The results of the NHS’s annual survey of GP surgeries have been released, including ratings for the Sid Valley Practice in Sidmouth and the Coleridge Medical Centre in Ottery St Mary.

The results showed generally high levels of satisfaction with doctors, nurses and reception/admin staff at both practices, but people were less happy with the process of contacting the surgery and getting an appointment.

The survey is sent out every January to more than two million people registered with GP practices in England. This year some changes were made to reflect changes in the way primary care is delivered and the increased role of pharmacy services. This year’s results were published on July 11.

For the Sid Valley Practice 231 surveys were sent out and 122 were returned. Of the respondents, 84 per cent reported their overall experience of the practice as ‘good’, with 95 per cent describing the reception and admin team as helpful. 99 per cent had ‘confidence and trust’ in the healthcare professional they saw or spoke to during their last appointment and 89 per cent said that person was good at treating them with care and concern. However, a lower proportion – 65 per cent – thought the healthcare professional was good at considering their mental wellbeing.

There was less satisfaction with ease of phone and online contact, though; 41 per cent said they found it easy to get through by phone, 48 per cent by using the website, and 43 per cent by using the NHS App.

For the Coleridge Medical Centre, 232 surveys were sent out and 117 were returned. Of the respondents, 82 per cent reported their overall experience of the practice as ‘good’, with 92 per cent describing the reception and admin team as helpful. 95 per cent had ‘confidence and trust’ in the healthcare professional they saw or spoke to during their last appointment and 94 per cent said that person was good at treating them with care and concern. Again, a lower proportion – 69 per cent – thought the healthcare professional was good at considering their mental wellbeing.

When it came to ease of phone and online contact, 44 per cent said they found it easy to get through by phone, 41 per cent by using the website, and only 29 per cent by using the NHS App.

Survey respondents were asked several other questions, including whether they were satisfied with the time they had to wait for their appointment, whether they were able to see their chosen healthcare professional, whether they felt involved in decisions about their care and treatment, and whether they had enough support from other services and organisations to manage long-term conditions or illnesses.

See the above table for the survey's findings on GP practices in Exeter (page 1), Exmouth, Budleigh Salterton, Sidmouth, Ottery St Mary and Honiton (pages 2 and 3).