Photo: David Smith · CC BY-SA 2.010 years separate the longest- and shortest-lived parts of Exeter
Inside the city, men’s life expectancy runs from 72.7 in Central Exeter to 83.0 in St Leonard's, 0.7 miles apart. Life expectancy is 78.9 for men and 84.3 for women. Across England the figures for 2019 to 2023 are 79.1 and 83.0. Exeter grades C+ for health: life expectancy, healthy life expectancy, early deaths, hospital admissions, child obesity and Census health, each adjusted for age; #31 of 47 in Devon.
What stands out about health in Exeter
A 10-year gap from one part of Exeter to another
Men in St Leonard's can expect to live to 83.0, longer than the English average of 79.1. In Central Exeter, 0.7 miles away, the figure is 72.7, and Central Exeter records 159 deaths under 75 for every 100 expected for its ages. For women the range is 80.2 in Mincinglake & Beacon Heath to 88.2 in Middlemoor & Sowton. Neighbourhoods ↓
An NHS dentist is harder to find in Devon than anywhere else in England
Of adults in the Devon area who tried to get an NHS dental appointment in the last two years, 62% succeeded, the lowest of England’s 36 health areas; across England it was 82%. Dentists ↓
Patients rate Exeter’s GP practices above England’s
In the 2026 GP Patient Survey, 83% of patients at Exeter’s 15 practices called their overall experience good, against 77% across England, and 69% found it easy to get through by phone (57% in England). That is ahead of 65% of English towns. GP practices ↓
A&E waits run longer than England’s, but fewer patients wait 12 hours for a bed
Royal Devon University Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust, which runs the A&E at Royal Devon & Exeter Hospital (Wonford), saw 55% of major-A&E patients within four hours in the 12 months to September 2026, against 61% across England: 78th of 117 trusts. 7.6% of patients admitted through its A&Es waited more than 12 hours from the decision to admit, against 13% in England. A&E ↓
Fewer of Exeter’s children are obese
15% of Year 6 children (aged 10 to 11) were measured as obese over the last three school years, against 22.3% across England; fewer than in 78% of UK towns. Health Grade ↓
Written from the OHID, NHS England and GP Patient Survey figures on this page. Life expectancy covers 2019 to 2023; neighbourhoods are ONS middle-layer areas of about 8,000 people.
Exeter grades C+ for health
Healthier than 39% of UK towns, on age-adjusted measures.
What holds the grade back: preventable deaths and deaths under 75 (better than 23% and 24% of UK towns). What lifts it: child obesity (78%) and women’s life expectancy (57%). Among the 56 UK towns of 88,000 to 170,000 people, Exeter’s Health Grade is the 10th highest.
Each measure is ranked against every UK town of 1,000 or more, the ranks are averaged, and the average is ranked again. Every measure allows for the town’s ages: life expectancy is worked out from the death rate at each age, so it doesn’t depend on how old the town’s residents are; deaths and admissions are counted against what England’s rates would give a town with these ages, and the Census answers against England and Wales’s rates by single year of age, so a seaside town of retired people isn’t marked down for being old.
Men’s life expectancy across Exeter runs from 72.7 to 83.0
Life expectancy at birth, 2019–23, in Exeter’s 15 middle-layer neighbourhoods (about 8,000 people each). Circles are sized by residents and show men’s life expectancy.
The gap follows deprivation less closely inside Exeter than across England. Exwick & Foxhayes, where 26% of residents are income-deprived, has men’s life expectancy of 81.5, among the city’s longest; Central Exeter, with 18%, has the shortest. Central Exeter has the most deaths under 75 for its ages (159 per 100 expected), against 65 in St Leonard's.
Show every measure as a table
| Neighbourhood | Men | Women | Deaths under 75 | Emergency admissions | Year 6 obese | Income-deprived |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| St Leonard's | 83.0 | 85.9 | 65 | 73 | — | 9.7% |
| Countess Wear & Topsham | 82.1 | 86.7 | 76 | 83 | 15% | 23% |
| Middlemoor & Sowton | 82.0 | 88.2 | 63 | 84 | 13% | 12% |
| St Thomas West | 81.6 | 83.3 | 82 | 92 | 14% | 16% |
| Exwick & Foxhayes | 81.5 | 87.2 | 92 | 98 | 13% | 26% |
| Pennsylvania & University | 81.4 | 85.8 | 67 | 57 | 12% | 3.7% |
| Heavitree West & Polsloe | 79.8 | 84.9 | 84 | 78 | 13% | 13% |
| Heavitree East & Whipton South | 79.7 | 84.0 | 109 | 104 | 19% | 24% |
| Pinhoe & Whipton North | 78.7 | 82.8 | 107 | 96 | 15% | 22% |
| St Thomas East | 77.9 | 85.6 | 108 | 95 | 19% | 19% |
| Mincinglake & Beacon Heath | 77.3 | 80.2 | 108 | 106 | 24% | 22% |
| Alphington & Marsh Barton | 77.1 | 80.8 | 111 | 102 | 13% | 15% |
| St James's Park & Hoopern | 76.7 | 85.0 | 120 | 64 | — | 7.8% |
| Wonford & St Loye's | 75.4 | 82.2 | 132 | 122 | 21% | 29% |
| Central Exeter | 72.7 | 80.9 | 159 | 102 | 11% | 18% |
Deaths and admissions per 100 expected for each area’s ages (England = 100). Each figure has a range: Central Exeter’s men’s life expectancy is 72.7 with a 95% range of 70.9 to 74.4. Neighbourhoods are ONS middle-layer areas at least 30% inside Exeter; names are the House of Commons Library’s.
62% of adults in the Devon area who tried got an NHS dental appointment
Adults who tried to get an NHS dental appointment for themselves in the last two years, and got one. GP Patient Survey 2026, by integrated care system (the NHS area that plans dentistry for Exeter).
Devon has the lowest success rate of England’s 36 health areas; across England 82% of those who tried got an appointment. Of Devon patients who did, 57% rated the experience good (England 74%). NHS practices taking new patients are listed on the NHS website’s Find a dentist; for urgent dental pain, call NHS 111.
The survey asks GP patients about dentistry, so results are published for health areas, not towns or practices.
83% of patients rate Exeter’s 15 GP practices good
GP Patient Survey 2026 (NHS England, run by Ipsos), about 100 patients a practice, against 77% across England. 8th of 54 English towns of 88,000 to 170,000, from the highest.
| Practice | Overall experience | Easy by phone | Wait about right | CQC |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Heavitree Practice EX1 2RX · 6,443 adult patients | 98% good · range 93%–99% | 99% | 94% | Good2016 |
| Barnfield Hill Surgery EX1 1SR · 7,170 adult patients | 91% good · range 83%–96% | 88% | 77% | Good2018 |
| Wonford Green Surgery EX2 6NF · 5,891 adult patients | 91% good · range 84%–95% | 63% | 88% | Good2018 |
| Pinhoe Surgery EX1 3SY · 13,996 adult patients | 89% good · range 66%–97% | 73% | 66% | Good2016 |
| Ide Lane Surgery EX2 8UP · 7,058 adult patients | 87% good · range 75%–93% | 60% | 77% | Good2018 |
| Mount Pleasant Health Centre EX4 7BW · 14,542 adult patients | 86% good · range 66%–95% | 60% | 71% | Good2019 |
| The South Lawn Medical Practice EX1 2RX · 6,697 adult patients | 86% good · range 75%–92% | 65% | 60% | Good2018 |
| Whipton Surgery EX4 8EG · 3,733 adult patients | 84% good · range 80%–88% | 83% | 78% | Good2022 |
| Isca Medical Practice EX1 2DW · 4,692 adult patients | 84% good · range 79%–88% | 82% | 65% | Good2016 |
| Southernhay House Surgery EX1 1RX · 6,466 adult patients | 82% good · range 75%–88% | 76% | 65% | Good2018 |
| Hill Barton Surgery EX1 3EN · 3,633 adult patients | 82% good · range 78%–85% | 81% | 69% | Good2026 |
| Clock Tower Surgery EX4 6PD · 637 adult patients | 81% good · range 77%–85% | 87% | 89% | Not rated |
| St Thomas Medical Group EX4 1HJ · 34,680 adult patients | 75% good · range 28%–96% | 56% | 65% | Outstanding2019 |
| Foxhayes Practice EX4 2BH · 3,937 adult patients | 75% good · range 71%–79% | 80% | 84% | Outstanding2018 |
| St Leonard's Practice EX1 1SB · 7,977 adult patients | 74% good · range 61%–83% | 69% | 50% | Outstanding2018 |
The Heavitree Practice has the city’s highest rating (98%). CQC inspections and patients don’t always agree: the 3 practices CQC rates outstanding (St Thomas Medical Group, Foxhayes Practice and St Leonard's Practice) are the 3 patients rate lowest, at 74% to 75%. St Thomas Medical Group is by far the largest, with 34,680 adult patients. You can register with any practice whose area covers your address.
GP Patient Survey 2026: surveys sent January to March 2026; results weighted by NHS England. The range is the 95% confidence interval. Adult patients: the survey’s practice population aged 16 and over. A practice counts as in Exeter when its main surgery is inside the built-up area; branch surgeries are part of their main practice. CQC ratings © Care Quality Commission.
Royal Devon University Healthcare saw 55% of major-A&E patients within four hours
Type 1 (major) A&E attendances seen, admitted or discharged within four hours of arrival, by month. NHS England publishes it by trust, not hospital: Royal Devon University Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust runs the A&E at Royal Devon & Exeter Hospital (Wonford), the nearest to Exeter (0.6 mi).
The share seen within four hours slipped from an average of 59% in April 2025 to September 2025 to 54% in the latest six months; England’s was 62%. Long waits for a bed are rarer than at 65% of trusts: 3,011 patients in 12 months, 7.6% of emergency admissions through A&E. CQC’s latest ratings for Royal Devon & Exeter Hospital (Wonford): urgent and emergency services outstanding (2016), the hospital overall requires improvement (2024).
South West trusts
Hospitals within 25 miles
| Distance | Hospital | CQC overall | Urgent & emergency |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0.1 mi | Royal Devon & Exeter Hospital (Heavitree) Exeter · Royal Devon University Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust | Not rated | — |
| 0.6 mi | Royal Devon & Exeter Hospital (Wonford) A&E Exeter · Royal Devon University Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust | Requires improvement2024 | Outstanding2016 |
| 1.4 mi | Exeter Community Hospital Exeter · Royal Devon University Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust | Not rated | — |
| 2.1 mi | Nightingale Hospital Exeter Exeter · Royal Devon University Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust | Good2025 | — |
| 8.5 mi | Crediton Hospital Crediton · Royal Devon University Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust | Not rated | — |
| 8.6 mi | Exmouth Hospital Exmouth · Royal Devon University Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust | Not rated | — |
| 9.8 mi | Ottery St Mary Hospital Ottery St Mary · Royal Devon University Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust | Not rated | — |
| 10 mi | Dawlish Hospital Dawlish · Torbay and South Devon NHS Foundation Trust | Not rated | — |
NHS acute hospitals registered with the Care Quality Commission (care directory, 01 October 2026). “A&E” marks a major (type 1) emergency department, open 24 hours and led by consultants, in NHS England’s Emergency Care Data Set; a hospital without the mark may still have a minor injury unit or urgent treatment centre. Ratings run Outstanding, Good, Requires improvement, Inadequate; the year is when each was published. Distances are straight lines from the town centre.
Men’s life expectancy in Exeter is 1.4 years below what its level of deprivation predicts
Across 1,996 English towns of 2,500 or more, men’s life expectancy tracks income deprivation closely (correlation −0.81). Each dot is a town.
17% of Exeter’s residents are income-deprived, about the middle for English towns. For that level, the line predicts 80.3 years for men; Exeter’s is 78.9. For women it predicts 84.0, and Exeter’s 84.3 is close to it.
Income deprivation: share of residents in low-income households, English Indices of Deprivation 2025, averaged over each town’s neighbourhoods. A town above or below the line isn’t necessarily doing better or worse on care: students, prisons and hostels inside a boundary all shift the figures.
Care in and near Exeter
The nearest A&E, the practice patients rate highest, and where to go when it’s urgent but not an emergency. In an emergency, call 999.
More people in Exeter call their health good than across Devon
Census 2021, all residents, as answered (not adjusted for age).
Exeter’s residents are younger than Devon’s (16% are 65 or over, against 24%), which accounts for much of the difference. Adjusted for age, 96 report bad health for every 100 expected, close to the national rate.
Show as a table
| Census 2021 | Exeter | Devon | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Good or very good health | 84% | 80% | 82% |
| Fair health | 12% | 14% | 13% |
| Bad or very bad health | 4.6% | 5.9% | 5.2% |
| Disabled under the Equality Act | 18% | 21% | 17% |
| Day-to-day activities limited a lot | 6.8% | 8.7% | 7.4% |
Devon and England: all residents of their built-up areas (towns and cities), from the same Census 2021 output areas.
Exeter’s Health Grade is 10th of 56 UK towns of 88,000 to 170,000
Ordered by Health Grade: the top three, the towns either side of Exeter, and others in Devon. Life expectancy for men / women; deaths under 75 per 100 expected.
| # | Town | People | Life expectancy | Deaths under 75 | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Kensington and Chelsea London | 143,348 | 81.5 / 86.2 | 72 | B+ |
| 2 | Kingston upon Thames London | 166,333 | 81.1 / 85.3 | 77 | B+ |
| 3 | Cambridge Cambridgeshire | 152,742 | 81.1 / 85.4 | 79 | B+ |
| … | |||||
| 8 | Cheltenham Gloucestershire | 115,941 | 79.4 / 83.6 | 96 | B− |
| 9 | Poole Dorset | 141,009 | 80.4 / 83.8 | 89 | C+ |
| 10 | Exeter Devon | 126,181 | 78.9 / 84.3 | 100 | C+ |
| 11 | Basingstoke Hampshire | 117,211 | 79.7 / 83.4 | 92 | C+ |
| 12 | Watford Hertfordshire | 131,336 | 79.2 / 83.4 | 94 | C+ |
| … | |||||
| 56 | Oldham Greater Manchester | 110,722 | 74.0 / 78.2 | 166 | D− |
Health letters rank against every UK town of 1,000 or more; the order here is context only. Welsh towns are graded on life expectancy, healthy life expectancy and the two Census measures: OHID’s early-death, admissions and child-obesity figures cover England.
Health in the places around Exeter
Life expectancy for men / women, and the nearest A&E. Tap a town for its health page.
| Town | People | Life expectancy | Nearest A&E | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Exeter | 126,181 | 78.9 / 84.3 | 0.6 mi | C+ |
| West Clyst | 2,683 | 81.4 / 85.5 | 2.8 mi | A− |
| Clyst Honiton | 1,030 | 81.4 / 85.5 | 2.7 mi | A− |
| Clyst St Mary | 1,193 | 82.7 / 87.6 | 2.5 mi | A+ |
| Exminster | 4,388 | 79.9 / 84.6 | 2.7 mi | B |
| Topsham | 4,193 | 82.1 / 86.7 | 2.7 mi | A− |
| Broadclyst | 1,549 | 81.4 / 85.5 | 4.2 mi | A− |
| Cranbrook | 4,936 | 80.1 / – | 4.8 mi | C+ |
Clyst St Mary, 2.9 miles away, has men’s life expectancy of 82.7, 3.8 years longer than Exeter’s.
What this data can and can’t tell you
- A&E figures are for the trust. NHS England publishes four-hour waits by trust, not hospital, so Royal Devon University Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust’s figures cover every major A&E it runs. They count type 1 (major) departments; minor injury units and urgent treatment centres are left out, which is why they sit below the all-types figure NHS England headlines (75% for England).
- The GP survey is a survey. About 100 patients answer for each practice, so a practice’s figure has a range (shown in the table); small differences between practices aren’t meaningful. The town figure weights each practice by its adult patients, some of whom live outside Exeter.
- Adjusted for age. A ratio of 100 means as many deaths, admissions or reports of bad health as England’s rates (England and Wales’s for the Census) would give a town with these ages; 120 means a fifth more.
- Small areas, summed to the town. OHID publishes these figures for middle-layer areas of about 8,000 people; the town’s figure averages the areas it covers, weighted by how many of their residents live in it, so a village shares its area’s figure with the countryside around it.
- Different years. Life expectancy and deaths cover 2019 to 2023; emergency admissions 2016/17 to 2020/21 (the latest OHID publishes for small areas, including the pandemic dip); child obesity the three school years to 2024/25; A&E the 12 months to September 2026; the GP Patient Survey early 2026; CQC ratings were published on different dates, shown in each row.
- Distances are straight lines. Miles are measured from the town’s centre to each site; the road is longer. For an emergency, call 999; for urgent advice, call NHS 111.
Questions about health in Exeter
How healthy is Exeter?
Exeter earns a C+ for health, healthier than 39% of UK towns on measures adjusted for age, and 10th of 56 UK towns of its size. Life expectancy is 78.9 for men and 84.3 for women (England 79.1 and 83.0), and there are 100 deaths under 75 for every 100 expected.
Which parts of Exeter have the highest life expectancy?
For men, St Leonard's (83.0), Countess Wear & Topsham (82.1) and Middlemoor & Sowton (82.0); the shortest is Central Exeter (72.7). For women, Middlemoor & Sowton is highest (88.2) and Mincinglake & Beacon Heath lowest (80.2). OHID figures for 2019 to 2023, by neighbourhood of about 8,000 people.
How long are A&E waits at Royal Devon & Exeter Hospital (Wonford)?
NHS England publishes waits for the trust, Royal Devon University Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust. In the 12 months to September 2026 it saw 55% of major-A&E patients within four hours, against 61% across England; in September 2026 the figure was 50%. In an emergency call 999; for urgent advice call NHS 111.
Can I get an NHS dentist in Exeter?
It is harder than in most of England. In the 2026 GP Patient Survey, 62% of adults in the Devon area who tried to get an NHS dental appointment in the last two years got one, against 82% across England. Practices taking new NHS patients are listed on the NHS website’s Find a dentist service.
Which GP practice in Exeter do patients rate highest?
In the 2026 GP Patient Survey, The Heavitree Practice (98% good overall), Barnfield Hill Surgery (91% good overall) and Wonford Green Surgery (91% good overall). Across all 15 Exeter practices, 83% of patients rate their practice good, against 77% in England.
What is the life expectancy in Exeter?
78.9 years for men and 84.3 for women, on OHID’s figures for 2019 to 2023. Men can expect 64.8 of those years and women 67.8 in good health.
CQC ratings © Care Quality Commission.
Sources: OHID Fingertips small-area indicators (life expectancy and deaths 2019–23, emergency admissions 2016/17–2020/21, NCMP 2022/23–2024/25); House of Commons Library MSOA names · ONS health state life expectancy for small areas (MSOAs), England and Wales, 2019 to 2023 (healthy life expectancy) · ONS Census 2021 general health and disability, adjusted for age · Care Quality Commission care directory and latest ratings, 01 October 2026 · NHS Organisation Data Service · GP Patient Survey 2026 (NHS England, run by Ipsos) · NHS England, A&E Attendances and Emergency Admissions (monthly, by trust) and Emergency Care Data Set activity by site, June–September 2026 (type 1 A&Es) · MHCLG English Indices of Deprivation 2025 · TownRatings grades: our own summary of the data, ranked against UK towns only. All under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Contains HM Land Registry data © Crown copyright and database right 2026. Contains OS data © Crown copyright and database right 2026 (ONS boundaries). Northern Ireland: Source: NISRA; contains Land & Property Services data and Ordnance Survey of Northern Ireland information, © Crown copyright, licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Scotland: contains National Records of Scotland data, Registers of Scotland data and SEPA data, © Crown copyright / © SEPA 2025, licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.