The Drive Surgery, Ilford: patient reviews and CQC rating
The Drive Surgery is a GP practice in Ilford with 6,862 registered patients (September 2026). In the 2026 GP Patient Survey, 60% of its patients described their overall experience as good, below the England figure of 77% (North East London: 71%). The Care Quality Commission rates it Good overall, in a report published in December 2023. It has 3.1 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs, or 2,213 patients per GP.
Latest data: September 2026. Patient survey 2026; registered patients September 2026; appointments to August 2026.
What patients say about The Drive Surgery
Its best result against England is the share who said the wait for their last appointment was about right: 76%, against 69% across England. Its weakest is the share who found it easy to contact the practice through its website: 35%, below the England figure of 58%. Of the 11 results in the table, 0 are above England and 7 below by more than the survey's margin of error, and 4 within it.
On overall experience it is 19th of the 27 practices in Ilford with 50 or more responses. 48% found it easy to get through by phone (England: 57%). The overall experience result is 2 points lower than in 2025 (62%). 102 patients answered the survey (response rate 13%).
| Survey question | The Drive Surgery | North East London | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overall experience good | 60% | 71% | 77% |
| Easy to contact by phone | 48% | 55% | 57% |
| Easy to contact via the website | 35% | 53% | 58% |
| Easy to contact via the NHS App | 39% | 50% | 54% |
| Reception team helpful | 74% | 79% | 85% |
| Last contact good | 57% | 67% | 73% |
| Wait for appointment about right | 76% | 62% | 69% |
| Listened to well | 75% | 83% | 87% |
| Treated with care and concern | 70% | 82% | 86% |
| Confidence and trust in the clinician | 87% | 91% | 93% |
| Needs met | 85% | 87% | 90% |
In the Friends and Family Test for July 2026, 90% of 50 responses rated the practice good or very good (England: 92%).
CQC's overall rating for The Drive Surgery is Good, published in December 2023. One key question is rated differently: Effective Requires Improvement. It held the same rating in the report before (July 2022).
| Key question | Rating |
|---|---|
| Safe | Good |
| Well-led | Good |
| Caring | Good |
| Responsive | Good |
| Effective | Requires Improvement |
6,862 patients were registered at The Drive Surgery in September 2026, down 1.8% on a year earlier (England: down 1.1%).
12% of its patients are aged 65 or over, against 19% across England. With 3.1 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs, there are 2,213 patients per GP, close to the England figure of 2,171 and North East London's 2,551. The practice also has 0.3 nurses and 2.9 other clinical staff such as pharmacists and physiotherapists (full-time equivalent).
| Year | Qualified GPs (FTE) | All GPs incl. trainees (FTE) |
|---|---|---|
| August 2023 | 2.3 | 2.3 |
| August 2024 | 2.3 | 2.3 |
| August 2025 | 3.1 | 3.1 |
| August 2026 | 3.1 | 3.1 |
From June 2026 to August 2026 the practice recorded 4,029 appointments a month, or 587 per 1,000 registered patients (England: 510). 85% were face to face (England: 63%). 72% took place on the day they were booked and 0% more than 28 days after booking (England: 45% and 5%).
42% were with a GP rather than another member of the practice team. 4% of booked patients did not attend.
| Measure | The Drive Surgery | North East London | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Appointments per 1,000 patients a month | 587 | 456 | 510 |
| Face to face | 85% | 58% | 63% |
| Same day as booked | 72% | 46% | 45% |
| More than 28 days after booking | 0% | 2% | 5% |
| Did not attend | 4% | 7% | 4% |
Compared with England, the practice has a higher share of patients on its registers for a learning disability (1.2% against 0.6%) and diabetes (14.1% against 7.9%). It has a lower share for COPD (0.5% against 1.9%), atrial fibrillation (0.8% against 2.2%) and cancer (1.9% against 3.8%). The practice's patients live in areas with an average deprivation score of 22.0 (England: 21.8; higher is more deprived).
Life expectancy for its patients' neighbourhoods is 83.2 years for women and 78.2 for men (England: 83.0 and 79.1).
| Condition register | Age group | Practice (2024/25) | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Diabetes | 17+ yrs | 14.1% | 7.9% |
| High blood pressure | All ages | 12.9% | 15.2% |
| Depression | 18+ yrs | 9.6% | 14.3% |
| Asthma | 6+ yrs | 6.0% | 6.6% |
| Chronic kidney disease | 18+ yrs | 5.5% | 4.6% |
| Coronary heart disease | All ages | 2.9% | 3.0% |
| Cancer | All ages | 1.9% | 3.8% |
| Osteoporosis | 50+ yrs | 1.8% | 1.2% |
| Rheumatoid arthritis | 16+ yrs | 1.3% | 0.8% |
| Stroke and TIA | All ages | 1.2% | 1.9% |
| Learning disability | All ages | 1.2% | 0.6% |
| Serious mental illness | All ages | 1.1% | 1.0% |
| Dementia | All ages | 0.8% | 0.8% |
| Atrial fibrillation | All ages | 0.8% | 2.2% |
| Palliative care | All ages | 0.7% | 0.6% |
| Heart failure | All ages | 0.6% | 1.1% |
| Epilepsy | 18+ yrs | 0.6% | 0.8% |
| COPD | All ages | 0.5% | 1.9% |
| Peripheral arterial disease | All ages | 0.3% | 0.6% |
| Screening coverage | Period | Practice | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bowel cancer screening (aged 60 to 74) | 2024/25 | 58.9% | 72.9% |
| Breast cancer screening (women aged 53 to 70) | 2024/25 | 68.6% | 72.2% |
| Cervical screening (women aged 25 to 49) | 2023/24 | 57.9% | 67.5% |
| Cervical screening (women aged 50 to 64) | 2023/24 | 73.3% | 74.9% |
The Drive Surgery, 68 The Drive, Ilford, IG1 3HZ. Phone: 020 8554 3014.
| Nearby practice | Distance | Overall experience good |
|---|---|---|
| Dr Harjit Singh | 0.9 km | 73% |
| Dr Winston Solomon | 1.0 km | 68% |
| York Road Surgery | 1.0 km | 88% |
| Gants Hill Medical Centre | 1.1 km | 61% |
| Balfour Road Surgery | 1.2 km | 66% |
- 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 Forest Edge Practice (85% overall experience good)
- The Fullwell Avenue Surgery (77% overall experience good)
- The Willows Medical Practice (79% overall experience good)
How do patients rate The Drive Surgery?
In the 2026 GP Patient Survey, 60% of patients described their overall experience of The Drive Surgery as good, below the England figure of 77%. 48% found it easy to get through by phone.
How many patients are registered at The Drive Surgery?
6,862 patients were registered in September 2026, down 1.8% on a year earlier.
What is The Drive Surgery's CQC rating?
Good overall, published in December 2023.
How many GPs does The Drive Surgery have?
3.1 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs (10 qualified GPs by headcount), which is 2,213 patients per GP against 2,171 across England.
Are appointments at The Drive Surgery face to face?
85% of appointments from June 2026 to August 2026 were face to face, against 63% across England.
What is The Drive Surgery's phone number?
020 8554 3014.