Royal Arsenal Medical Centre, London: patient reviews and CQC rating
Royal Arsenal Medical Centre is a GP practice in London with 11,502 registered patients (September 2026). In the 2026 GP Patient Survey, 54% of its patients described their overall experience as good, below the England figure of 77% (South East London: 76%). The Care Quality Commission rates it Good overall, in a report published in June 2018. It has 3.3 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs, or 3,490 patients per GP.
Latest data: September 2026. Patient survey 2026; registered patients September 2026; appointments to August 2026.
What patients say about Royal Arsenal Medical Centre
Its result closest to England is the share who found it easy to contact the practice using the NHS App: 52%, against 54% across England. Its weakest is the share who found the reception and administrative team helpful: 58%, below the England figure of 85%. Of the 11 results in the table, 0 are above England and 10 below by more than the survey's margin of error, and 1 within it.
On overall experience it is 633rd of the 648 practices in London with 50 or more responses. 30% found it easy to get through by phone (England: 57%). The overall experience result is 1 point higher than in 2025 (53%). 124 patients answered the survey (response rate 19%).
| Survey question | Royal Arsenal Medical Centre | South East London | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overall experience good | 54% | 76% | 77% |
| Easy to contact by phone | 30% | 57% | 57% |
| Easy to contact via the website | 42% | 58% | 58% |
| Easy to contact via the NHS App | 52% | 55% | 54% |
| Reception team helpful | 58% | 85% | 85% |
| Last contact good | 46% | 73% | 73% |
| Wait for appointment about right | 53% | 65% | 69% |
| Listened to well | 67% | 85% | 87% |
| Treated with care and concern | 68% | 84% | 86% |
| Confidence and trust in the clinician | 81% | 92% | 93% |
| Needs met | 74% | 89% | 90% |
In the Friends and Family Test for July 2026, 87% of 103 responses rated the practice good or very good (England: 92%).
CQC's overall rating for Royal Arsenal Medical Centre is Good, published in June 2018. All 5 key questions are rated Good. It held the same rating in the report before (April 2017).
| Key question | Rating |
|---|---|
| Safe | Good |
| Well-led | Good |
| Caring | Good |
| Responsive | Good |
| Effective | Good |
11,502 patients were registered at Royal Arsenal Medical Centre in September 2026, down 1.1% on a year earlier (England: down 1.1%).
9% of its patients are aged 65 or over, against 19% across England. With 3.3 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs, there are 3,490 patients per GP, more than the England figure of 2,171 and South East London's 2,350. The practice also has 1.3 nurses and 1.0 other clinical staff such as pharmacists and physiotherapists (full-time equivalent).
| Year | Qualified GPs (FTE) | All GPs incl. trainees (FTE) |
|---|---|---|
| August 2023 | 3.0 | 4.1 |
| August 2024 | 2.3 | 3.4 |
| August 2025 | 3.0 | 4.1 |
| August 2026 | 3.3 | 4.4 |
From June 2026 to August 2026 the practice recorded 2,268 appointments a month, or 197 per 1,000 registered patients (England: 510). 71% were face to face (England: 63%). 26% took place on the day they were booked and 0% more than 28 days after booking (England: 45% and 5%).
60% were with a GP rather than another member of the practice team. 6% of booked patients did not attend.
| Measure | Royal Arsenal Medical Centre | South East London | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Appointments per 1,000 patients a month | 197 | 399 | 510 |
| Face to face | 71% | 54% | 63% |
| Same day as booked | 26% | 45% | 45% |
| More than 28 days after booking | 0% | 2% | 5% |
| Did not attend | 6% | 7% | 4% |
Compared with England, the practice has a higher share of patients on its registers for a learning disability (0.9% against 0.6%). It has a lower share for palliative or supportive care needs (0.2% against 0.6%), dementia (0.3% against 0.8%) and atrial fibrillation (1.0% against 2.2%). The practice's patients live in areas with an average deprivation score of 21.5 (England: 21.8; higher is more deprived).
Life expectancy for its patients' neighbourhoods is 81.6 years for women and 77.0 for men (England: 83.0 and 79.1).
| Condition register | Age group | Practice (2024/25) | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Depression | 18+ yrs | 14.0% | 14.3% |
| High blood pressure | All ages | 12.0% | 15.2% |
| Diabetes | 17+ yrs | 6.7% | 7.9% |
| Asthma | 6+ yrs | 4.2% | 6.6% |
| Chronic kidney disease | 18+ yrs | 4.2% | 4.6% |
| Cancer | All ages | 2.4% | 3.8% |
| Osteoporosis | 50+ yrs | 1.7% | 1.2% |
| Coronary heart disease | All ages | 1.5% | 3.0% |
| COPD | All ages | 1.2% | 1.9% |
| Serious mental illness | All ages | 1.1% | 1.0% |
| Atrial fibrillation | All ages | 1.0% | 2.2% |
| Stroke and TIA | All ages | 1.0% | 1.9% |
| Learning disability | All ages | 0.9% | 0.6% |
| Epilepsy | 18+ yrs | 0.6% | 0.8% |
| Heart failure | All ages | 0.6% | 1.1% |
| Peripheral arterial disease | All ages | 0.6% | 0.6% |
| Rheumatoid arthritis | 16+ yrs | 0.4% | 0.8% |
| Dementia | All ages | 0.3% | 0.8% |
| Palliative care | All ages | 0.2% | 0.6% |
| Screening coverage | Period | Practice | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bowel cancer screening (aged 60 to 74) | 2024/25 | 66.8% | 72.9% |
| Breast cancer screening (women aged 53 to 70) | 2024/25 | 63.8% | 72.2% |
| Cervical screening (women aged 25 to 49) | 2023/24 | 64.2% | 67.5% |
| Cervical screening (women aged 50 to 64) | 2023/24 | 72.9% | 74.9% |
Royal Arsenal Medical Centre, 21 Arsenal Way, London, SE18 6TE. Phone: 020 8854 0356. Website: www.royalarsenalmedicalcentre.co.uk.
| Nearby practice | Distance | Overall experience good |
|---|---|---|
| Glyndon PMS | 0.8 km | 84% |
| Ferryview Health Centre GP Surgery | 0.8 km | 76% |
| Triveni PMS | 1.1 km | 78% |
| Conway PMS | 1.1 km | 74% |
| Thamesmead Health Centre | 1.3 km | 80% |
- Conway PMS (74% overall experience good)
- St Marks PMS (84% overall experience good)
- Thamesmead Health Centre (80% overall experience good)
- Thamesmead Medical Associates - PMS (79% overall experience good)
How do patients rate Royal Arsenal Medical Centre?
In the 2026 GP Patient Survey, 54% of patients described their overall experience of Royal Arsenal Medical Centre as good, below the England figure of 77%. 30% found it easy to get through by phone.
How many patients are registered at Royal Arsenal Medical Centre?
11,502 patients were registered in September 2026, down 1.1% on a year earlier.
What is Royal Arsenal Medical Centre's CQC rating?
Good overall, published in June 2018.
How many GPs does Royal Arsenal Medical Centre have?
3.3 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs (5 qualified GPs by headcount), which is 3,490 patients per GP against 2,171 across England.
Are appointments at Royal Arsenal Medical Centre face to face?
71% of appointments from June 2026 to August 2026 were face to face, against 63% across England.
What is Royal Arsenal Medical Centre's phone number?
020 8854 0356.