Some areas record among the best results in the count, while others lag behind on access, appointment choice and overall satisfaction.
The latest GP Patient Survey found patients in South Somerset West consistently reported poorer experiences than those in many other parts of Somerset, particularly when trying to contact their practice, arrange appointments and access ongoing care.
The South Somerset West Primary Care Network (PCN) includes GP surgeries in Crewkerne, Ilchester, Hamdon and Martock.
Meanwhile, South Somerset East (including Wincanton and Burton) and Tone Valley (including Taunton Vale, Creech St Michael and North Curry practices) emerged among the strongest-performing healthcare centres across a range of measures, according to surveyed patients.
The survey found sharp differences in overall patient satisfaction between different areas.
Positive ratings of GP practices ranged from lows of 64 per cent in South Somerset West to top rates reported of 89 per cent satisfaction in Tone Valley.
Drastic differences in telephone GP access for Somerset patients
One of the most striking findings was the gap in telephone access. Just 33 per cent of respondents in South Somerset West said it was easy to contact their GP practice by phone, compared with 81 per cent in South Somerset East-RPN, a difference of 48 percentage points.
More than half of respondents in South Somerset West, 53 per cent, said telephone contact was either “fairly difficult” or “very difficult”, compared with only 11 per cent in South Somerset East-RPN.
What happened after patients picked up the phone differed dramatically between areas.
Half of respondents in South Somerset East-RPN said their call was answered immediately, compared with just three per cent in South Somerset West.
Reception and administrative teams generally received strong ratings across Somerset, though there were notable variations.
Tone Valley achieved the highest score, with 96 per cent of patients describing reception staff as helpful. Taunton Central, Taunton Deane West, West Somerset, Frome and South Somerset East-RPN all recorded scores of 91 per cent.
At the other end of the scale, only 75 per cent of patients in Yeovil and 76 per cent in South Somerset West said reception teams were helpful.
‘Continuity of care’ varies significantly between areas
The survey suggests continuity of care remains a challenge in some areas, with patients reporting they struggle to regularly see the same members of staff at their local GP surgery.
Among patients who had a preferred healthcare professional and had tried to contact them, 60 per cent in South Somerset East-RPN said they could see or speak to that person always, almost always, or a lot of the time.
That figure fell to just 17 per cent in Yeovil, with South Somerset West and Taunton Deane West both recording 26 per cent.
Waiting times and appointment slots are key issues for some patients
Nearly three-quarters of patients in Tone Valley, 73 per cent, said they were offered a choice of appointment time or day. In South Somerset West, only 33 per cent said the same.
Long waits also remained an issue for some patients in the north of the county.
More than a quarter of patients in North Sedgemoor, 27 per cent, said they waited more than two weeks for an appointment, including patients in Axbridge, Highbridge, Cheddar and Burnham-on-Sea.
Comparatively, South Somerset East recorded the lowest proportion of waits over two weeks, at four per cent.
Somerset GP satisfaction still high despite differences
Despite the differences in access, the quality of care once patients were seen remained comparatively strong across Somerset.
Overall, 79% of patients surveyed in Somerset reported a good experience with their GP, which is slightly higher than the national figure of 77%.
89% of Somerset residents also reported a good experience with their local pharmacy, which is in line with national averages.
The GP Patient Survey was carried out between January and April 2026 and published in July.
The results are based on weighted survey responses and provide a snapshot of patient experience rather than a direct measure of clinical performance.