Old Harlow Health Centre, Harlow: patient reviews and CQC rating
Old Harlow Health Centre is a GP practice in Harlow with 11,929 registered patients (September 2026). In the 2026 GP Patient Survey, 90% of its patients described their overall experience as good, above the England figure of 77% (Essex: 74%). The Care Quality Commission rates it Outstanding overall, in a report published in March 2020. It has 5.5 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs, or 2,151 patients per GP.
Latest data: September 2026. Patient survey 2026; registered patients September 2026; appointments to August 2026.
What patients say about Old Harlow Health Centre
Its best result against England is the share who found it easy to get through to the practice by phone: 76%, above the England figure of 57%. Its weakest is the share who found it easy to contact the practice through its website: 47%, against 58% across England. Of the 11 results in the table, 5 are above England and 0 below by more than the survey's margin of error, and 6 within it.
On overall experience it is 1st of the 8 practices in Harlow with 50 or more responses. 76% found it easy to get through by phone (England: 57%). The overall experience result is 5 points lower than in 2025 (95%). 119 patients answered the survey (response rate 29%).
| Survey question | Old Harlow Health Centre | Essex | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overall experience good | 90% | 74% | 77% |
| Easy to contact by phone | 76% | 50% | 57% |
| Easy to contact via the website | 47% | 56% | 58% |
| Easy to contact via the NHS App | 48% | 51% | 54% |
| Reception team helpful | 98% | 83% | 85% |
| Last contact good | 86% | 70% | 73% |
| Wait for appointment about right | 81% | 70% | 69% |
| Listened to well | 90% | 84% | 87% |
| Treated with care and concern | 91% | 83% | 86% |
| Confidence and trust in the clinician | 94% | 91% | 93% |
| Needs met | 93% | 89% | 90% |
In the Friends and Family Test for July 2026, 96% of 241 responses rated the practice good or very good (England: 92%).
CQC's overall rating for Old Harlow Health Centre is Outstanding, published in March 2020. 3 key questions are rated differently: Safe Good, Caring Good and Responsive Good. Its previous overall rating was Good (January 2016).
| Key question | Rating |
|---|---|
| Safe | Good |
| Well-led | Outstanding |
| Caring | Good |
| Responsive | Good |
| Effective | Outstanding |
11,929 patients were registered at Old Harlow Health Centre in September 2026, almost the same as a year earlier.
19% of its patients are aged 65 or over, against 19% across England. With 5.5 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs, there are 2,151 patients per GP, close to the England figure of 2,171 and Essex's 2,514. The practice also has 2.8 nurses and 0.7 other clinical staff such as pharmacists and physiotherapists (full-time equivalent).
| Year | Qualified GPs (FTE) | All GPs incl. trainees (FTE) |
|---|---|---|
| August 2023 | 5.5 | 9.0 |
| August 2024 | 5.5 | 9.2 |
| August 2025 | 5.5 | 10.2 |
| August 2026 | 5.5 | 8.4 |
From June 2026 to August 2026 the practice recorded 4,790 appointments a month, or 402 per 1,000 registered patients (England: 510). 86% were face to face (England: 63%). 50% took place on the day they were booked and 1% more than 28 days after booking (England: 45% and 5%).
56% were with a GP rather than another member of the practice team. 4% of booked patients did not attend.
| Measure | Old Harlow Health Centre | Essex | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Appointments per 1,000 patients a month | 402 | 480 | 510 |
| Face to face | 86% | 69% | 63% |
| Same day as booked | 50% | 45% | 45% |
| More than 28 days after booking | 1% | 5% | 5% |
| Did not attend | 4% | 3% | 4% |
Compared with England, the practice has a lower share of patients for osteoporosis (0.1% against 1.2%), a learning disability (0.3% against 0.6%) and serious mental illness (0.6% against 1.0%). The practice's patients live in areas with an average deprivation score of 14.6 (England: 21.8; higher is more deprived). Life expectancy for its patients' neighbourhoods is 84.2 years for women and 80.2 for men (England: 83.0 and 79.1).
| Condition register | Age group | Practice (2024/25) | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| High blood pressure | All ages | 15.2% | 15.2% |
| Depression | 18+ yrs | 12.0% | 14.3% |
| Asthma | 6+ yrs | 7.6% | 6.6% |
| Diabetes | 17+ yrs | 7.3% | 7.9% |
| Chronic kidney disease | 18+ yrs | 5.1% | 4.6% |
| Cancer | All ages | 3.7% | 3.8% |
| Coronary heart disease | All ages | 2.7% | 3.0% |
| Atrial fibrillation | All ages | 2.3% | 2.2% |
| COPD | All ages | 1.9% | 1.9% |
| Stroke and TIA | All ages | 1.7% | 1.9% |
| Heart failure | All ages | 0.9% | 1.1% |
| Rheumatoid arthritis | 16+ yrs | 0.9% | 0.8% |
| Epilepsy | 18+ yrs | 0.7% | 0.8% |
| Serious mental illness | All ages | 0.6% | 1.0% |
| Palliative care | All ages | 0.6% | 0.6% |
| Dementia | All ages | 0.6% | 0.8% |
| Peripheral arterial disease | All ages | 0.4% | 0.6% |
| Learning disability | All ages | 0.3% | 0.6% |
| Osteoporosis | 50+ yrs | 0.1% | 1.2% |
| Screening coverage | Period | Practice | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bowel cancer screening (aged 60 to 74) | 2024/25 | 73.8% | 72.9% |
| Breast cancer screening (women aged 53 to 70) | 2024/25 | 68.0% | 72.2% |
| Cervical screening (women aged 25 to 49) | 2023/24 | 75.7% | 67.5% |
| Cervical screening (women aged 50 to 64) | 2023/24 | 79.6% | 74.9% |
Old Harlow Health Centre, Jenner House, Garden Terrace Road, Harlow, CM17 0AX. Phone: 01279 418136.
| Nearby practice | Distance | Overall experience good |
|---|---|---|
| Nuffield House Doctors Surgery | 1.8 km | 48% |
| Church Langley Medical Centre | 1.8 km | 56% |
| Dr Imran Gohar | 2.2 km | 83% |
| Gardens and Jacobs Medical Partnership | 2.6 km | -9700% |
| The Hamilton Practice | 3.3 km | 77% |
- Addison House - Haque Practice (45% overall experience good)
- Church Langley Medical Centre (56% overall experience good)
- Dr Imran Gohar (83% overall experience good)
- Nuffield House Doctors Surgery (48% overall experience good)
How do patients rate Old Harlow Health Centre?
In the 2026 GP Patient Survey, 90% of patients described their overall experience of Old Harlow Health Centre as good, above the England figure of 77%. 76% found it easy to get through by phone.
How many patients are registered at Old Harlow Health Centre?
11,929 patients were registered in September 2026, down 0.1% on a year earlier.
What is Old Harlow Health Centre's CQC rating?
Outstanding overall, published in March 2020.
How many GPs does Old Harlow Health Centre have?
5.5 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs (6 qualified GPs by headcount), which is 2,151 patients per GP against 2,171 across England.
Are appointments at Old Harlow Health Centre face to face?
86% of appointments from June 2026 to August 2026 were face to face, against 63% across England.
What is Old Harlow Health Centre's phone number?
01279 418136.