The Forest Surgery, London: patient reviews and CQC rating
The Forest Surgery is a GP practice in London with 7,519 registered patients (September 2026). In the 2026 GP Patient Survey, 74% of its patients described their overall experience as good, against 77% across England (North East London: 71%). The Care Quality Commission rates it Requires Improvement overall, in a report published in November 2023. It has 2.0 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs, or 3,710 patients per GP.
Latest data: September 2026. Patient survey 2026; registered patients September 2026; appointments to August 2026.
What patients say about The Forest Surgery
Its best result against England is the share who found it easy to contact the practice through its website: 66%, against 58% across England. Its weakest is the share who found the reception and administrative team helpful: 78%, against 85% across England. With 96 responses, none of its 11 results differs from England by more than the survey's margin of error.
On overall experience it is 421st of the 648 practices in London with 50 or more responses. 50% found it easy to get through by phone (England: 57%). The overall experience result is 3 points higher than in 2025 (71%). 96 patients answered the survey (response rate 16%).
| Survey question | The Forest Surgery | North East London | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overall experience good | 74% | 71% | 77% |
| Easy to contact by phone | 50% | 55% | 57% |
| Easy to contact via the website | 66% | 53% | 58% |
| Easy to contact via the NHS App | 62% | 50% | 54% |
| Reception team helpful | 78% | 79% | 85% |
| Last contact good | 71% | 67% | 73% |
| Wait for appointment about right | 76% | 62% | 69% |
| Listened to well | 86% | 83% | 87% |
| Treated with care and concern | 86% | 82% | 86% |
| Confidence and trust in the clinician | 94% | 91% | 93% |
| Needs met | 92% | 87% | 90% |
In the Friends and Family Test for July 2026, 71% of 35 responses rated the practice good or very good (England: 92%).
CQC's overall rating for The Forest Surgery is Requires Improvement, published in November 2023. One key question is rated differently: Safe Good.
| Key question | Rating |
|---|---|
| Safe | Good |
| Well-led | Requires Improvement |
| Caring | Requires Improvement |
| Responsive | Requires Improvement |
| Effective | Requires Improvement |
7,519 patients were registered at The Forest Surgery in September 2026, up 5.1% on a year earlier (England: down 1.1%).
11% of its patients are aged 65 or over, against 19% across England. With 2.0 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs, there are 3,710 patients per GP, more than the England figure of 2,171 and North East London's 2,551. The practice also has 0.8 nurses and 1.4 other clinical staff such as pharmacists and physiotherapists (full-time equivalent).
| Year | Qualified GPs (FTE) | All GPs incl. trainees (FTE) |
|---|---|---|
| August 2023 | 2.2 | 2.2 |
| August 2024 | 1.5 | 1.5 |
| August 2025 | 1.5 | 1.5 |
| August 2026 | 2.0 | 2.0 |
From June 2026 to August 2026 the practice recorded 2,818 appointments a month, or 375 per 1,000 registered patients (England: 510). 55% were face to face (England: 63%). 44% took place on the day they were booked and 1% more than 28 days after booking (England: 45% and 5%).
52% were with a GP rather than another member of the practice team. 8% of booked patients did not attend.
| Measure | The Forest Surgery | North East London | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Appointments per 1,000 patients a month | 375 | 456 | 510 |
| Face to face | 55% | 58% | 63% |
| Same day as booked | 44% | 46% | 45% |
| More than 28 days after booking | 1% | 2% | 5% |
| Did not attend | 8% | 7% | 4% |
Compared with England, the practice has a lower share of patients for palliative or supportive care needs (0.1% against 0.6%), peripheral arterial disease (0.2% against 0.6%) and atrial fibrillation (1.0% against 2.2%). The practice's patients live in areas with an average deprivation score of 21.7 (England: 21.8; higher is more deprived). Life expectancy for its patients' neighbourhoods is 84.5 years for women and 79.7 for men (England: 83.0 and 79.1).
| Condition register | Age group | Practice (2024/25) | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| High blood pressure | All ages | 9.9% | 15.2% |
| Depression | 18+ yrs | 9.3% | 14.3% |
| Diabetes | 17+ yrs | 7.9% | 7.9% |
| Asthma | 6+ yrs | 6.1% | 6.6% |
| Chronic kidney disease | 18+ yrs | 4.9% | 4.6% |
| Coronary heart disease | All ages | 2.2% | 3.0% |
| Cancer | All ages | 1.9% | 3.8% |
| Serious mental illness | All ages | 1.3% | 1.0% |
| Stroke and TIA | All ages | 1.2% | 1.9% |
| Atrial fibrillation | All ages | 1.0% | 2.2% |
| COPD | All ages | 0.9% | 1.9% |
| Heart failure | All ages | 0.8% | 1.1% |
| Rheumatoid arthritis | 16+ yrs | 0.8% | 0.8% |
| Epilepsy | 18+ yrs | 0.6% | 0.8% |
| Learning disability | All ages | 0.5% | 0.6% |
| Osteoporosis | 50+ yrs | 0.5% | 1.2% |
| Dementia | All ages | 0.4% | 0.8% |
| Peripheral arterial disease | All ages | 0.2% | 0.6% |
| Palliative care | All ages | 0.1% | 0.6% |
| Screening coverage | Period | Practice | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bowel cancer screening (aged 60 to 74) | 2024/25 | 65.1% | 72.9% |
| Breast cancer screening (women aged 53 to 70) | 2024/25 | 66.4% | 72.2% |
| Cervical screening (women aged 25 to 49) | 2023/24 | 54.2% | 67.5% |
| Cervical screening (women aged 50 to 64) | 2023/24 | 69.7% | 74.9% |
The Forest Surgery, 2 Macdonald Road, Walthamstow, London, E17 4BA. Phone: 020 8498 4988. Website: www.theforestsurgery.co.uk.
| Nearby practice | Distance | Overall experience good |
|---|---|---|
| Wood Street Health Centre - Dr. Raghav Prasad Dhital | 0.8 km | 77% |
| Wood Street Health Centre | 0.8 km | 78% |
| Addison Road Medical Practice | 1.3 km | 71% |
| The Bailey Practice | 1.3 km | 83% |
| The Penrhyn Surgery | 1.3 km | 57% |
- Dr Dauod Yosuf Abdulrahman Shantir (63% overall experience good)
- Kingshead Medical Practice (73% overall experience good)
- Larkshall Medical Centre (86% overall experience good)
- Sinnott Medical Centre (72% overall experience good)
- The Bailey Practice (83% overall experience good)
- The Microfaculty (80% overall experience good)
- The Penrhyn Surgery (57% overall experience good)
How do patients rate The Forest Surgery?
In the 2026 GP Patient Survey, 74% of patients described their overall experience of The Forest Surgery as good, against 77% across England. 50% found it easy to get through by phone.
How many patients are registered at The Forest Surgery?
7,519 patients were registered in September 2026, up 5.1% on a year earlier.
What is The Forest Surgery's CQC rating?
Requires Improvement overall, published in November 2023.
How many GPs does The Forest Surgery have?
2.0 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs (3 qualified GPs by headcount), which is 3,710 patients per GP against 2,171 across England.
Are appointments at The Forest Surgery face to face?
55% of appointments from June 2026 to August 2026 were face to face, against 63% across England.
What is The Forest Surgery's phone number?
020 8498 4988.