Carnon Downs Surgery, Truro: patient reviews and CQC rating
Carnon Downs Surgery is a GP practice in Truro with 6,128 registered patients (September 2026). In the 2026 GP Patient Survey, 87% of its patients described their overall experience as good, above the England figure of 77% (Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly: 79%). The Care Quality Commission rates it Good overall, in a report published in April 2016. It has 5.3 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs, or 1,149 patients per GP.
Latest data: September 2026. Patient survey 2026; registered patients September 2026; appointments to August 2026.
What patients say about Carnon Downs Surgery
Its best result against England is the share who found it easy to get through to the practice by phone: 83%, above the England figure of 57%. Its weakest is the share who said the wait for their last appointment was about right: 64%, against 69% across England. Of the 11 results in the table, 6 are above England and 0 below by more than the survey's margin of error, and 5 within it.
On overall experience it is 4th of the 6 practices in Truro with 50 or more responses. 83% found it easy to get through by phone (England: 57%). The overall experience result is 3 points higher than in 2025 (84%). 123 patients answered the survey (response rate 47%).
| Survey question | Carnon Downs Surgery | Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overall experience good | 87% | 79% | 77% |
| Easy to contact by phone | 83% | 58% | 57% |
| Easy to contact via the website | 66% | 65% | 58% |
| Easy to contact via the NHS App | 63% | 58% | 54% |
| Reception team helpful | 95% | 86% | 85% |
| Last contact good | 85% | 74% | 73% |
| Wait for appointment about right | 64% | 71% | 69% |
| Listened to well | 91% | 89% | 87% |
| Treated with care and concern | 93% | 88% | 86% |
| Confidence and trust in the clinician | 96% | 94% | 93% |
| Needs met | 96% | 91% | 90% |
In the Friends and Family Test for July 2026, 98% of 396 responses rated the practice good or very good (England: 92%).
CQC's overall rating for Carnon Downs Surgery is Good, published in April 2016. All 5 key questions are rated Good.
| Key question | Rating |
|---|---|
| Safe | Good |
| Well-led | Good |
| Caring | Good |
| Responsive | Good |
| Effective | Good |
6,128 patients were registered at Carnon Downs Surgery in September 2026, up 1.1% on a year earlier (England: down 1.1%).
38% of its patients are aged 65 or over, against 19% across England. With 5.3 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs, there are 1,149 patients per GP, fewer than the England figure of 2,171 and Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly's 1,871. The practice also has 1.3 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 | 4.7 | 5.4 |
| August 2024 | 5.3 | 7.0 |
| August 2025 | 5.3 | 6.0 |
| August 2026 | 5.3 | 6.0 |
From June 2026 to August 2026 the practice recorded 4,385 appointments a month, or 716 per 1,000 registered patients (England: 510). 61% were face to face (England: 63%). 34% took place on the day they were booked and 10% more than 28 days after booking (England: 45% and 5%).
57% were with a GP rather than another member of the practice team. 2% of booked patients did not attend.
| Measure | Carnon Downs Surgery | Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Appointments per 1,000 patients a month | 716 | 633 | 510 |
| Face to face | 61% | 59% | 63% |
| Same day as booked | 34% | 44% | 45% |
| More than 28 days after booking | 10% | 7% | 5% |
| Did not attend | 2% | 4% | 4% |
Compared with England, the practice has a higher share of patients on its registers for stroke or TIA (4.6% against 1.9%), atrial fibrillation (5.3% against 2.2%) and cancer (7.6% against 3.8%). It has a lower share for palliative or supportive care needs (0.1% against 0.6%), osteoporosis (0.4% against 1.2%) and serious mental illness (0.6% against 1.0%). The practice's patients live in areas with an average deprivation score of 13.9 (England: 21.8; higher is more deprived).
Life expectancy for its patients' neighbourhoods is 87.8 years for women and 82.3 for men (England: 83.0 and 79.1).
| Condition register | Age group | Practice (2024/25) | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| High blood pressure | All ages | 24.0% | 15.2% |
| Depression | 18+ yrs | 9.3% | 14.3% |
| Asthma | 6+ yrs | 8.2% | 6.6% |
| Chronic kidney disease | 18+ yrs | 7.9% | 4.6% |
| Cancer | All ages | 7.6% | 3.8% |
| Diabetes | 17+ yrs | 6.7% | 7.9% |
| Coronary heart disease | All ages | 5.9% | 3.0% |
| Atrial fibrillation | All ages | 5.3% | 2.2% |
| Stroke and TIA | All ages | 4.6% | 1.9% |
| Heart failure | All ages | 1.9% | 1.1% |
| COPD | All ages | 1.8% | 1.9% |
| Rheumatoid arthritis | 16+ yrs | 1.1% | 0.8% |
| Dementia | All ages | 0.9% | 0.8% |
| Peripheral arterial disease | All ages | 0.6% | 0.6% |
| Epilepsy | 18+ yrs | 0.6% | 0.8% |
| Serious mental illness | All ages | 0.6% | 1.0% |
| Learning disability | All ages | 0.4% | 0.6% |
| Osteoporosis | 50+ yrs | 0.4% | 1.2% |
| Palliative care | All ages | 0.1% | 0.6% |
| Screening coverage | Period | Practice | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bowel cancer screening (aged 60 to 74) | 2024/25 | 82.7% | 72.9% |
| Breast cancer screening (women aged 53 to 70) | 2024/25 | 84.7% | 72.2% |
| Cervical screening (women aged 25 to 49) | 2023/24 | 82.6% | 67.5% |
| Cervical screening (women aged 50 to 64) | 2023/24 | 82.2% | 74.9% |
Carnon Downs Surgery, The Surgery, Bissoe Road, Carnon Downs, Truro, TR3 6JD. Phone: 01872 863221. Website: www.carnondownssurgery.co.uk.
| Nearby practice | Distance | Overall experience good |
|---|---|---|
| The Three Spires Medical Practice | 4.8 km | 92% |
| The Lander Medical Practice | 4.8 km | 84% |
| Chacewater Health Centre | 5.8 km | 95% |
| The Penryn Surgery | 6.3 km | 90% |
| The Falmouth Health Centre Practice | 7.5 km | 89% |
- Chacewater Health Centre (95% overall experience good)
- Perranporth Surgery (85% overall experience good)
- St Agnes Surgery (93% overall experience good)
How do patients rate Carnon Downs Surgery?
In the 2026 GP Patient Survey, 87% of patients described their overall experience of Carnon Downs Surgery as good, above the England figure of 77%. 83% found it easy to get through by phone.
How many patients are registered at Carnon Downs Surgery?
6,128 patients were registered in September 2026, up 1.1% on a year earlier.
What is Carnon Downs Surgery's CQC rating?
Good overall, published in April 2016.
How many GPs does Carnon Downs Surgery have?
5.3 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs (8 qualified GPs by headcount), which is 1,149 patients per GP against 2,171 across England.
Are appointments at Carnon Downs Surgery face to face?
61% of appointments from June 2026 to August 2026 were face to face, against 63% across England.
What is Carnon Downs Surgery's phone number?
01872 863221.