Beacon Medical Centre, Sidmouth: patient reviews and CQC rating
Beacon Medical Centre is a GP practice in Sidmouth with 15,002 registered patients (September 2026). In the 2026 GP Patient Survey, 82% 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 May 2017. It has 10.5 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs, or 1,424 patients per GP.
Latest data: September 2026. Patient survey 2026; registered patients September 2026; appointments to August 2026.
What patients say about Beacon Medical Centre
Its best result against England is the share who found it easy to contact the practice using the NHS App: 84%, above the England figure of 54%. Its weakest is the share who said the wait for their last appointment was about right: 60%, against 69% across England. Of the 11 results in the table, 3 are above England and 0 below by more than the survey's margin of error, and 8 within it.
50% found it easy to get through by phone (England: 57%). The overall experience result is 5 points lower than in 2025 (87%). 101 patients answered the survey (response rate 38%).
| Survey question | Beacon Medical Centre | Devon | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overall experience good | 82% | 79% | 77% |
| Easy to contact by phone | 50% | 59% | 57% |
| Easy to contact via the website | 85% | 62% | 58% |
| Easy to contact via the NHS App | 84% | 55% | 54% |
| Reception team helpful | 91% | 87% | 85% |
| Last contact good | 76% | 76% | 73% |
| Wait for appointment about right | 60% | 70% | 69% |
| Listened to well | 94% | 90% | 87% |
| Treated with care and concern | 93% | 88% | 86% |
| Confidence and trust in the clinician | 98% | 94% | 93% |
| Needs met | 96% | 91% | 90% |
In the Friends and Family Test for July 2026, 73% of 159 responses rated the practice good or very good (England: 92%).
CQC's overall rating for Beacon Medical Centre is Good, published in May 2017. All 5 key questions are rated Good.
| Key question | Rating |
|---|---|
| Safe | Good |
| Well-led | Good |
| Caring | Good |
| Responsive | Good |
| Effective | Good |
15,002 patients were registered at Beacon Medical Centre in September 2026, almost the same as a year earlier.
44% of its patients are aged 65 or over, against 19% across England. With 10.5 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs, there are 1,424 patients per GP, fewer than the England figure of 2,171 and Devon's 1,863. The practice also has 6.9 nurses and 5.5 other clinical staff such as pharmacists and physiotherapists (full-time equivalent).
| Year | Qualified GPs (FTE) | All GPs incl. trainees (FTE) |
|---|---|---|
| August 2023 | 9.0 | 9.8 |
| August 2024 | 9.8 | 11.9 |
| August 2025 | 9.7 | 10.7 |
| August 2026 | 10.5 | 12.7 |
From June 2026 to August 2026 the practice recorded 8,674 appointments a month, or 578 per 1,000 registered patients (England: 510). 95% were face to face (England: 63%). 33% took place on the day they were booked and 7% more than 28 days after booking (England: 45% and 5%).
31% were with a GP rather than another member of the practice team. 5% of booked patients did not attend.
| Measure | Beacon Medical Centre | Devon | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Appointments per 1,000 patients a month | 578 | 626 | 510 |
| Face to face | 95% | 54% | 63% |
| Same day as booked | 33% | 45% | 45% |
| More than 28 days after booking | 7% | 6% | 5% |
| Did not attend | 5% | 3% | 4% |
Compared with England, the practice has a higher share of patients on its registers for atrial fibrillation (5.9% against 2.2%), cancer (8.3% against 3.8%) and stroke or TIA (4.1% against 1.9%). The practice's patients live in areas with an average deprivation score of 11.7 (England: 21.8; higher is more deprived). Life expectancy for its patients' neighbourhoods is 85.6 years for women and 83.9 for men (England: 83.0 and 79.1).
| Condition register | Age group | Practice (2024/25) | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| High blood pressure | All ages | 23.8% | 15.2% |
| Depression | 18+ yrs | 11.6% | 14.3% |
| Asthma | 6+ yrs | 8.5% | 6.6% |
| Cancer | All ages | 8.3% | 3.8% |
| Chronic kidney disease | 18+ yrs | 8.2% | 4.6% |
| Diabetes | 17+ yrs | 8.1% | 7.9% |
| Atrial fibrillation | All ages | 5.9% | 2.2% |
| Coronary heart disease | All ages | 5.6% | 3.0% |
| Stroke and TIA | All ages | 4.1% | 1.9% |
| Heart failure | All ages | 2.2% | 1.1% |
| COPD | All ages | 2.0% | 1.9% |
| Dementia | All ages | 1.7% | 0.8% |
| Osteoporosis | 50+ yrs | 1.2% | 1.2% |
| Rheumatoid arthritis | 16+ yrs | 1.2% | 0.8% |
| Serious mental illness | All ages | 1.1% | 1.0% |
| Epilepsy | 18+ yrs | 1.0% | 0.8% |
| Palliative care | All ages | 0.7% | 0.6% |
| Peripheral arterial disease | All ages | 0.7% | 0.6% |
| Learning disability | All ages | 0.5% | 0.6% |
| Screening coverage | Period | Practice | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bowel cancer screening (aged 60 to 74) | 2024/25 | 81.9% | 72.9% |
| Breast cancer screening (women aged 53 to 70) | 2024/25 | 81.9% | 72.2% |
| Cervical screening (women aged 25 to 49) | 2023/24 | 78.0% | 67.5% |
| Cervical screening (women aged 50 to 64) | 2023/24 | 81.4% | 74.9% |
99% of the practice's patients live in the EX10 postcode district. 100% live in East Devon, the council area the practice is in.
| Postcode district | Registered patients | Share |
|---|---|---|
| EX10 | 14,765 | 99% |
Beacon Medical Centre, Sedemuda Road, Sidmouth, EX10 9YA. Phone: 01395 512601.
| Nearby practice | Distance | Overall experience good |
|---|---|---|
| Coleridge Medical Centre | 6.3 km | 81% |
| Budleigh Salterton Medical Practice | 9.6 km | 86% |
| Woodbury Surgery | 11.1 km | 94% |
| Ward Practice | 11.4 km | 77% |
| Seaton and Colyton Medical Practice | 12.3 km | 91% |
- Coleridge Medical Centre (81% overall experience good)
- Ward Practice (77% overall experience good)
How do patients rate Beacon Medical Centre?
In the 2026 GP Patient Survey, 82% of patients described their overall experience of Beacon Medical Centre as good, against 77% across England. 50% found it easy to get through by phone.
How many patients are registered at Beacon Medical Centre?
15,002 patients were registered in September 2026, down 0.0% on a year earlier.
What is Beacon Medical Centre's CQC rating?
Good overall, published in May 2017.
How many GPs does Beacon Medical Centre have?
10.5 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs (17 qualified GPs by headcount), which is 1,424 patients per GP against 2,171 across England.
Are appointments at Beacon Medical Centre face to face?
95% of appointments from June 2026 to August 2026 were face to face, against 63% across England.
What is Beacon Medical Centre's phone number?
01395 512601.