The Limes Medical Centre, Epping: patient reviews and CQC rating
The Limes Medical Centre is a GP practice in Epping with 17,760 registered patients (September 2026). In the 2026 GP Patient Survey, 49% of its patients described their overall experience as good, below the England figure of 77% (Essex: 74%). The Care Quality Commission rates it Good overall, in a report published in February 2015. It has 8.6 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs, or 2,075 patients per GP.
Latest data: September 2026. Patient survey 2026; registered patients September 2026; appointments to August 2026.
What patients say about The Limes Medical Centre
Its result closest to England is the share who said their needs were met at their last appointment: 90%, against 90% across England. Its weakest is the share who found it easy to contact the practice through its website: 16%, below the England figure of 58%. Of the 11 results in the table, 0 are above England and 9 below by more than the survey's margin of error, and 2 within it.
17% found it easy to get through by phone (England: 57%). The overall experience result is 18 points lower than in 2025 (67%). 111 patients answered the survey (response rate 33%).
| Survey question | The Limes Medical Centre | Essex | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overall experience good | 49% | 74% | 77% |
| Easy to contact by phone | 17% | 50% | 57% |
| Easy to contact via the website | 16% | 56% | 58% |
| Easy to contact via the NHS App | 24% | 51% | 54% |
| Reception team helpful | 65% | 83% | 85% |
| Last contact good | 38% | 70% | 73% |
| Wait for appointment about right | 40% | 70% | 69% |
| Listened to well | 80% | 84% | 87% |
| Treated with care and concern | 81% | 83% | 86% |
| Confidence and trust in the clinician | 84% | 91% | 93% |
| Needs met | 90% | 89% | 90% |
In the Friends and Family Test for July 2026, 76% of 21 responses rated the practice good or very good (England: 92%).
CQC's overall rating for The Limes Medical Centre is Good, published in February 2015. All 5 key questions are rated Good.
| Key question | Rating |
|---|---|
| Safe | Good |
| Well-led | Good |
| Caring | Good |
| Responsive | Good |
| Effective | Good |
17,760 patients were registered at The Limes Medical Centre in September 2026, down 3.0% on a year earlier (England: down 1.1%).
25% of its patients are aged 65 or over, against 19% across England. With 8.6 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs, there are 2,075 patients per GP, close to the England figure of 2,171 and Essex's 2,514. The practice also has 3.3 nurses and 12.4 other clinical staff such as pharmacists and physiotherapists (full-time equivalent).
| Year | Qualified GPs (FTE) | All GPs incl. trainees (FTE) |
|---|---|---|
| August 2023 | 6.9 | 13.3 |
| August 2024 | 6.5 | 15.1 |
| August 2025 | 6.7 | 9.9 |
| August 2026 | 8.6 | 15.5 |
From June 2026 to August 2026 the practice recorded 12,358 appointments a month, or 696 per 1,000 registered patients (England: 510). 78% were face to face (England: 63%). 64% took place on the day they were booked and 1% more than 28 days after booking (England: 45% and 5%).
41% were with a GP rather than another member of the practice team. 2% of booked patients did not attend.
| Measure | The Limes Medical Centre | Essex | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Appointments per 1,000 patients a month | 696 | 480 | 510 |
| Face to face | 78% | 69% | 63% |
| Same day as booked | 64% | 45% | 45% |
| More than 28 days after booking | 1% | 5% | 5% |
| Did not attend | 2% | 3% | 4% |
Compared with England, the practice has a higher share of patients on its registers for dementia (1.5% against 0.8%) and atrial fibrillation (2.9% against 2.2%). It has a lower share for osteoporosis (0.2% against 1.2%), chronic kidney disease (3.6% against 4.6%) and depression (11.2% against 14.3%). The practice's patients live in areas with an average deprivation score of 13.6 (England: 21.8; higher is more deprived).
Life expectancy for its patients' neighbourhoods is 84.4 years for women and 80.1 for men (England: 83.0 and 79.1).
| Condition register | Age group | Practice (2024/25) | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| High blood pressure | All ages | 16.4% | 15.2% |
| Depression | 18+ yrs | 11.2% | 14.3% |
| Diabetes | 17+ yrs | 7.2% | 7.9% |
| Asthma | 6+ yrs | 6.3% | 6.6% |
| Cancer | All ages | 4.4% | 3.8% |
| Chronic kidney disease | 18+ yrs | 3.6% | 4.6% |
| Atrial fibrillation | All ages | 2.9% | 2.2% |
| Coronary heart disease | All ages | 2.9% | 3.0% |
| Stroke and TIA | All ages | 2.1% | 1.9% |
| COPD | All ages | 2.0% | 1.9% |
| Dementia | All ages | 1.5% | 0.8% |
| Heart failure | All ages | 1.0% | 1.1% |
| Rheumatoid arthritis | 16+ yrs | 1.0% | 0.8% |
| Serious mental illness | All ages | 0.8% | 1.0% |
| Palliative care | All ages | 0.7% | 0.6% |
| Epilepsy | 18+ yrs | 0.7% | 0.8% |
| Learning disability | All ages | 0.5% | 0.6% |
| Peripheral arterial disease | All ages | 0.4% | 0.6% |
| Osteoporosis | 50+ yrs | 0.2% | 1.2% |
| Screening coverage | Period | Practice | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bowel cancer screening (aged 60 to 74) | 2024/25 | 74.6% | 72.9% |
| Breast cancer screening (women aged 53 to 70) | 2024/25 | 71.6% | 72.2% |
| Cervical screening (women aged 25 to 49) | 2023/24 | 73.1% | 67.5% |
| Cervical screening (women aged 50 to 64) | 2023/24 | 74.9% | 74.9% |
The Limes Medical Centre, The Plain, Epping, CM16 6TL. Phone: 01992 566501.
| Nearby practice | Distance | Overall experience good |
|---|---|---|
| The High Street Surgery | 0.9 km | 81% |
| The Hamilton Practice | 5.7 km | 77% |
| The Ross Practice | 5.7 km | 70% |
| Lister Medical Centre | 5.9 km | 57% |
| Dr. D. Colvin & Dr. O. B. Isinkaye | 6.0 km | 79% |
- Dr. D. Colvin & Dr. O. B. Isinkaye (79% overall experience good)
- Market Square Surgery (87% overall experience good)
- Maynard Court Surgery (90% overall experience good)
- Ongar War Memorial Medical Centre (72% overall experience good)
- The High Street Surgery (81% overall experience good)
How do patients rate The Limes Medical Centre?
In the 2026 GP Patient Survey, 49% of patients described their overall experience of The Limes Medical Centre as good, below the England figure of 77%. 17% found it easy to get through by phone.
How many patients are registered at The Limes Medical Centre?
17,760 patients were registered in September 2026, down 3.0% on a year earlier.
What is The Limes Medical Centre's CQC rating?
Good overall, published in February 2015.
How many GPs does The Limes Medical Centre have?
8.6 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs (11 qualified GPs by headcount), which is 2,075 patients per GP against 2,171 across England.
Are appointments at The Limes Medical Centre face to face?
78% of appointments from June 2026 to August 2026 were face to face, against 63% across England.
What is The Limes Medical Centre's phone number?
01992 566501.