Merlyn Vaz Centre, Leicester: patient reviews and CQC rating
Merlyn Vaz Centre is a GP practice in Leicester with 9,380 registered patients (September 2026). In the 2026 GP Patient Survey, 68% of its patients described their overall experience as good, below the England figure of 77% (Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland: 73%). The Care Quality Commission rates it Good overall, in a report published in May 2019. It has 3.7 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs, or 2,549 patients per GP.
Latest data: September 2026. Patient survey 2026; registered patients September 2026; appointments to August 2026.
What patients say about Merlyn Vaz Centre
Its best result against England is the share who found it easy to get through to the practice by phone: 59%, against 57% across England. Its weakest is the share who found it easy to contact the practice through its website: 42%, 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 54th of the 79 practices in Leicester with 50 or more responses. 59% found it easy to get through by phone (England: 57%). The overall experience result is 11 points lower than in 2025 (79%). 104 patients answered the survey (response rate 12%).
| Survey question | Merlyn Vaz Centre | Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overall experience good | 68% | 73% | 77% |
| Easy to contact by phone | 59% | 51% | 57% |
| Easy to contact via the website | 42% | 51% | 58% |
| Easy to contact via the NHS App | 44% | 51% | 54% |
| Reception team helpful | 84% | 82% | 85% |
| Last contact good | 67% | 67% | 73% |
| Wait for appointment about right | 57% | 65% | 69% |
| Listened to well | 80% | 85% | 87% |
| Treated with care and concern | 78% | 84% | 86% |
| Confidence and trust in the clinician | 84% | 92% | 93% |
| Needs met | 76% | 89% | 90% |
CQC's overall rating for Merlyn Vaz Centre is Good, published in May 2019. All 5 key questions are rated Good.
| Key question | Rating |
|---|---|
| Safe | Good |
| Well-led | Good |
| Caring | Good |
| Responsive | Good |
| Effective | Good |
9,380 patients were registered at Merlyn Vaz Centre in September 2026, down 3.5% on a year earlier (England: down 1.1%).
12% of its patients are aged 65 or over, against 19% across England. With 3.7 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs, there are 2,549 patients per GP, more than the England figure of 2,171 and Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland's 2,308. The practice also has 3.3 other clinical staff such as pharmacists and physiotherapists (full-time equivalent).
| Year | Qualified GPs (FTE) | All GPs incl. trainees (FTE) |
|---|---|---|
| August 2023 | 3.7 | 3.7 |
| August 2024 | 3.7 | 3.7 |
| August 2025 | 3.7 | 3.7 |
| August 2026 | 3.7 | 3.7 |
From June 2026 to August 2026 the practice recorded 4,873 appointments a month, or 520 per 1,000 registered patients (England: 510). 85% were face to face (England: 63%). 40% took place on the day they were booked and 6% more than 28 days after booking (England: 45% and 5%).
51% were with a GP rather than another member of the practice team. 6% of booked patients did not attend.
| Measure | Merlyn Vaz Centre | Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Appointments per 1,000 patients a month | 520 | 550 | 510 |
| Face to face | 85% | 72% | 63% |
| Same day as booked | 40% | 41% | 45% |
| More than 28 days after booking | 6% | 7% | 5% |
| Did not attend | 6% | 4% | 4% |
Compared with England, the practice has a higher share of patients on its registers for diabetes (16.1% against 7.9%). It has a lower share for COPD (0.4% against 1.9%), peripheral arterial disease (0.1% against 0.6%) and atrial fibrillation (0.6% against 2.2%). The practice's patients live in areas with an average deprivation score of 35.5 (England: 21.8; higher is more deprived).
Life expectancy for its patients' neighbourhoods is 81.7 years for women and 77.7 for men (England: 83.0 and 79.1).
| Condition register | Age group | Practice (2024/25) | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Diabetes | 17+ yrs | 16.1% | 7.9% |
| High blood pressure | All ages | 14.2% | 15.2% |
| Depression | 18+ yrs | 8.3% | 14.3% |
| Asthma | 6+ yrs | 4.7% | 6.6% |
| Chronic kidney disease | 18+ yrs | 2.8% | 4.6% |
| Coronary heart disease | All ages | 2.8% | 3.0% |
| Cancer | All ages | 1.3% | 3.8% |
| Stroke and TIA | All ages | 1.3% | 1.9% |
| Serious mental illness | All ages | 1.0% | 1.0% |
| Heart failure | All ages | 0.9% | 1.1% |
| Rheumatoid arthritis | 16+ yrs | 0.8% | 0.8% |
| Learning disability | All ages | 0.6% | 0.6% |
| Atrial fibrillation | All ages | 0.6% | 2.2% |
| Epilepsy | 18+ yrs | 0.6% | 0.8% |
| Osteoporosis | 50+ yrs | 0.5% | 1.2% |
| Dementia | All ages | 0.4% | 0.8% |
| COPD | All ages | 0.4% | 1.9% |
| Palliative care | All ages | 0.2% | 0.6% |
| Peripheral arterial disease | All ages | 0.1% | 0.6% |
| Screening coverage | Period | Practice | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bowel cancer screening (aged 60 to 74) | 2024/25 | 52.2% | 72.9% |
| Breast cancer screening (women aged 53 to 70) | 2024/25 | 38.0% | 72.2% |
| Cervical screening (women aged 25 to 49) | 2023/24 | 56.6% | 67.5% |
| Cervical screening (women aged 50 to 64) | 2023/24 | 68.4% | 74.9% |
Merlyn Vaz Centre, Block B, 1 Spinney Hill Road, Leicester, LE5 3GH. Phone: 0116 261 6233. Website: www.thehighfieldsmedicalcentre.co.uk.
| Nearby practice | Distance | Overall experience good |
|---|---|---|
| The Charnwood Practice | 0.0 km | 80% |
| The Heron GP Practice | 0.0 km | 58% |
| Spinney Hill Medical Centre | 0.4 km | 60% |
| East Park Medical Centre - R P Pandya | 0.9 km | 72% |
| East Leicester Medical Practice - Dr A Farooqi and Partners | 0.9 km | 61% |
- Community Health Centre (75% overall experience good)
- Shefa Medical Practice (78% overall experience good)
- The Heron GP Practice (58% overall experience good)
- The Practice Bowling Green Street (66% overall experience good)
How do patients rate Merlyn Vaz Centre?
In the 2026 GP Patient Survey, 68% of patients described their overall experience of Merlyn Vaz Centre as good, below the England figure of 77%. 59% found it easy to get through by phone.
How many patients are registered at Merlyn Vaz Centre?
9,380 patients were registered in September 2026, down 3.5% on a year earlier.
What is Merlyn Vaz Centre's CQC rating?
Good overall, published in May 2019.
How many GPs does Merlyn Vaz Centre have?
3.7 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs (4 qualified GPs by headcount), which is 2,549 patients per GP against 2,171 across England.
Are appointments at Merlyn Vaz Centre face to face?
85% of appointments from June 2026 to August 2026 were face to face, against 63% across England.
What is Merlyn Vaz Centre's phone number?
0116 261 6233.