Abbey Surgery, Tavistock: patient reviews and CQC rating
Abbey Surgery is a GP practice in Tavistock with 14,953 registered patients (September 2026). In the 2026 GP Patient Survey, 76% 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 2019. It has 10.5 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs, or 1,423 patients per GP.
Latest data: September 2026. Patient survey 2026; registered patients September 2026; appointments to August 2026.
What patients say about Abbey Surgery
Its best result against England is the share who found it easy to get through to the practice by phone: 72%, above the England figure of 57%. Its weakest is the share who found it easy to contact the practice using the NHS App: 49%, against 54% 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.
72% found it easy to get through by phone (England: 57%). The overall experience result is 12 points lower than in 2025 (88%). 114 patients answered the survey (response rate 42%).
| Survey question | Abbey Surgery | Devon | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overall experience good | 76% | 79% | 77% |
| Easy to contact by phone | 72% | 59% | 57% |
| Easy to contact via the website | 59% | 62% | 58% |
| Easy to contact via the NHS App | 49% | 55% | 54% |
| Reception team helpful | 93% | 87% | 85% |
| Last contact good | 82% | 76% | 73% |
| Wait for appointment about right | 74% | 70% | 69% |
| Listened to well | 87% | 90% | 87% |
| Treated with care and concern | 86% | 88% | 86% |
| Confidence and trust in the clinician | 93% | 94% | 93% |
| Needs met | 86% | 91% | 90% |
CQC's overall rating for Abbey Surgery is Good, published in December 2019. All 5 key questions are rated Good. It held the same rating in the report before (August 2016).
| Key question | Rating |
|---|---|
| Safe | Good |
| Well-led | Good |
| Caring | Good |
| Responsive | Good |
| Effective | Good |
14,953 patients were registered at Abbey Surgery in September 2026, down 1.2% on a year earlier (England: down 1.1%).
33% of its patients are aged 65 or over, against 19% across England. With 10.5 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs, there are 1,423 patients per GP, fewer than the England figure of 2,171 and Devon's 1,863. The practice also has 5.1 nurses and 6.5 other clinical staff such as pharmacists and physiotherapists (full-time equivalent).
| Year | Qualified GPs (FTE) | All GPs incl. trainees (FTE) |
|---|---|---|
| August 2023 | 9.7 | 12.9 |
| August 2024 | 10.4 | 14.3 |
| August 2025 | 10.1 | 13.3 |
| August 2026 | 10.5 | 14.8 |
From June 2026 to August 2026 the practice recorded 6,774 appointments a month, or 453 per 1,000 registered patients (England: 510). 67% were face to face (England: 63%). 30% took place on the day they were booked and 0% more than 28 days after booking (England: 45% and 5%).
50% were with a GP rather than another member of the practice team. 6% of booked patients did not attend.
| Measure | Abbey Surgery | Devon | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Appointments per 1,000 patients a month | 453 | 626 | 510 |
| Face to face | 67% | 54% | 63% |
| Same day as booked | 30% | 45% | 45% |
| More than 28 days after booking | 0% | 6% | 5% |
| Did not attend | 6% | 3% | 4% |
Compared with England, the practice has a higher share of patients on its registers for heart failure (2.2% against 1.1%), dementia (1.5% against 0.8%) and atrial fibrillation (4.2% against 2.2%). The practice's patients live in areas with an average deprivation score of 17.6 (England: 21.8; higher is more deprived). Life expectancy for its patients' neighbourhoods is 84.7 years for women and 81.1 for men (England: 83.0 and 79.1).
| Condition register | Age group | Practice (2024/25) | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| High blood pressure | All ages | 19.3% | 15.2% |
| Depression | 18+ yrs | 14.9% | 14.3% |
| Asthma | 6+ yrs | 8.6% | 6.6% |
| Diabetes | 17+ yrs | 7.5% | 7.9% |
| Cancer | All ages | 6.4% | 3.8% |
| Coronary heart disease | All ages | 5.1% | 3.0% |
| Chronic kidney disease | 18+ yrs | 5.0% | 4.6% |
| Atrial fibrillation | All ages | 4.2% | 2.2% |
| Stroke and TIA | All ages | 3.4% | 1.9% |
| COPD | All ages | 2.3% | 1.9% |
| Heart failure | All ages | 2.2% | 1.1% |
| Osteoporosis | 50+ yrs | 2.0% | 1.2% |
| Dementia | All ages | 1.5% | 0.8% |
| Serious mental illness | All ages | 1.4% | 1.0% |
| Rheumatoid arthritis | 16+ yrs | 1.3% | 0.8% |
| Epilepsy | 18+ yrs | 0.9% | 0.8% |
| Peripheral arterial disease | All ages | 0.8% | 0.6% |
| Learning disability | All ages | 0.7% | 0.6% |
| Palliative care | All ages | 0.5% | 0.6% |
| Screening coverage | Period | Practice | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bowel cancer screening (aged 60 to 74) | 2024/25 | 78.8% | 72.9% |
| Breast cancer screening (women aged 53 to 70) | 2024/25 | 80.7% | 72.2% |
| Cervical screening (women aged 25 to 49) | 2023/24 | 74.0% | 67.5% |
| Cervical screening (women aged 50 to 64) | 2023/24 | 74.1% | 74.9% |
Abbey Surgery, 28 Plymouth Road, Tavistock, PL19 8BU. Phone: 01822 612247. Website: www.abbeysurgery.co.uk.
| Nearby practice | Distance | Overall experience good |
|---|---|---|
| Tavyside Health Centre | 0.3 km | 90% |
| Yelverton Surgery | 7.8 km | 94% |
| Callington Health Centre | 12.9 km | 81% |
| Southway Surgery | 13.3 km | 79% |
| Roborough Surgery | 13.5 km | 76% |
- Tavyside Health Centre (90% overall experience good)
- Yelverton Surgery (94% overall experience good)
How do patients rate Abbey Surgery?
In the 2026 GP Patient Survey, 76% of patients described their overall experience of Abbey Surgery as good, against 77% across England. 72% found it easy to get through by phone.
How many patients are registered at Abbey Surgery?
14,953 patients were registered in September 2026, down 1.2% on a year earlier.
What is Abbey Surgery's CQC rating?
Good overall, published in December 2019.
How many GPs does Abbey Surgery have?
10.5 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs (16 qualified GPs by headcount), which is 1,423 patients per GP against 2,171 across England.
Are appointments at Abbey Surgery face to face?
67% of appointments from June 2026 to August 2026 were face to face, against 63% across England.
What is Abbey Surgery's phone number?
01822 612247.