The Willows Medical Practice, Chigwell: patient reviews and CQC rating
The Willows Medical Practice is a GP practice in Chigwell with 9,256 registered patients (September 2026). In the 2026 GP Patient Survey, 79% of its patients described their overall experience as good, against 77% across England (North East London: 71%). The Care Quality Commission rates it Requires Improvement overall, in a report published in November 2023. It has 2.2 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs, or 4,152 patients per GP.
Latest data: September 2026. Patient survey 2026; registered patients September 2026; appointments to August 2026.
What patients say about The Willows Medical Practice
Its best result against England is the share who said the wait for their last appointment was about right: 79%, above the England figure of 69%. Its weakest is the share who found it easy to contact the practice through its website: 46%, against 58% across England. Of the 11 results in the table, 1 is above England and 0 below by more than the survey's margin of error, and 10 within it.
57% found it easy to get through by phone (England: 57%). The overall experience result is 8 points higher than in 2025 (71%). 105 patients answered the survey (response rate 21%).
| Survey question | The Willows Medical Practice | North East London | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overall experience good | 79% | 71% | 77% |
| Easy to contact by phone | 57% | 55% | 57% |
| Easy to contact via the website | 46% | 53% | 58% |
| Easy to contact via the NHS App | 57% | 50% | 54% |
| Reception team helpful | 84% | 79% | 85% |
| Last contact good | 75% | 67% | 73% |
| Wait for appointment about right | 79% | 62% | 69% |
| Listened to well | 90% | 83% | 87% |
| Treated with care and concern | 86% | 82% | 86% |
| Confidence and trust in the clinician | 97% | 91% | 93% |
| Needs met | 92% | 87% | 90% |
CQC's overall rating for The Willows Medical Practice is Requires Improvement, published in November 2023. 2 key questions are rated differently: Caring Good and Effective Good. Its previous overall rating was Good (September 2022).
| Key question | Rating |
|---|---|
| Safe | Requires Improvement |
| Well-led | Requires Improvement |
| Caring | Good |
| Responsive | Requires Improvement |
| Effective | Good |
9,256 patients were registered at The Willows Medical Practice in September 2026, up 11.2% on a year earlier (England: down 1.1%).
12% of its patients are aged 65 or over, against 19% across England. With 2.2 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs, there are 4,152 patients per GP, more than the England figure of 2,171 and North East London's 2,551. The practice also has 2.7 other clinical staff such as pharmacists and physiotherapists (full-time equivalent).
| Year | Qualified GPs (FTE) | All GPs incl. trainees (FTE) |
|---|---|---|
| August 2023 | 2.2 | 4.1 |
| August 2024 | 2.2 | 5.2 |
| August 2025 | 2.2 | 7.0 |
| August 2026 | 2.2 | 8.2 |
From June 2026 to August 2026 the practice recorded 9,618 appointments a month, or 1,039 per 1,000 registered patients (England: 510). 31% were face to face (England: 63%). 71% took place on the day they were booked and 0% more than 28 days after booking (England: 45% and 5%).
61% were with a GP rather than another member of the practice team. 2% of booked patients did not attend.
| Measure | The Willows Medical Practice | North East London | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Appointments per 1,000 patients a month | 1,039 | 456 | 510 |
| Face to face | 31% | 58% | 63% |
| Same day as booked | 71% | 46% | 45% |
| More than 28 days after booking | 0% | 2% | 5% |
| Did not attend | 2% | 7% | 4% |
Compared with England, the practice has a lower share of patients for palliative or supportive care needs (0.1% against 0.6%), osteoporosis (0.4% against 1.2%) and dementia (0.3% against 0.8%). The practice's patients live in areas with an average deprivation score of 20.3 (England: 21.8; higher is more deprived). Life expectancy for its patients' neighbourhoods is 83.4 years for women and 78.6 for men (England: 83.0 and 79.1).
| Condition register | Age group | Practice (2024/25) | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| High blood pressure | All ages | 12.9% | 15.2% |
| Depression | 18+ yrs | 11.3% | 14.3% |
| Diabetes | 17+ yrs | 9.2% | 7.9% |
| Asthma | 6+ yrs | 5.0% | 6.6% |
| Chronic kidney disease | 18+ yrs | 3.5% | 4.6% |
| Cancer | All ages | 3.0% | 3.8% |
| Coronary heart disease | All ages | 2.4% | 3.0% |
| Atrial fibrillation | All ages | 1.4% | 2.2% |
| COPD | All ages | 1.3% | 1.9% |
| Stroke and TIA | All ages | 1.1% | 1.9% |
| Serious mental illness | All ages | 0.9% | 1.0% |
| Heart failure | All ages | 0.8% | 1.1% |
| Rheumatoid arthritis | 16+ yrs | 0.8% | 0.8% |
| Epilepsy | 18+ yrs | 0.6% | 0.8% |
| Learning disability | All ages | 0.5% | 0.6% |
| Osteoporosis | 50+ yrs | 0.4% | 1.2% |
| Dementia | All ages | 0.3% | 0.8% |
| Peripheral arterial disease | All ages | 0.3% | 0.6% |
| Palliative care | All ages | 0.1% | 0.6% |
| Screening coverage | Period | Practice | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bowel cancer screening (aged 60 to 74) | 2024/25 | 64.5% | 72.9% |
| Breast cancer screening (women aged 53 to 70) | 2024/25 | 66.9% | 72.2% |
| Cervical screening (women aged 25 to 49) | 2023/24 | 61.2% | 67.5% |
| Cervical screening (women aged 50 to 64) | 2023/24 | 68.7% | 74.9% |
The Willows Medical Practice, Hainault Health Centre, Manford Way, Chigwell, IG7 4DF. Phone: 0844 477 8742. Website: www.willowspractice.co.uk.
| Nearby practice | Distance | Overall experience good |
|---|---|---|
| The Forest Edge Practice | 0.0 km | 85% |
| 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 Forest Edge Practice (85% overall experience good)
- The Fullwell Avenue Surgery (77% overall experience good)
How do patients rate The Willows Medical Practice?
In the 2026 GP Patient Survey, 79% of patients described their overall experience of The Willows Medical Practice as good, against 77% across England. 57% found it easy to get through by phone.
How many patients are registered at The Willows Medical Practice?
9,256 patients were registered in September 2026, up 11.2% on a year earlier.
What is The Willows Medical Practice's CQC rating?
Requires Improvement overall, published in November 2023.
How many GPs does The Willows Medical Practice have?
2.2 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs (4 qualified GPs by headcount), which is 4,152 patients per GP against 2,171 across England.
Are appointments at The Willows Medical Practice face to face?
31% of appointments from June 2026 to August 2026 were face to face, against 63% across England.
What is The Willows Medical Practice's phone number?
0844 477 8742.