St James Medical Centre, Taunton: patient reviews and CQC rating
St James Medical Centre is a GP practice in Taunton with 17,509 registered patients (September 2026). In the 2026 GP Patient Survey, 84% of its patients described their overall experience as good, against 77% across England (Somerset: 79%). The Care Quality Commission rates it Good overall, in a report published in July 2019. It has 6.7 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs, or 2,600 patients per GP.
Latest data: September 2026. Patient survey 2026; registered patients September 2026; appointments to August 2026.
What patients say about St James Medical Centre
Its best result against England is the share who found it easy to contact the practice through its website: 70%, above the England figure of 58%. Its weakest is the share who found it easy to get through to the practice by phone: 49%, against 57% 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 10th of the 12 practices in Taunton with 50 or more responses. 49% found it easy to get through by phone (England: 57%). The overall experience result is 1 point higher than in 2025 (83%). 128 patients answered the survey (response rate 30%).
| Survey question | St James Medical Centre | Somerset | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overall experience good | 84% | 79% | 77% |
| Easy to contact by phone | 49% | 60% | 57% |
| Easy to contact via the website | 70% | 61% | 58% |
| Easy to contact via the NHS App | 64% | 59% | 54% |
| Reception team helpful | 89% | 87% | 85% |
| Last contact good | 80% | 75% | 73% |
| Wait for appointment about right | 70% | 70% | 69% |
| Listened to well | 93% | 89% | 87% |
| Treated with care and concern | 90% | 88% | 86% |
| Confidence and trust in the clinician | 93% | 94% | 93% |
| Needs met | 89% | 91% | 90% |
In the Friends and Family Test for July 2026, 95% of 228 responses rated the practice good or very good (England: 92%).
CQC's overall rating for St James Medical Centre is Good, published in July 2019. All 5 key questions are rated Good. It held the same rating in the report before (March 2015).
| Key question | Rating |
|---|---|
| Safe | Good |
| Well-led | Good |
| Caring | Good |
| Responsive | Good |
| Effective | Good |
17,509 patients were registered at St James Medical Centre in September 2026, down 1.6% on a year earlier (England: down 1.1%).
17% of its patients are aged 65 or over, against 19% across England. With 6.7 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs, there are 2,600 patients per GP, more than the England figure of 2,171 and Somerset's 1,975. The practice also has 4.3 nurses and 6.4 other clinical staff such as pharmacists and physiotherapists (full-time equivalent).
| Year | Qualified GPs (FTE) | All GPs incl. trainees (FTE) |
|---|---|---|
| August 2023 | 6.1 | 8.4 |
| August 2024 | 6.8 | 8.3 |
| August 2025 | 6.1 | 9.5 |
| August 2026 | 6.7 | 9.7 |
From June 2026 to August 2026 the practice recorded 6,990 appointments a month, or 399 per 1,000 registered patients (England: 510). 58% were face to face (England: 63%). 36% took place on the day they were booked and 18% more than 28 days after booking (England: 45% and 5%).
48% were with a GP rather than another member of the practice team. 5% of booked patients did not attend.
| Measure | St James Medical Centre | Somerset | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Appointments per 1,000 patients a month | 399 | 494 | 510 |
| Face to face | 58% | 65% | 63% |
| Same day as booked | 36% | 41% | 45% |
| More than 28 days after booking | 18% | 7% | 5% |
| Did not attend | 5% | 4% | 4% |
Compared with England, the practice has a higher share of patients on its registers for osteoporosis (3.8% against 1.2%) and depression (18.7% against 14.3%). It has a lower share for palliative or supportive care needs (0.3% against 0.6%), dementia (0.5% against 0.8%) and chronic kidney disease (3.6% against 4.6%). The practice's patients live in areas with an average deprivation score of 19.6 (England: 21.8; higher is more deprived).
Life expectancy for its patients' neighbourhoods is 83.9 years for women and 78.8 for men (England: 83.0 and 79.1).
| Condition register | Age group | Practice (2024/25) | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Depression | 18+ yrs | 18.7% | 14.3% |
| High blood pressure | All ages | 12.8% | 15.2% |
| Diabetes | 17+ yrs | 6.4% | 7.9% |
| Asthma | 6+ yrs | 6.1% | 6.6% |
| Cancer | All ages | 4.1% | 3.8% |
| Osteoporosis | 50+ yrs | 3.8% | 1.2% |
| Chronic kidney disease | 18+ yrs | 3.6% | 4.6% |
| Coronary heart disease | All ages | 2.8% | 3.0% |
| Atrial fibrillation | All ages | 2.3% | 2.2% |
| Stroke and TIA | All ages | 2.0% | 1.9% |
| COPD | All ages | 1.7% | 1.9% |
| Heart failure | All ages | 1.2% | 1.1% |
| Serious mental illness | All ages | 0.9% | 1.0% |
| Epilepsy | 18+ yrs | 0.8% | 0.8% |
| Rheumatoid arthritis | 16+ yrs | 0.7% | 0.8% |
| Peripheral arterial disease | All ages | 0.7% | 0.6% |
| Dementia | All ages | 0.5% | 0.8% |
| Learning disability | All ages | 0.5% | 0.6% |
| Palliative care | All ages | 0.3% | 0.6% |
| Screening coverage | Period | Practice | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bowel cancer screening (aged 60 to 74) | 2024/25 | 69.6% | 72.9% |
| Breast cancer screening (women aged 53 to 70) | 2024/25 | 67.9% | 72.2% |
| Cervical screening (women aged 25 to 49) | 2023/24 | 62.0% | 67.5% |
| Cervical screening (women aged 50 to 64) | 2023/24 | 71.8% | 74.9% |
St James Medical Centre, Coal Orchard, Taunton, TA1 1JP. Phone: 01823 285400. Website: www.stjamesmedicalcentre.co.uk.
| Nearby practice | Distance | Overall experience good |
|---|---|---|
| French Weir Health Centre | 0.8 km | 79% |
| Taunton Vale Healthcare | 1.5 km | 85% |
| Crown Medical Centre | 1.9 km | 84% |
| College Way Surgery | 2.0 km | 94% |
| Warwick House Medical Centre | 2.1 km | 92% |
- College Way Surgery (94% overall experience good)
- Crown Medical Centre (84% overall experience good)
- Dr Sewell, Piotrowski & Yick (88% overall experience good)
- French Weir Health Centre (79% overall experience good)
How do patients rate St James Medical Centre?
In the 2026 GP Patient Survey, 84% of patients described their overall experience of St James Medical Centre as good, against 77% across England. 49% found it easy to get through by phone.
How many patients are registered at St James Medical Centre?
17,509 patients were registered in September 2026, down 1.6% on a year earlier.
What is St James Medical Centre's CQC rating?
Good overall, published in July 2019.
How many GPs does St James Medical Centre have?
6.7 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs (10 qualified GPs by headcount), which is 2,600 patients per GP against 2,171 across England.
Are appointments at St James Medical Centre face to face?
58% of appointments from June 2026 to August 2026 were face to face, against 63% across England.
What is St James Medical Centre's phone number?
01823 285400.