Castle Gardens Surgery, Torrington: patient reviews and CQC rating
Castle Gardens Surgery is a GP practice in Torrington with 6,721 registered patients (September 2026). In the 2026 GP Patient Survey, 92% of its patients described their overall experience as good, above the England figure of 77% (Devon: 79%). The Care Quality Commission rates it Good overall, in a report published in May 2018. It has 5.5 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs, or 1,215 patients per GP.
Latest data: September 2026. Patient survey 2026; registered patients September 2026; appointments to August 2026.
What patients say about Castle Gardens Surgery
Its best result against England is the share who found it easy to get through to the practice by phone: 80%, above the England figure of 57%. Its weakest is the share who said the wait for their last appointment was about right: 66%, against 69% across England. Of the 11 results in the table, 7 are above England and 0 below by more than the survey's margin of error, and 4 within it.
80% found it easy to get through by phone (England: 57%). The overall experience result is 12 points higher than in 2025 (80%). 115 patients answered the survey (response rate 43%).
| Survey question | Castle Gardens Surgery | Devon | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overall experience good | 92% | 79% | 77% |
| Easy to contact by phone | 80% | 59% | 57% |
| Easy to contact via the website | 65% | 62% | 58% |
| Easy to contact via the NHS App | 58% | 55% | 54% |
| Reception team helpful | 99% | 87% | 85% |
| Last contact good | 87% | 76% | 73% |
| Wait for appointment about right | 66% | 70% | 69% |
| Listened to well | 92% | 90% | 87% |
| Treated with care and concern | 95% | 88% | 86% |
| Confidence and trust in the clinician | 100% | 94% | 93% |
| Needs met | 98% | 91% | 90% |
CQC's overall rating for Castle Gardens Surgery is Good, published in May 2018. All 5 key questions are rated Good. It held the same rating in the report before (July 2015).
| Key question | Rating |
|---|---|
| Safe | Good |
| Well-led | Good |
| Caring | Good |
| Responsive | Good |
| Effective | Good |
6,721 patients were registered at Castle Gardens Surgery in September 2026, almost the same as a year earlier.
32% of its patients are aged 65 or over, against 19% across England. With 5.5 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs, there are 1,215 patients per GP, fewer than the England figure of 2,171 and Devon's 1,863. The practice also has 2.7 nurses and 4.3 other clinical staff such as pharmacists and physiotherapists (full-time equivalent).
| Year | Qualified GPs (FTE) | All GPs incl. trainees (FTE) |
|---|---|---|
| August 2023 | 4.3 | 4.3 |
| August 2024 | 5.5 | 5.5 |
| August 2025 | 5.5 | 5.5 |
| August 2026 | 5.5 | 5.5 |
From June 2026 to August 2026 the practice recorded 4,133 appointments a month, or 615 per 1,000 registered patients (England: 510). 88% were face to face (England: 63%). 41% took place on the day they were booked and 13% more than 28 days after booking (England: 45% and 5%).
57% were with a GP rather than another member of the practice team. 3% of booked patients did not attend.
| Measure | Castle Gardens Surgery | Devon | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Appointments per 1,000 patients a month | 615 | 626 | 510 |
| Face to face | 88% | 54% | 63% |
| Same day as booked | 41% | 45% | 45% |
| More than 28 days after booking | 13% | 6% | 5% |
| Did not attend | 3% | 3% | 4% |
Compared with England, the practice has a higher share of patients on its registers for stroke or TIA (3.6% against 1.9%), coronary heart disease (4.7% against 3.0%) and asthma (9.5% against 6.6%). It has a lower share for a learning disability (0.3% against 0.6%). The practice's patients live in areas with an average deprivation score of 22.2 (England: 21.8; higher is more deprived).
Life expectancy for its patients' neighbourhoods is 84.0 years for women and 79.4 for men (England: 83.0 and 79.1).
| Condition register | Age group | Practice (2024/25) | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| High blood pressure | All ages | 19.4% | 15.2% |
| Depression | 18+ yrs | 13.3% | 14.3% |
| Asthma | 6+ yrs | 9.5% | 6.6% |
| Diabetes | 17+ yrs | 8.7% | 7.9% |
| Chronic kidney disease | 18+ yrs | 5.1% | 4.6% |
| Cancer | All ages | 5.0% | 3.8% |
| Coronary heart disease | All ages | 4.7% | 3.0% |
| Stroke and TIA | All ages | 3.6% | 1.9% |
| Atrial fibrillation | All ages | 3.0% | 2.2% |
| COPD | All ages | 2.5% | 1.9% |
| Heart failure | All ages | 1.3% | 1.1% |
| Rheumatoid arthritis | 16+ yrs | 1.0% | 0.8% |
| Epilepsy | 18+ yrs | 1.0% | 0.8% |
| Osteoporosis | 50+ yrs | 0.9% | 1.2% |
| Dementia | All ages | 0.9% | 0.8% |
| Serious mental illness | All ages | 0.8% | 1.0% |
| Peripheral arterial disease | All ages | 0.5% | 0.6% |
| Learning disability | All ages | 0.3% | 0.6% |
| Palliative care | All ages | 0.3% | 0.6% |
| Screening coverage | Period | Practice | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bowel cancer screening (aged 60 to 74) | 2024/25 | 78.5% | 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 | 77.8% | 67.5% |
| Cervical screening (women aged 50 to 64) | 2023/24 | 79.1% | 74.9% |
Castle Gardens Surgery, Castle Hill Gardens, Torrington, EX38 8EU. Phone: 01805 623222. Website: www.castlegardenssurgery.co.uk.
| Nearby practice | Distance | Overall experience good |
|---|---|---|
| Torrington Health Centre | 0.0 km | 90% |
| The Wooda Surgery | 8.5 km | 97% |
| Bideford Medical Centre | 8.9 km | 81% |
| Northam Surgery | 11.0 km | 88% |
| Fremington Medical Centre | 13.2 km | 79% |
- Bideford Medical Centre (81% overall experience good)
- Hartland Surgery (91% overall experience good)
- Northam Surgery (88% overall experience good)
- The Wooda Surgery (97% overall experience good)
- Torrington Health Centre (90% overall experience good)
How do patients rate Castle Gardens Surgery?
In the 2026 GP Patient Survey, 92% of patients described their overall experience of Castle Gardens Surgery as good, above the England figure of 77%. 80% found it easy to get through by phone.
How many patients are registered at Castle Gardens Surgery?
6,721 patients were registered in September 2026, down 0.3% on a year earlier.
What is Castle Gardens Surgery's CQC rating?
Good overall, published in May 2018.
How many GPs does Castle Gardens Surgery have?
5.5 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs (10 qualified GPs by headcount), which is 1,215 patients per GP against 2,171 across England.
Are appointments at Castle Gardens Surgery face to face?
88% of appointments from June 2026 to August 2026 were face to face, against 63% across England.
What is Castle Gardens Surgery's phone number?
01805 623222.