The Forest Edge Practice, Chigwell: patient reviews and CQC rating
The Forest Edge Practice is a GP practice in Chigwell with 13,572 registered patients (September 2026). In the 2026 GP Patient Survey, 85% of its patients described their overall experience as good, against 77% across England (North East London: 71%). The Care Quality Commission rates it Good overall, in a report published in October 2016. It has 6.3 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs, or 2,157 patients per GP.
Latest data: September 2026. Patient survey 2026; registered patients September 2026; appointments to August 2026.
What patients say about The Forest Edge Practice
Its best result against England is the share who found the reception and administrative team helpful: 99%, above the England figure of 85%. Its weakest is the share who said the wait for their last appointment was about right: 69%, against 69% across England. Of the 11 results in the table, 2 are above England and 0 below by more than the survey's margin of error, and 9 within it.
67% found it easy to get through by phone (England: 57%). The overall experience result is 3 points higher than in 2025 (82%). 88 patients answered the survey (response rate 19%).
| Survey question | The Forest Edge Practice | North East London | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overall experience good | 85% | 71% | 77% |
| Easy to contact by phone | 67% | 55% | 57% |
| Easy to contact via the website | 68% | 53% | 58% |
| Easy to contact via the NHS App | 61% | 50% | 54% |
| Reception team helpful | 99% | 79% | 85% |
| Last contact good | 84% | 67% | 73% |
| Wait for appointment about right | 69% | 62% | 69% |
| Listened to well | 92% | 83% | 87% |
| Treated with care and concern | 89% | 82% | 86% |
| Confidence and trust in the clinician | 92% | 91% | 93% |
| Needs met | 95% | 87% | 90% |
In the Friends and Family Test for July 2026, 100% of 56 responses rated the practice good or very good (England: 92%).
CQC's overall rating for The Forest Edge Practice is Good, published in October 2016. All 5 key questions are rated Good.
| Key question | Rating |
|---|---|
| Safe | Good |
| Well-led | Good |
| Caring | Good |
| Responsive | Good |
| Effective | Good |
13,572 patients were registered at The Forest Edge Practice in September 2026, down 1.0% on a year earlier (England: down 1.1%).
14% of its patients are aged 65 or over, against 19% across England. With 6.3 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs, there are 2,157 patients per GP, close to the England figure of 2,171 and North East London's 2,551. The practice also has 0.7 nurses and 2.4 other clinical staff such as pharmacists and physiotherapists (full-time equivalent).
| Year | Qualified GPs (FTE) | All GPs incl. trainees (FTE) |
|---|---|---|
| August 2023 | 5.4 | 7.1 |
| August 2024 | 5.8 | 7.7 |
| August 2025 | 6.3 | 8.9 |
| August 2026 | 6.3 | 6.9 |
From June 2026 to August 2026 the practice recorded 6,922 appointments a month, or 510 per 1,000 registered patients (England: 510). 56% were face to face (England: 63%). 44% took place on the day they were booked and 1% more than 28 days after booking (England: 45% and 5%).
55% were with a GP rather than another member of the practice team. 5% of booked patients did not attend.
| Measure | The Forest Edge Practice | North East London | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Appointments per 1,000 patients a month | 510 | 456 | 510 |
| Face to face | 56% | 58% | 63% |
| Same day as booked | 44% | 46% | 45% |
| More than 28 days after booking | 1% | 2% | 5% |
| Did not attend | 5% | 7% | 4% |
Compared with England, the practice has a lower share of patients for palliative or supportive care needs (0.2% against 0.6%), osteoporosis (0.6% against 1.2%) and COPD (1.0% against 1.9%). The practice's patients live in areas with an average deprivation score of 22.3 (England: 21.8; higher is more deprived). Life expectancy for its patients' neighbourhoods is 82.9 years for women and 78.2 for men (England: 83.0 and 79.1).
| Condition register | Age group | Practice (2024/25) | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| High blood pressure | All ages | 13.5% | 15.2% |
| Depression | 18+ yrs | 12.9% | 14.3% |
| Diabetes | 17+ yrs | 7.9% | 7.9% |
| Asthma | 6+ yrs | 5.5% | 6.6% |
| Chronic kidney disease | 18+ yrs | 4.7% | 4.6% |
| Cancer | All ages | 3.2% | 3.8% |
| Coronary heart disease | All ages | 2.1% | 3.0% |
| Atrial fibrillation | All ages | 1.5% | 2.2% |
| Stroke and TIA | All ages | 1.3% | 1.9% |
| Serious mental illness | All ages | 1.1% | 1.0% |
| COPD | All ages | 1.0% | 1.9% |
| Rheumatoid arthritis | 16+ yrs | 0.8% | 0.8% |
| Epilepsy | 18+ yrs | 0.7% | 0.8% |
| Heart failure | All ages | 0.6% | 1.1% |
| Learning disability | All ages | 0.6% | 0.6% |
| Osteoporosis | 50+ yrs | 0.6% | 1.2% |
| Dementia | All ages | 0.5% | 0.8% |
| Peripheral arterial disease | All ages | 0.3% | 0.6% |
| Palliative care | All ages | 0.2% | 0.6% |
| Screening coverage | Period | Practice | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bowel cancer screening (aged 60 to 74) | 2024/25 | 64.3% | 72.9% |
| Breast cancer screening (women aged 53 to 70) | 2024/25 | 67.6% | 72.2% |
| Cervical screening (women aged 25 to 49) | 2023/24 | 66.8% | 67.5% |
| Cervical screening (women aged 50 to 64) | 2023/24 | 72.8% | 74.9% |
The Forest Edge Practice, Hainault Health Centre, Manford Way, Chigwell, IG7 4DF. Phone: 020 8500 9938. Website: www.forestedgepractice.co.uk.
| Nearby practice | Distance | Overall experience good |
|---|---|---|
| The Willows Medical Practice | 0.0 km | 79% |
| Dr Avinash Suri | 1.4 km | 78% |
| Chigwell Medical Centre | 1.4 km | 68% |
| Fencepiece Road Medical Centre | 1.6 km | 64% |
| Fullwell Cross Medical Centre | 2.0 km | 60% |
- Dr Philip Soares (90% overall experience good)
- Eastern Avenue Medical Centre (67% overall experience good)
- Fencepiece Road Medical Centre (64% overall experience good)
- Kenwood Medical Centre (87% overall experience good)
- The Drive Surgery (60% overall experience good)
- The Fullwell Avenue Surgery (77% overall experience good)
- The Willows Medical Practice (79% overall experience good)
How do patients rate The Forest Edge Practice?
In the 2026 GP Patient Survey, 85% of patients described their overall experience of The Forest Edge Practice as good, against 77% across England. 67% found it easy to get through by phone.
How many patients are registered at The Forest Edge Practice?
13,572 patients were registered in September 2026, down 1.0% on a year earlier.
What is The Forest Edge Practice's CQC rating?
Good overall, published in October 2016.
How many GPs does The Forest Edge Practice have?
6.3 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs (10 qualified GPs by headcount), which is 2,157 patients per GP against 2,171 across England.
Are appointments at The Forest Edge Practice face to face?
56% of appointments from June 2026 to August 2026 were face to face, against 63% across England.
What is The Forest Edge Practice's phone number?
020 8500 9938.