Forest Health Care, Cinderford: patient reviews and CQC rating
Forest Health Care is a GP practice in Cinderford with 11,821 registered patients (September 2026). In the 2026 GP Patient Survey, 72% of its patients described their overall experience as good, against 77% across England (Gloucestershire: 81%). The Care Quality Commission rates it Good overall, in a report published in August 2022. It has 5.3 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs, or 2,233 patients per GP.
Latest data: September 2026. Patient survey 2026; registered patients September 2026; appointments to August 2026.
What patients say about Forest Health Care
Its best result against England is the share who said their needs were met at their last appointment: 96%, above the England figure of 90%. Its weakest is the share who described their last contact with the practice as good: 54%, below the England figure of 73%. Of the 11 results in the table, 1 is above England and 3 below by more than the survey's margin of error, and 7 within it.
41% found it easy to get through by phone (England: 57%). The overall experience result is 8 points lower than in 2025 (80%). 107 patients answered the survey (response rate 35%).
| Survey question | Forest Health Care | Gloucestershire | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overall experience good | 72% | 81% | 77% |
| Easy to contact by phone | 41% | 62% | 57% |
| Easy to contact via the website | 48% | 60% | 58% |
| Easy to contact via the NHS App | 50% | 56% | 54% |
| Reception team helpful | 77% | 89% | 85% |
| Last contact good | 54% | 76% | 73% |
| Wait for appointment about right | 66% | 66% | 69% |
| Listened to well | 93% | 90% | 87% |
| Treated with care and concern | 87% | 89% | 86% |
| Confidence and trust in the clinician | 97% | 95% | 93% |
| Needs met | 96% | 93% | 90% |
In the Friends and Family Test for July 2026, 96% of 186 responses rated the practice good or very good (England: 92%).
CQC's overall rating for Forest Health Care is Good, published in August 2022. All 5 key questions are rated Good. It held the same rating in the report before (August 2019).
| Key question | Rating |
|---|---|
| Safe | Good |
| Well-led | Good |
| Caring | Good |
| Responsive | Good |
| Effective | Good |
11,821 patients were registered at Forest Health Care in September 2026, down 0.9% on a year earlier (England: down 1.1%).
25% of its patients are aged 65 or over, against 19% across England. With 5.3 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs, there are 2,233 patients per GP, close to the England figure of 2,171 and Gloucestershire's 1,949. The practice also has 6.4 nurses and 9.5 other clinical staff such as pharmacists and physiotherapists (full-time equivalent).
| Year | Qualified GPs (FTE) | All GPs incl. trainees (FTE) |
|---|---|---|
| August 2023 | 6.2 | 6.2 |
| August 2024 | 5.3 | 6.4 |
| August 2025 | 4.4 | 4.4 |
| August 2026 | 5.3 | 5.3 |
From June 2026 to August 2026 the practice recorded 8,750 appointments a month, or 740 per 1,000 registered patients (England: 510). 62% were face to face (England: 63%). 51% took place on the day they were booked and 15% more than 28 days after booking (England: 45% and 5%).
36% were with a GP rather than another member of the practice team. 4% of booked patients did not attend.
| Measure | Forest Health Care | Gloucestershire | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Appointments per 1,000 patients a month | 740 | 574 | 510 |
| Face to face | 62% | 64% | 63% |
| Same day as booked | 51% | 42% | 45% |
| More than 28 days after booking | 15% | 11% | 5% |
| Did not attend | 4% | 3% | 4% |
Compared with England, the practice has a higher share of patients on its registers for a learning disability (1.2% against 0.6%), chronic kidney disease (7.6% against 4.6%) and COPD (2.9% against 1.9%). It has a lower share for osteoporosis (0.6% against 1.2%). The practice's patients live in areas with an average deprivation score of 22.1 (England: 21.8; higher is more deprived).
Life expectancy for its patients' neighbourhoods is 82.4 years for women and 79.2 for men (England: 83.0 and 79.1).
| Condition register | Age group | Practice (2024/25) | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| High blood pressure | All ages | 18.8% | 15.2% |
| Depression | 18+ yrs | 14.0% | 14.3% |
| Diabetes | 17+ yrs | 10.1% | 7.9% |
| Asthma | 6+ yrs | 8.1% | 6.6% |
| Chronic kidney disease | 18+ yrs | 7.6% | 4.6% |
| Cancer | All ages | 4.9% | 3.8% |
| Coronary heart disease | All ages | 4.3% | 3.0% |
| Atrial fibrillation | All ages | 3.0% | 2.2% |
| COPD | All ages | 2.9% | 1.9% |
| Stroke and TIA | All ages | 2.5% | 1.9% |
| Heart failure | All ages | 1.6% | 1.1% |
| Learning disability | All ages | 1.2% | 0.6% |
| Epilepsy | 18+ yrs | 0.9% | 0.8% |
| Rheumatoid arthritis | 16+ yrs | 0.9% | 0.8% |
| Serious mental illness | All ages | 0.9% | 1.0% |
| Dementia | All ages | 0.8% | 0.8% |
| Peripheral arterial disease | All ages | 0.8% | 0.6% |
| Osteoporosis | 50+ yrs | 0.6% | 1.2% |
| Palliative care | All ages | 0.5% | 0.6% |
| Screening coverage | Period | Practice | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bowel cancer screening (aged 60 to 74) | 2024/25 | 75.3% | 72.9% |
| Breast cancer screening (women aged 53 to 70) | 2024/25 | 73.8% | 72.2% |
| Cervical screening (women aged 25 to 49) | 2023/24 | 76.4% | 67.5% |
| Cervical screening (women aged 50 to 64) | 2023/24 | 77.5% | 74.9% |
Forest Health Care, Cinderford Medical Centre, Valley Road, Cinderford, GL14 2NX. Phone: 01594 820820. Website: www.foresthealthcentre.nhs.uk.
| Nearby practice | Distance | Overall experience good |
|---|---|---|
| Dockham Surgery | 0.0 km | 72% |
| Drybrook Surgery | 3.2 km | 94% |
| Mitcheldean Surgery | 4.9 km | 84% |
| Yorkley and Bream Surgery | 7.1 km | 93% |
| Dean Medical Practice | 7.5 km | 82% |
- Dockham Surgery (72% overall experience good)
- Drybrook Surgery (94% overall experience good)
- Mitcheldean Surgery (84% overall experience good)
How do patients rate Forest Health Care?
In the 2026 GP Patient Survey, 72% of patients described their overall experience of Forest Health Care as good, against 77% across England. 41% found it easy to get through by phone.
How many patients are registered at Forest Health Care?
11,821 patients were registered in September 2026, down 0.9% on a year earlier.
What is Forest Health Care's CQC rating?
Good overall, published in August 2022.
How many GPs does Forest Health Care have?
5.3 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs (7 qualified GPs by headcount), which is 2,233 patients per GP against 2,171 across England.
Are appointments at Forest Health Care face to face?
62% of appointments from June 2026 to August 2026 were face to face, against 63% across England.
What is Forest Health Care's phone number?
01594 820820.