The Heron Practice, London: patient reviews and CQC rating
The Heron Practice is a GP practice in London with 12,282 registered patients (September 2026). In the 2026 GP Patient Survey, 69% of its patients described their overall experience as good, against 77% across England (North East London: 71%). The Care Quality Commission rates it Good overall, in a report published in November 2016. It has 5.8 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs, or 2,124 patients per GP.
Latest data: September 2026. Patient survey 2026; registered patients September 2026; appointments to August 2026.
What patients say about The Heron Practice
Its best result against England is the share who said the wait for their last appointment was about right: 69%, against 69% across England. Its weakest is the share who found it easy to get through to the practice by phone: 39%, 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 516th of the 648 practices in London with 50 or more responses. 39% found it easy to get through by phone (England: 57%). The overall experience result is 11 points lower than in 2025 (80%). 100 patients answered the survey (response rate 15%).
| Survey question | The Heron Practice | North East London | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overall experience good | 69% | 71% | 77% |
| Easy to contact by phone | 39% | 55% | 57% |
| Easy to contact via the website | 56% | 53% | 58% |
| Easy to contact via the NHS App | 42% | 50% | 54% |
| Reception team helpful | 76% | 79% | 85% |
| Last contact good | 72% | 67% | 73% |
| Wait for appointment about right | 69% | 62% | 69% |
| Listened to well | 85% | 83% | 87% |
| Treated with care and concern | 80% | 82% | 86% |
| Confidence and trust in the clinician | 92% | 91% | 93% |
| Needs met | 79% | 87% | 90% |
In the Friends and Family Test for July 2026, 88% of 154 responses rated the practice good or very good (England: 92%).
CQC's overall rating for The Heron Practice is Good, published in November 2016. All 5 key questions are rated Good.
| Key question | Rating |
|---|---|
| Safe | Good |
| Well-led | Good |
| Caring | Good |
| Responsive | Good |
| Effective | Good |
12,282 patients were registered at The Heron Practice in September 2026, down 5.5% on a year earlier (England: down 1.1%).
10% of its patients are aged 65 or over, against 19% across England. With 5.8 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs, there are 2,124 patients per GP, close to the England figure of 2,171 and North East London's 2,551. The practice also has 1.8 nurses and 4.0 other clinical staff such as pharmacists and physiotherapists (full-time equivalent).
| Year | Qualified GPs (FTE) | All GPs incl. trainees (FTE) |
|---|---|---|
| August 2023 | 5.9 | 10.5 |
| August 2024 | 5.2 | 9.4 |
| August 2025 | 5.9 | 11.7 |
| August 2026 | 5.8 | 7.7 |
From June 2026 to August 2026 the practice recorded 4,868 appointments a month, or 396 per 1,000 registered patients (England: 510). 91% were face to face (England: 63%). 45% took place on the day they were booked and 1% more than 28 days after booking (England: 45% and 5%).
56% were with a GP rather than another member of the practice team. 10% of booked patients did not attend.
| Measure | The Heron Practice | North East London | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Appointments per 1,000 patients a month | 396 | 456 | 510 |
| Face to face | 91% | 58% | 63% |
| Same day as booked | 45% | 46% | 45% |
| More than 28 days after booking | 1% | 2% | 5% |
| Did not attend | 10% | 7% | 4% |
Compared with England, the practice has a higher share of patients on its registers for serious mental illness (1.5% against 1.0%) and palliative or supportive care needs (0.8% against 0.6%). It has a lower share for osteoporosis (0.1% against 1.2%), dementia (0.2% against 0.8%) and atrial fibrillation (0.8% against 2.2%). The practice's patients live in areas with an average deprivation score of 29.1 (England: 21.8; higher is more deprived).
Life expectancy for its patients' neighbourhoods is 82.7 years for women and 76.4 for men (England: 83.0 and 79.1).
| Condition register | Age group | Practice (2024/25) | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Depression | 18+ yrs | 14.1% | 14.3% |
| High blood pressure | All ages | 9.6% | 15.2% |
| Diabetes | 17+ yrs | 5.9% | 7.9% |
| Asthma | 6+ yrs | 5.6% | 6.6% |
| Chronic kidney disease | 18+ yrs | 2.6% | 4.6% |
| Cancer | All ages | 2.1% | 3.8% |
| Coronary heart disease | All ages | 1.6% | 3.0% |
| Serious mental illness | All ages | 1.5% | 1.0% |
| COPD | All ages | 1.1% | 1.9% |
| Stroke and TIA | All ages | 0.9% | 1.9% |
| Atrial fibrillation | All ages | 0.8% | 2.2% |
| Palliative care | All ages | 0.8% | 0.6% |
| Heart failure | All ages | 0.7% | 1.1% |
| Epilepsy | 18+ yrs | 0.6% | 0.8% |
| Learning disability | All ages | 0.6% | 0.6% |
| Rheumatoid arthritis | 16+ yrs | 0.4% | 0.8% |
| Peripheral arterial disease | All ages | 0.4% | 0.6% |
| Dementia | All ages | 0.2% | 0.8% |
| Osteoporosis | 50+ yrs | 0.1% | 1.2% |
| Screening coverage | Period | Practice | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bowel cancer screening (aged 60 to 74) | 2024/25 | 64.0% | 72.9% |
| Breast cancer screening (women aged 53 to 70) | 2024/25 | 55.7% | 72.2% |
| Cervical screening (women aged 25 to 49) | 2023/24 | 59.4% | 67.5% |
| Cervical screening (women aged 50 to 64) | 2023/24 | 72.6% | 74.9% |
The Heron Practice, John Scott Health Centre, Green Lanes, London, N4 2NU. Phone: 020 3994 6901. Website: www.heronpractice.co.uk.
| Nearby practice | Distance | Overall experience good |
|---|---|---|
| Cedar Practice | 0.0 km | 78% |
| Allerton Road Medical Centre | 0.4 km | 76% |
| The Surgery - Cranwich Road | 1.0 km | 49% |
| Bridge House Medical Practice | 1.0 km | 71% |
| Barton House Group Practice | 1.1 km | 81% |
- Allerton Road Medical Centre (76% overall experience good)
- Cedar Practice (78% overall experience good)
- Statham Grove Surgery (87% overall experience good)
How do patients rate The Heron Practice?
In the 2026 GP Patient Survey, 69% of patients described their overall experience of The Heron Practice as good, against 77% across England. 39% found it easy to get through by phone.
How many patients are registered at The Heron Practice?
12,282 patients were registered in September 2026, down 5.5% on a year earlier.
What is The Heron Practice's CQC rating?
Good overall, published in November 2016.
How many GPs does The Heron Practice have?
5.8 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs (9 qualified GPs by headcount), which is 2,124 patients per GP against 2,171 across England.
Are appointments at The Heron Practice face to face?
91% of appointments from June 2026 to August 2026 were face to face, against 63% across England.
What is The Heron Practice's phone number?
020 3994 6901.