South Molton Medical Centre, South Molton: patient reviews and CQC rating
South Molton Medical Centre is a GP practice in South Molton with 12,674 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 May 2018. It has 8.6 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs, or 1,471 patients per GP.
Latest data: September 2026. Patient survey 2026; registered patients September 2026; appointments to August 2026.
What patients say about South Molton Medical Centre
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 said they were treated with care and concern: 80%, against 86% 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.
53% found it easy to get through by phone (England: 57%). The overall experience result is 4 points lower than in 2025 (85%). 118 patients answered the survey (response rate 37%).
| Survey question | South Molton Medical Centre | Devon | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overall experience good | 81% | 79% | 77% |
| Easy to contact by phone | 53% | 59% | 57% |
| Easy to contact via the website | 75% | 62% | 58% |
| Easy to contact via the NHS App | 49% | 55% | 54% |
| Reception team helpful | 90% | 87% | 85% |
| Last contact good | 81% | 76% | 73% |
| Wait for appointment about right | 67% | 70% | 69% |
| Listened to well | 84% | 90% | 87% |
| Treated with care and concern | 80% | 88% | 86% |
| Confidence and trust in the clinician | 93% | 94% | 93% |
| Needs met | 88% | 91% | 90% |
In the Friends and Family Test for July 2026, 94% of 507 responses rated the practice good or very good (England: 92%).
CQC's overall rating for South Molton Medical Centre is Good, published in May 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 |
12,674 patients were registered at South Molton Medical Centre in September 2026, almost the same as a year earlier.
31% of its patients are aged 65 or over, against 19% across England. With 8.6 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs, there are 1,471 patients per GP, fewer than the England figure of 2,171 and Devon's 1,863. The practice also has 3.9 nurses and 4.8 other clinical staff such as pharmacists and physiotherapists (full-time equivalent).
| Year | Qualified GPs (FTE) | All GPs incl. trainees (FTE) |
|---|---|---|
| August 2023 | 8.6 | 11.6 |
| August 2024 | 8.6 | 10.3 |
| August 2025 | 8.7 | 10.8 |
| August 2026 | 8.6 | 9.7 |
From June 2026 to August 2026 the practice recorded 8,226 appointments a month, or 649 per 1,000 registered patients (England: 510). 60% were face to face (England: 63%). 39% took place on the day they were booked and 10% more than 28 days after booking (England: 45% and 5%).
36% were with a GP rather than another member of the practice team. 2% of booked patients did not attend.
| Measure | South Molton Medical Centre | Devon | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Appointments per 1,000 patients a month | 649 | 626 | 510 |
| Face to face | 60% | 54% | 63% |
| Same day as booked | 39% | 45% | 45% |
| More than 28 days after booking | 10% | 6% | 5% |
| Did not attend | 2% | 3% | 4% |
Compared with England, the practice has a higher share of patients on its registers for chronic kidney disease (9.3% against 4.6%), stroke or TIA (3.3% against 1.9%) and coronary heart disease (5.1% against 3.0%). 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 22.8 (England: 21.8; higher is more deprived).
Life expectancy for its patients' neighbourhoods is 84.0 years for women and 79.8 for men (England: 83.0 and 79.1).
| Condition register | Age group | Practice (2024/25) | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| High blood pressure | All ages | 20.9% | 15.2% |
| Depression | 18+ yrs | 10.9% | 14.3% |
| Chronic kidney disease | 18+ yrs | 9.3% | 4.6% |
| Diabetes | 17+ yrs | 9.1% | 7.9% |
| Asthma | 6+ yrs | 8.7% | 6.6% |
| Coronary heart disease | All ages | 5.1% | 3.0% |
| Cancer | All ages | 4.6% | 3.8% |
| Atrial fibrillation | All ages | 3.7% | 2.2% |
| Stroke and TIA | All ages | 3.3% | 1.9% |
| COPD | All ages | 2.3% | 1.9% |
| Heart failure | All ages | 1.4% | 1.1% |
| Dementia | All ages | 1.3% | 0.8% |
| Osteoporosis | 50+ yrs | 1.2% | 1.2% |
| Rheumatoid arthritis | 16+ yrs | 1.0% | 0.8% |
| Epilepsy | 18+ yrs | 0.9% | 0.8% |
| Serious mental illness | All ages | 0.9% | 1.0% |
| Peripheral arterial disease | All ages | 0.8% | 0.6% |
| Palliative care | All ages | 0.4% | 0.6% |
| Learning disability | All ages | 0.4% | 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 | 73.7% | 72.2% |
| Cervical screening (women aged 25 to 49) | 2023/24 | 76.2% | 67.5% |
| Cervical screening (women aged 50 to 64) | 2023/24 | 78.6% | 74.9% |
South Molton Medical Centre, East Street, South Molton, EX36 3BU. Phone: 01769 573811. Website: www.eaststreetsurgery.co.uk.
| Nearby practice | Distance | Overall experience good |
|---|---|---|
| Wallingbrook Health Group | 11.9 km | 93% |
| Mid Devon Medical Practice | 14.5 km | 93% |
| Litchdon Medical Centre | 15.7 km | 82% |
| Brannam Medical Centre | 17.0 km | 90% |
| Queen's Medical Centre | 17.1 km | 78% |
- Caen Medical Centre (73% overall experience good)
- Combe Coastal Practice (85% overall experience good)
How do patients rate South Molton Medical Centre?
In the 2026 GP Patient Survey, 81% of patients described their overall experience of South Molton Medical Centre as good, against 77% across England. 53% found it easy to get through by phone.
How many patients are registered at South Molton Medical Centre?
12,674 patients were registered in September 2026, down 0.3% on a year earlier.
What is South Molton Medical Centre's CQC rating?
Good overall, published in May 2018.
How many GPs does South Molton Medical Centre have?
8.6 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs (11 qualified GPs by headcount), which is 1,471 patients per GP against 2,171 across England.
Are appointments at South Molton Medical Centre face to face?
60% of appointments from June 2026 to August 2026 were face to face, against 63% across England.
What is South Molton Medical Centre's phone number?
01769 573811.