74) | 2024/25 | 79.3% | 72.9% |
| Breast cancer screening (women aged 53 to 70) | 2024/25 | 72.9% | 72.2% |
| Cervical screening (women aged 25 to 49) | 2023/24 | 69.1% | 67.5% |
| Cervical screening (women aged 50 to 64) | 2023/24 | 78.5% | 74.9% |
Townsend House Medical Centre, 49 Harepath Road, Seaton, EX12 2RY. Phone: 0129720616. Website: www.townsendhousesurgery.co.uk.
| Nearby practice | Distance | Overall experience good |
|---|---|---|
| Seaton and Colyton Medical Practice | 0.5 km | 91% |
| Lyme Bay Medical Practice | 9.2 km | 85% |
| Axminster Medical Practice | 9.6 km | 92% |
| Beacon Medical Centre | 12.3 km | 82% |
| Ward Practice | 12.5 km | 77% |
- Axminster Medical Practice (92% overall experience good)
- Seaton and Colyton Medical Practice (91% overall experience good)
How do patients rate Townsend House Medical Centre?
In the 2026 GP Patient Survey, 83% of patients described their overall experience of Townsend House Medical Centre as good, against 77% across England. 52% found it easy to get through by phone.
How many patients are registered at Townsend House Medical Centre?
5,566 patients were registered in September 2026, down 1.3% on a year earlier.
What is Townsend House Medical Centre's CQC rating?
Good overall, published in April 2019.
How many GPs does Townsend House Medical Centre have?
4.9 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs (5 qualified GPs by headcount), which is 1,146 patients per GP against 2,171 across England.
Are appointments at Townsend House Medical Centre face to face?
75% of appointments from June 2026 to August 2026 were face to face, against 63% across England.
What is Townsend House Medical Centre's phone number?
0129720616.