The River Surgery, Buckhurst Hill: patient reviews and CQC rating
The River Surgery is a GP practice in Buckhurst Hill with 4,431 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 August 2016. It has 1.8 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs, or 2,518 patients per GP.
Latest data: September 2026. Patient survey 2026; registered patients September 2026; appointments to August 2026.
What patients say about The River Surgery
Its best result against England is the share who described their last contact with the practice as good: 90%, above the England figure of 73%. Its weakest is the share who said the healthcare professional was good at listening to them: 87%, against 87% across England. Of the 11 results in the table, 6 are above England and 0 below by more than the survey's margin of error, and 5 within it.
On overall experience it is 3rd of the 3 practices in Buckhurst Hill with 50 or more responses. 71% found it easy to get through by phone (England: 57%). The overall experience result is unchanged from 2025 (89%). 97 patients answered the survey (response rate 25%).
| Survey question | The River Surgery | Essex | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overall experience good | 89% | 74% | 77% |
| Easy to contact by phone | 71% | 50% | 57% |
| Easy to contact via the website | 60% | 56% | 58% |
| Easy to contact via the NHS App | 60% | 51% | 54% |
| Reception team helpful | 93% | 83% | 85% |
| Last contact good | 90% | 70% | 73% |
| Wait for appointment about right | 87% | 70% | 69% |
| Listened to well | 87% | 84% | 87% |
| Treated with care and concern | 88% | 83% | 86% |
| Confidence and trust in the clinician | 96% | 91% | 93% |
| Needs met | 97% | 89% | 90% |
In the Friends and Family Test for July 2026, 93% of 67 responses rated the practice good or very good (England: 92%).
CQC's overall rating for The River Surgery is Good, published in August 2016. All 5 key questions are rated Good. Its previous overall rating was Requires Improvement (January 2016).
| Key question | Rating |
|---|---|
| Safe | Good |
| Well-led | Good |
| Caring | Good |
| Responsive | Good |
| Effective | Good |
4,431 patients were registered at The River Surgery in September 2026, down 1.9% on a year earlier (England: down 1.1%).
20% of its patients are aged 65 or over, against 19% across England. With 1.8 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs, there are 2,518 patients per GP, more than the England figure of 2,171 and Essex's 2,514. The practice also has 1.4 nurses (full-time equivalent).
| Year | Qualified GPs (FTE) | All GPs incl. trainees (FTE) |
|---|---|---|
| August 2023 | 2.6 | 5.4 |
| August 2024 | 2.6 | 3.7 |
| August 2025 | 2.6 | 4.8 |
| August 2026 | 1.8 | 2.6 |
From June 2026 to August 2026 the practice recorded 1,787 appointments a month, or 403 per 1,000 registered patients (England: 510). 73% were face to face (England: 63%). 56% took place on the day they were booked and 1% more than 28 days after booking (England: 45% and 5%).
75% were with a GP rather than another member of the practice team. 3% of booked patients did not attend.
| Measure | The River Surgery | Essex | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Appointments per 1,000 patients a month | 403 | 480 | 510 |
| Face to face | 73% | 69% | 63% |
| Same day as booked | 56% | 45% | 45% |
| More than 28 days after booking | 1% | 5% | 5% |
| Did not attend | 3% | 3% | 4% |
Compared with England, the practice has a higher share of patients on its registers for palliative or supportive care needs (4.3% against 0.6%) and dementia (2.7% against 0.8%). It has a lower share for COPD (1.2% against 1.9%). The practice's patients live in areas with an average deprivation score of 10.8 (England: 21.8; higher is more deprived).
Life expectancy for its patients' neighbourhoods is 85.1 years for women and 80.5 for men (England: 83.0 and 79.1).
| Condition register | Age group | Practice (2024/25) | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| High blood pressure | All ages | 15.1% | 15.2% |
| Depression | 18+ yrs | 11.5% | 14.3% |
| Diabetes | 17+ yrs | 7.5% | 7.9% |
| Asthma | 6+ yrs | 6.2% | 6.6% |
| Chronic kidney disease | 18+ yrs | 5.3% | 4.6% |
| Palliative care | All ages | 4.3% | 0.6% |
| Cancer | All ages | 3.6% | 3.8% |
| Coronary heart disease | All ages | 3.4% | 3.0% |
| Dementia | All ages | 2.7% | 0.8% |
| Atrial fibrillation | All ages | 2.5% | 2.2% |
| Stroke and TIA | All ages | 2.0% | 1.9% |
| Heart failure | All ages | 1.3% | 1.1% |
| Serious mental illness | All ages | 1.3% | 1.0% |
| COPD | All ages | 1.2% | 1.9% |
| Osteoporosis | 50+ yrs | 1.2% | 1.2% |
| Epilepsy | 18+ yrs | 0.8% | 0.8% |
| Rheumatoid arthritis | 16+ yrs | 0.7% | 0.8% |
| Peripheral arterial disease | All ages | 0.6% | 0.6% |
| Learning disability | All ages | 0.5% | 0.6% |
| Screening coverage | Period | Practice | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bowel cancer screening (aged 60 to 74) | 2024/25 | 73.6% | 72.9% |
| Breast cancer screening (women aged 53 to 70) | 2024/25 | 71.2% | 72.2% |
| Cervical screening (women aged 25 to 49) | 2023/24 | 77.8% | 67.5% |
| Cervical screening (women aged 50 to 64) | 2023/24 | 81.9% | 74.9% |
The River Surgery, 16 Rous Road, Buckhurst Hill, IG9 6BN. Phone: 020 8504 7364. Website: www.theriversurgery.co.uk.
| Nearby practice | Distance | Overall experience good |
|---|---|---|
| Palmerston Road Surgery | 0.5 km | 89% |
| Kings Medical Centre | 0.7 km | 89% |
| Loughton Health Centre | 2.2 km | 55% |
| The Loughton Surgery | 2.3 km | 69% |
| The Broadway Surgery | 2.6 km | 50% |
- Chigwell Medical Centre (68% overall experience good)
- Forest Practice (76% overall experience good)
- Kings Medical Centre (89% overall experience good)
- Loughton Health Centre (55% overall experience good)
- Palmerston Road Surgery (89% overall experience good)
- The Loughton Surgery (69% overall experience good)
How do patients rate The River Surgery?
In the 2026 GP Patient Survey, 89% of patients described their overall experience of The River Surgery as good, above the England figure of 77%. 71% found it easy to get through by phone.
How many patients are registered at The River Surgery?
4,431 patients were registered in September 2026, down 1.9% on a year earlier.
What is The River Surgery's CQC rating?
Good overall, published in August 2016.
How many GPs does The River Surgery have?
1.8 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs (4 qualified GPs by headcount), which is 2,518 patients per GP against 2,171 across England.
Are appointments at The River Surgery face to face?
73% of appointments from June 2026 to August 2026 were face to face, against 63% across England.
What is The River Surgery's phone number?
020 8504 7364.