Downing Drive Surgery, Leicester: patient reviews and CQC rating
Downing Drive Surgery is a GP practice in Leicester with 7,118 registered patients (September 2026). In the 2026 GP Patient Survey, 83% of its patients described their overall experience as good, against 77% across England (Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland: 73%). The Care Quality Commission rates it Good overall, in a report published in November 2016. It has 4.2 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs, or 1,714 patients per GP.
Latest data: September 2026. Patient survey 2026; registered patients September 2026; appointments to August 2026.
What patients say about Downing Drive Surgery
Its best result against England is the share who found it easy to contact the practice through its website: 77%, above the England figure of 58%. Its weakest is the share who said the healthcare professional was good at listening to them: 82%, against 87% across England. Of the 11 results in the table, 2 are above England and 0 below by more than the survey's margin of error, and 9 within it.
On overall experience it is 11th of the 79 practices in Leicester with 50 or more responses. 65% found it easy to get through by phone (England: 57%). The overall experience result is 2 points higher than in 2025 (81%). 85 patients answered the survey (response rate 22%).
| Survey question | Downing Drive Surgery | Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overall experience good | 83% | 73% | 77% |
| Easy to contact by phone | 65% | 51% | 57% |
| Easy to contact via the website | 77% | 51% | 58% |
| Easy to contact via the NHS App | 63% | 51% | 54% |
| Reception team helpful | 82% | 82% | 85% |
| Last contact good | 80% | 67% | 73% |
| Wait for appointment about right | 82% | 65% | 69% |
| Listened to well | 82% | 85% | 87% |
| Treated with care and concern | 85% | 84% | 86% |
| Confidence and trust in the clinician | 92% | 92% | 93% |
| Needs met | 96% | 89% | 90% |
In the Friends and Family Test for July 2026, 95% of 211 responses rated the practice good or very good (England: 92%).
CQC's overall rating for Downing Drive Surgery is Good, published in November 2016. All 5 key questions are rated Good. It held the same rating in the report before (April 2016).
| Key question | Rating |
|---|---|
| Safe | Good |
| Well-led | Good |
| Caring | Good |
| Responsive | Good |
| Effective | Good |
7,118 patients were registered at Downing Drive Surgery in September 2026, up 3.2% on a year earlier (England: down 1.1%).
26% of its patients are aged 65 or over, against 19% across England. With 4.2 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs, there are 1,714 patients per GP, fewer than the England figure of 2,171 and Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland's 2,308. The practice also has 1.5 nurses and 3.8 other clinical staff such as pharmacists and physiotherapists (full-time equivalent).
| Year | Qualified GPs (FTE) | All GPs incl. trainees (FTE) |
|---|---|---|
| August 2023 | 3.9 | 5.0 |
| August 2024 | 3.9 | 6.1 |
| August 2025 | 3.9 | 7.8 |
| August 2026 | 4.2 | 5.3 |
From June 2026 to August 2026 the practice recorded 4,461 appointments a month, or 627 per 1,000 registered patients (England: 510). 74% were face to face (England: 63%). 41% took place on the day they were booked and 7% more than 28 days after booking (England: 45% and 5%).
41% were with a GP rather than another member of the practice team. 9% of booked patients did not attend.
| Measure | Downing Drive Surgery | Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Appointments per 1,000 patients a month | 627 | 550 | 510 |
| Face to face | 74% | 72% | 63% |
| Same day as booked | 41% | 41% | 45% |
| More than 28 days after booking | 7% | 7% | 5% |
| Did not attend | 9% | 4% | 4% |
Compared with England, the practice has a higher share of patients on its registers for dementia (1.3% against 0.8%), diabetes (13.5% against 7.9%) and high blood pressure (22.2% against 15.2%). It has a lower share for COPD (1.3% against 1.9%) and depression (9.8% against 14.3%). The practice's patients live in areas with an average deprivation score of 14.4 (England: 21.8; higher is more deprived).
Life expectancy for its patients' neighbourhoods is 84.5 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 | 22.2% | 15.2% |
| Diabetes | 17+ yrs | 13.5% | 7.9% |
| Depression | 18+ yrs | 9.8% | 14.3% |
| Asthma | 6+ yrs | 7.7% | 6.6% |
| Chronic kidney disease | 18+ yrs | 4.6% | 4.6% |
| Coronary heart disease | All ages | 4.2% | 3.0% |
| Cancer | All ages | 3.7% | 3.8% |
| Atrial fibrillation | All ages | 2.7% | 2.2% |
| Stroke and TIA | All ages | 2.1% | 1.9% |
| Rheumatoid arthritis | 16+ yrs | 1.5% | 0.8% |
| Heart failure | All ages | 1.4% | 1.1% |
| Dementia | All ages | 1.3% | 0.8% |
| COPD | All ages | 1.3% | 1.9% |
| Osteoporosis | 50+ yrs | 1.1% | 1.2% |
| Serious mental illness | All ages | 0.9% | 1.0% |
| Epilepsy | 18+ yrs | 0.7% | 0.8% |
| Peripheral arterial disease | All ages | 0.6% | 0.6% |
| Palliative care | All ages | 0.6% | 0.6% |
| Learning disability | All ages | 0.5% | 0.6% |
| Screening coverage | Period | Practice | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bowel cancer screening (aged 60 to 74) | 2024/25 | 76.6% | 72.9% |
| Breast cancer screening (women aged 53 to 70) | 2024/25 | 69.1% | 72.2% |
| Cervical screening (women aged 25 to 49) | 2023/24 | 73.2% | 67.5% |
| Cervical screening (women aged 50 to 64) | 2023/24 | 84.0% | 74.9% |
Downing Drive Surgery, The Surgery, 155 Downing Drive, Evington, Leicester, LE5 6LP. Phone: 0116 241 3801. Website: www.downingdrivesurgery.nhs.uk.
| Nearby practice | Distance | Overall experience good |
|---|---|---|
| Willows Medical Centre | 2.1 km | 48% |
| St Elizabeth's Medical Centre | 2.6 km | 80% |
| Horizon Healthcare | 2.6 km | 69% |
| Humberstone Medical Centre | 2.8 km | 61% |
| East Leicester Medical Practice - Dr A Farooqi and Partners | 2.8 km | 61% |
- East Leicester Medical Practice - Dr A Farooqi and Partners (61% overall experience good)
- Hilltop Surgery (82% overall experience good)
- Humberstone Medical Centre (61% overall experience good)
- St Elizabeth's Medical Centre (80% overall experience good)
How do patients rate Downing Drive Surgery?
In the 2026 GP Patient Survey, 83% of patients described their overall experience of Downing Drive Surgery as good, against 77% across England. 65% found it easy to get through by phone.
How many patients are registered at Downing Drive Surgery?
7,118 patients were registered in September 2026, up 3.2% on a year earlier.
What is Downing Drive Surgery's CQC rating?
Good overall, published in November 2016.
How many GPs does Downing Drive Surgery have?
4.2 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs (7 qualified GPs by headcount), which is 1,714 patients per GP against 2,171 across England.
Are appointments at Downing Drive Surgery face to face?
74% of appointments from June 2026 to August 2026 were face to face, against 63% across England.
What is Downing Drive Surgery's phone number?
0116 241 3801.