Kings Medical Centre, Buckhurst Hill: patient reviews and CQC rating
Kings Medical Centre is a GP practice in Buckhurst Hill with 7,838 registered patients (September 2026). In the 2026 GP Patient Survey, 89% of its patients described their overall experience as good, above the England figure of 77% (Essex: 74%). The Care Quality Commission rates it Good overall, in a report published in November 2023. It has 4.7 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs, or 1,661 patients per GP.
Latest data: September 2026. Patient survey 2026; registered patients September 2026; appointments to August 2026.
What patients say about Kings Medical Centre
Its best result against England is the share who found it easy to contact the practice using the NHS App: 81%, above the England figure of 54%. Its weakest is the share who said their needs were met at their last appointment: 90%, against 90% across England. Of the 11 results in the table, 4 are above England and 0 below by more than the survey's margin of error, and 7 within it.
On overall experience it is 1st of the 3 practices in Buckhurst Hill with 50 or more responses. 60% found it easy to get through by phone (England: 57%). The overall experience result is 7 points higher than in 2025 (82%). 119 patients answered the survey (response rate 31%).
| Survey question | Kings Medical Centre | Essex | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overall experience good | 89% | 74% | 77% |
| Easy to contact by phone | 60% | 50% | 57% |
| Easy to contact via the website | 78% | 56% | 58% |
| Easy to contact via the NHS App | 81% | 51% | 54% |
| Reception team helpful | 88% | 83% | 85% |
| Last contact good | 88% | 70% | 73% |
| Wait for appointment about right | 73% | 70% | 69% |
| Listened to well | 87% | 84% | 87% |
| Treated with care and concern | 87% | 83% | 86% |
| Confidence and trust in the clinician | 95% | 91% | 93% |
| Needs met | 90% | 89% | 90% |
CQC's overall rating for Kings Medical Centre is Good, published in November 2023. All 5 key questions are rated Good. It held the same rating in the report before (December 2015).
| Key question | Rating |
|---|---|
| Safe | Good |
| Well-led | Good |
| Caring | Good |
| Responsive | Good |
| Effective | Good |
7,838 patients were registered at Kings Medical Centre in September 2026, down 2.6% on a year earlier (England: down 1.1%).
20% of its patients are aged 65 or over, against 19% across England. With 4.7 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs, there are 1,661 patients per GP, fewer than the England figure of 2,171 and Essex's 2,514. The practice also has 1.0 nurses and 1.2 other clinical staff such as pharmacists and physiotherapists (full-time equivalent).
| Year | Qualified GPs (FTE) | All GPs incl. trainees (FTE) |
|---|---|---|
| August 2023 | 4.3 | 9.2 |
| August 2024 | 4.7 | 9.5 |
| August 2025 | 4.7 | 10.2 |
| August 2026 | 4.7 | 9.8 |
From June 2026 to August 2026 the practice recorded 2,651 appointments a month, or 338 per 1,000 registered patients (England: 510). 93% were face to face (England: 63%). 21% took place on the day they were booked and 12% more than 28 days after booking (England: 45% and 5%).
58% were with a GP rather than another member of the practice team. 7% of booked patients did not attend.
| Measure | Kings Medical Centre | Essex | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Appointments per 1,000 patients a month | 338 | 480 | 510 |
| Face to face | 93% | 69% | 63% |
| Same day as booked | 21% | 45% | 45% |
| More than 28 days after booking | 12% | 5% | 5% |
| Did not attend | 7% | 3% | 4% |
Compared with England, the practice has a higher share of patients on its registers for palliative or supportive care needs (1.2% against 0.6%) and dementia (1.2% against 0.8%). It has a lower share for COPD (0.8% against 1.9%), a learning disability (0.3% against 0.6%) and depression (7.9% against 14.3%). The practice's patients live in areas with an average deprivation score of 7.0 (England: 21.8; higher is more deprived).
Life expectancy for its patients' neighbourhoods is 84.8 years for women and 80.3 for men (England: 83.0 and 79.1).
| Condition register | Age group | Practice (2024/25) | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| High blood pressure | All ages | 14.3% | 15.2% |
| Depression | 18+ yrs | 7.9% | 14.3% |
| Diabetes | 17+ yrs | 6.0% | 7.9% |
| Asthma | 6+ yrs | 5.5% | 6.6% |
| Chronic kidney disease | 18+ yrs | 4.2% | 4.6% |
| Cancer | All ages | 3.6% | 3.8% |
| Coronary heart disease | All ages | 2.7% | 3.0% |
| Atrial fibrillation | All ages | 2.6% | 2.2% |
| Stroke and TIA | All ages | 1.7% | 1.9% |
| Palliative care | All ages | 1.2% | 0.6% |
| Dementia | All ages | 1.2% | 0.8% |
| Heart failure | All ages | 0.9% | 1.1% |
| Serious mental illness | All ages | 0.9% | 1.0% |
| COPD | All ages | 0.8% | 1.9% |
| Rheumatoid arthritis | 16+ yrs | 0.6% | 0.8% |
| Osteoporosis | 50+ yrs | 0.6% | 1.2% |
| Epilepsy | 18+ yrs | 0.6% | 0.8% |
| Peripheral arterial disease | All ages | 0.4% | 0.6% |
| Learning disability | All ages | 0.3% | 0.6% |
| Screening coverage | Period | Practice | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bowel cancer screening (aged 60 to 74) | 2024/25 | 73.4% | 72.9% |
| Breast cancer screening (women aged 53 to 70) | 2024/25 | 68.0% | 72.2% |
| Cervical screening (women aged 25 to 49) | 2023/24 | 76.1% | 67.5% |
| Cervical screening (women aged 50 to 64) | 2023/24 | 79.9% | 74.9% |
Kings Medical Centre, 23 Kings Avenue, Buckhurst Hill, IG9 5LP. Phone: 020 8504 0122.
| Nearby practice | Distance | Overall experience good |
|---|---|---|
| Palmerston Road Surgery | 0.1 km | 89% |
| The River Surgery | 0.7 km | 89% |
| The Broadway Surgery | 2.1 km | 50% |
| Rydal Group Practice | 2.5 km | 84% |
| Loughton Health Centre | 2.6 km | 55% |
- Chigwell Medical Centre (68% overall experience good)
- Forest Practice (76% overall experience good)
- Loughton Health Centre (55% overall experience good)
- Palmerston Road Surgery (89% overall experience good)
- The Loughton Surgery (69% overall experience good)
- The River Surgery (89% overall experience good)
How do patients rate Kings Medical Centre?
In the 2026 GP Patient Survey, 89% of patients described their overall experience of Kings Medical Centre as good, above the England figure of 77%. 60% found it easy to get through by phone.
How many patients are registered at Kings Medical Centre?
7,838 patients were registered in September 2026, down 2.6% on a year earlier.
What is Kings Medical Centre's CQC rating?
Good overall, published in November 2023.
How many GPs does Kings Medical Centre have?
4.7 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs (6 qualified GPs by headcount), which is 1,661 patients per GP against 2,171 across England.
Are appointments at Kings Medical Centre face to face?
93% of appointments from June 2026 to August 2026 were face to face, against 63% across England.
What is Kings Medical Centre's phone number?
020 8504 0122.