Saffron Health, Leicester: patient reviews and CQC rating
Saffron Health is a GP practice in Leicester with 16,931 registered patients (September 2026). In the 2026 GP Patient Survey, 76% 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 August 2019. It has 8.2 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs, or 2,076 patients per GP.
Latest data: September 2026. Patient survey 2026; registered patients September 2026; appointments to August 2026.
What patients say about Saffron Health
Its best result against England is the share who found it easy to contact the practice using the NHS App: 62%, against 54% across England. Its weakest is the share who found it easy to get through to the practice by phone: 38%, below the England figure of 57%. Of the 11 results in the table, 0 are above England and 3 below by more than the survey's margin of error, and 8 within it.
On overall experience it is 31st of the 79 practices in Leicester with 50 or more responses. 38% found it easy to get through by phone (England: 57%). The overall experience result is 14 points higher than in 2025 (62%). 98 patients answered the survey (response rate 19%).
| Survey question | Saffron Health | Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overall experience good | 76% | 73% | 77% |
| Easy to contact by phone | 38% | 51% | 57% |
| Easy to contact via the website | 64% | 51% | 58% |
| Easy to contact via the NHS App | 62% | 51% | 54% |
| Reception team helpful | 88% | 82% | 85% |
| Last contact good | 61% | 67% | 73% |
| Wait for appointment about right | 54% | 65% | 69% |
| Listened to well | 86% | 85% | 87% |
| Treated with care and concern | 86% | 84% | 86% |
| Confidence and trust in the clinician | 91% | 92% | 93% |
| Needs met | 88% | 89% | 90% |
In the Friends and Family Test for July 2026, 100% of 13 responses rated the practice good or very good (England: 92%).
CQC's overall rating for Saffron Health is Good, published in August 2019. All 5 key questions are rated Good. Its previous overall rating was Requires Improvement (January 2019).
| Key question | Rating |
|---|---|
| Safe | Good |
| Well-led | Good |
| Caring | Good |
| Responsive | Good |
| Effective | Good |
16,931 patients were registered at Saffron Health in September 2026, down 2.3% on a year earlier (England: down 1.1%).
14% of its patients are aged 65 or over, against 19% across England. With 8.2 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs, there are 2,076 patients per GP, close to the England figure of 2,171 and Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland's 2,308. The practice also has 6.9 nurses and 9.9 other clinical staff such as pharmacists and physiotherapists (full-time equivalent).
| Year | Qualified GPs (FTE) | All GPs incl. trainees (FTE) |
|---|---|---|
| August 2023 | 6.9 | 8.6 |
| August 2024 | 7.4 | 10.3 |
| August 2025 | 8.2 | 9.0 |
| August 2026 | 8.2 | 9.8 |
From June 2026 to August 2026 the practice recorded 9,679 appointments a month, or 572 per 1,000 registered patients (England: 510). 55% were face to face (England: 63%). 33% took place on the day they were booked and 9% more than 28 days after booking (England: 45% and 5%).
37% were with a GP rather than another member of the practice team. 6% of booked patients did not attend.
| Measure | Saffron Health | Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Appointments per 1,000 patients a month | 572 | 550 | 510 |
| Face to face | 55% | 72% | 63% |
| Same day as booked | 33% | 41% | 45% |
| More than 28 days after booking | 9% | 7% | 5% |
| Did not attend | 6% | 4% | 4% |
Compared with England, the practice has a higher share of patients on its registers for a learning disability (1.1% against 0.6%), depression (23.9% against 14.3%) and serious mental illness (1.7% against 1.0%). It has a lower share for cancer (2.5% against 3.8%) and dementia (0.5% against 0.8%). The practice's patients live in areas with an average deprivation score of 40.8 (England: 21.8; higher is more deprived).
Life expectancy for its patients' neighbourhoods is 81.1 years for women and 75.9 for men (England: 83.0 and 79.1).
| Condition register | Age group | Practice (2024/25) | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Depression | 18+ yrs | 23.9% | 14.3% |
| High blood pressure | All ages | 14.8% | 15.2% |
| Diabetes | 17+ yrs | 10.0% | 7.9% |
| Asthma | 6+ yrs | 6.6% | 6.6% |
| Chronic kidney disease | 18+ yrs | 4.6% | 4.6% |
| COPD | All ages | 2.8% | 1.9% |
| Coronary heart disease | All ages | 2.6% | 3.0% |
| Cancer | All ages | 2.5% | 3.8% |
| Atrial fibrillation | All ages | 1.9% | 2.2% |
| Osteoporosis | 50+ yrs | 1.8% | 1.2% |
| Stroke and TIA | All ages | 1.7% | 1.9% |
| Serious mental illness | All ages | 1.7% | 1.0% |
| Heart failure | All ages | 1.6% | 1.1% |
| Epilepsy | 18+ yrs | 1.2% | 0.8% |
| Learning disability | All ages | 1.1% | 0.6% |
| Rheumatoid arthritis | 16+ yrs | 0.9% | 0.8% |
| Peripheral arterial disease | All ages | 0.6% | 0.6% |
| Dementia | All ages | 0.5% | 0.8% |
| Palliative care | All ages | 0.4% | 0.6% |
| Screening coverage | Period | Practice | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bowel cancer screening (aged 60 to 74) | 2024/25 | 62.9% | 72.9% |
| Breast cancer screening (women aged 53 to 70) | 2024/25 | 58.9% | 72.2% |
| Cervical screening (women aged 25 to 49) | 2023/24 | 63.1% | 67.5% |
| Cervical screening (women aged 50 to 64) | 2023/24 | 67.3% | 74.9% |
Saffron Health, 509 Saffron Lane, Leicester, LE2 6UL. Phone: 0116 244 0888.
| Nearby practice | Distance | Overall experience good |
|---|---|---|
| Aylestone Health Centre | 0.9 km | 80% |
| The Surgery@Aylestone | 0.9 km | 77% |
| The Hedges Medical Centre | 1.2 km | 74% |
| Dr G Singh, Sturdee Road Health & Wellbeing Centre | 1.2 km | 76% |
| Asquith Surgery | 1.6 km | 63% |
- Dr G Singh, Sturdee Road Health & Wellbeing Centre (76% overall experience good)
- Inclusion Healthcare Social Enterprise CIC (83% overall experience good)
- Leicester City Assist Practice (87% overall experience good)
- The Hedges Medical Centre (74% overall experience good)
How do patients rate Saffron Health?
In the 2026 GP Patient Survey, 76% of patients described their overall experience of Saffron Health as good, against 77% across England. 38% found it easy to get through by phone.
How many patients are registered at Saffron Health?
16,931 patients were registered in September 2026, down 2.3% on a year earlier.
What is Saffron Health's CQC rating?
Good overall, published in August 2019.
How many GPs does Saffron Health have?
8.2 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs (12 qualified GPs by headcount), which is 2,076 patients per GP against 2,171 across England.
Are appointments at Saffron Health face to face?
55% of appointments from June 2026 to August 2026 were face to face, against 63% across England.
What is Saffron Health's phone number?
0116 244 0888.