TAUNTON'S top-rated GP surgery is the College Way Surgery — as revealed by NHS England's GP Patient Survey for 2024.

The surgery, at Comeytrowe Centre, had the highest percentage of patients, 96%, reporting that they'd had an "overall positive experience".

Only 2.5% of patients reported they'd had an "overall negative experience" at College Way Surgery.

An impressive 97% of patients said they'd found the receptionist helpful, and 85% said they'd been able to see their preferred GP often.

The practice was also rated the easiest to get hold of over the phone, with 81.6% of patients reporting a positive "ease of phone contact".

Meanwhile, St James Medical Centre, Coal Orchard, was given the worst rating by patients with only 73.3% of patients reporting they'd had an "overall positive experience".

An "overall negative experience" was had by 12.5% of the patients surveyed, and difficulties getting in contact with the surgery and being unable to see their preferred GP often may have played a part.

Only 35% of patients reported that they were able to see their preferred GP often.

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A 60% majority of patients said it wasn't easy to get in phone contact with the surgery, reporting "negative ease of phone contact", while 31.5% gave a positive rating for "ease of phone contact".

However, the verdict on how easy it was to get in contact with St James Medical Centre online via their website was mixed, with 45% of patients reporting that it wasn't easy, and 45% reporting "ease of contact".

Unfortunately, 18% of patients found the receptionists unhelpful at St James Medical Centre - the highest negative rating for this of any Taunton GP surgery - while 81.3% found them helpful.

NHS England's GP Patient Survey for 2024 was published on July 11, together with Ipsos.

Of 2.56 million questionnaires sent out to patients aged 16 or over registered with GP practices in England, 27.3% or 699,790 were completed and returned.

Taunton GP surgeries ranked best to worst, according to NHS England's GP Patient Survey 2024:

1. College Way Surgery, Comeytrowe Centre

Overall positive experience: 96%. Overall negative experience: 2.5%. 

2. French Weir Health Centre, French Weir Avenue

Overall positive experience: 91.6%. Overall negative experience: N/A.

3. Crown Medical Centre, Venture Way

Overall positive experience: 81.6%. Overall negative experience: 3.5%

4. Quantock Vale Surgery, Bishops Lydeard

Overall positive experience: 80.3%, Overall negative experience: 7.6%

5. Lister House Partnership, Croft Way, Wiveliscombe

Overall positive experience: 79.9%, Overall negative experience: 11.1%

6. Luson, 41 Fore Street, Wellington

Overall positive experience: 79.4%, Overall negative experience: 7.7%

7. Wellington Medical Centre, Wellington

Overall positive experience: 74.2%, Overall negative experience: 11.9%

8. St James Medical Centre, Coal Orchard

Overall positive experience: 73.3%, Overall negative experience: 12.4%.