Forest Practice, Loughton: patient reviews and CQC rating
Forest Practice is a GP practice in Loughton with 11,833 registered patients (September 2026). In the 2026 GP Patient Survey, 76% of its patients described their overall experience as good, against 77% across England (Essex: 74%). The Care Quality Commission rates it Good overall, in a report published in February 2016. It has 5.2 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs, or 2,276 patients per GP.
Latest data: September 2026. Patient survey 2026; registered patients September 2026; appointments to August 2026.
What patients say about Forest Practice
Its result closest to England is the share who described their overall experience of the practice as good: 76%, against 77% across England. Its weakest is the share who found it easy to contact the practice using the NHS App: 37%, below the England figure of 54%. Of the 11 results in the table, 0 are above England and 4 below by more than the survey's margin of error, and 7 within it.
On overall experience it is 1st of the 3 practices in Loughton with 50 or more responses. 50% found it easy to get through by phone (England: 57%). The overall experience result is 1 point lower than in 2025 (77%). 85 patients answered the survey (response rate 24%).
| Survey question | Forest Practice | Essex | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overall experience good | 76% | 74% | 77% |
| Easy to contact by phone | 50% | 50% | 57% |
| Easy to contact via the website | 45% | 56% | 58% |
| Easy to contact via the NHS App | 37% | 51% | 54% |
| Reception team helpful | 76% | 83% | 85% |
| Last contact good | 60% | 70% | 73% |
| Wait for appointment about right | 66% | 70% | 69% |
| Listened to well | 83% | 84% | 87% |
| Treated with care and concern | 82% | 83% | 86% |
| Confidence and trust in the clinician | 92% | 91% | 93% |
| Needs met | 79% | 89% | 90% |
In the Friends and Family Test for July 2026, 67% of 18 responses rated the practice good or very good (England: 92%).
CQC's overall rating for Forest Practice is Good, published in February 2016. All 5 key questions are rated Good.
| Key question | Rating |
|---|---|
| Safe | Good |
| Well-led | Good |
| Caring | Good |
| Responsive | Good |
| Effective | Good |
11,833 patients were registered at Forest Practice in September 2026, down 1.2% on a year earlier (England: down 1.1%).
17% of its patients are aged 65 or over, against 19% across England. With 5.2 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs, there are 2,276 patients per GP, close to the England figure of 2,171 and Essex's 2,514. The practice also has 2.4 nurses and 0.4 other clinical staff such as pharmacists and physiotherapists (full-time equivalent).
| Year | Qualified GPs (FTE) | All GPs incl. trainees (FTE) |
|---|---|---|
| August 2023 | 5.1 | 5.1 |
| August 2024 | 5.1 | 9.3 |
| August 2025 | 5.2 | 9.5 |
| August 2026 | 5.2 | 8.4 |
From June 2026 to August 2026 the practice recorded 5,676 appointments a month, or 480 per 1,000 registered patients (England: 510). 78% were face to face (England: 63%). 55% took place on the day they were booked and 3% more than 28 days after booking (England: 45% and 5%).
79% were with a GP rather than another member of the practice team. 3% of booked patients did not attend.
| Measure | Forest Practice | Essex | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Appointments per 1,000 patients a month | 480 | 480 | 510 |
| Face to face | 78% | 69% | 63% |
| Same day as booked | 55% | 45% | 45% |
| More than 28 days after booking | 3% | 5% | 5% |
| Did not attend | 3% | 3% | 4% |
Compared with England, the practice has a higher share of patients on its registers for palliative or supportive care needs (1.6% against 0.6%) and dementia (1.1% against 0.8%). It has a lower share for osteoporosis (0.4% against 1.2%), peripheral arterial disease (0.3% against 0.6%) and coronary heart disease (2.4% against 3.0%). The practice's patients live in areas with an average deprivation score of 15.3 (England: 21.8; higher is more deprived).
Life expectancy for its patients' neighbourhoods is 84.5 years for women and 79.6 for men (England: 83.0 and 79.1).
| Condition register | Age group | Practice (2024/25) | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| High blood pressure | All ages | 13.6% | 15.2% |
| Depression | 18+ yrs | 11.5% | 14.3% |
| Diabetes | 17+ yrs | 6.6% | 7.9% |
| Asthma | 6+ yrs | 6.0% | 6.6% |
| Chronic kidney disease | 18+ yrs | 4.9% | 4.6% |
| Cancer | All ages | 4.1% | 3.8% |
| Coronary heart disease | All ages | 2.4% | 3.0% |
| Atrial fibrillation | All ages | 2.2% | 2.2% |
| COPD | All ages | 2.0% | 1.9% |
| Stroke and TIA | All ages | 1.6% | 1.9% |
| Palliative care | All ages | 1.6% | 0.6% |
| Serious mental illness | All ages | 1.2% | 1.0% |
| Dementia | All ages | 1.1% | 0.8% |
| Heart failure | All ages | 0.9% | 1.1% |
| Epilepsy | 18+ yrs | 0.7% | 0.8% |
| Rheumatoid arthritis | 16+ yrs | 0.7% | 0.8% |
| Learning disability | All ages | 0.6% | 0.6% |
| Osteoporosis | 50+ yrs | 0.4% | 1.2% |
| Peripheral arterial disease | All ages | 0.3% | 0.6% |
| Screening coverage | Period | Practice | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bowel cancer screening (aged 60 to 74) | 2024/25 | 72.6% | 72.9% |
| Breast cancer screening (women aged 53 to 70) | 2024/25 | 68.0% | 72.2% |
| Cervical screening (women aged 25 to 49) | 2023/24 | 71.6% | 67.5% |
| Cervical screening (women aged 50 to 64) | 2023/24 | 73.3% | 74.9% |
Forest Practice, 26 Pyrles Lane, Loughton, IG10 2NH. Phone: 020 8508 4580. Website: www.forestpractice.co.uk.
| Nearby practice | Distance | Overall experience good |
|---|---|---|
| The Loughton Surgery | 1.2 km | 69% |
| Loughton Health Centre | 1.5 km | 55% |
| Dr. D. Colvin & Dr. O. B. Isinkaye | 3.3 km | 79% |
| The River Surgery | 3.3 km | 89% |
| Palmerston Road Surgery | 3.7 km | 89% |
- Chigwell Medical Centre (68% overall experience good)
- Kings Medical Centre (89% overall experience good)
- Loughton Health Centre (55% overall experience good)
- Palmerston Road Surgery (89% overall experience good)
- The Loughton Surgery (69% overall experience good)
- The River Surgery (89% overall experience good)
How do patients rate Forest Practice?
In the 2026 GP Patient Survey, 76% of patients described their overall experience of Forest Practice as good, against 77% across England. 50% found it easy to get through by phone.
How many patients are registered at Forest Practice?
11,833 patients were registered in September 2026, down 1.2% on a year earlier.
What is Forest Practice's CQC rating?
Good overall, published in February 2016.
How many GPs does Forest Practice have?
5.2 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs (7 qualified GPs by headcount), which is 2,276 patients per GP against 2,171 across England.
Are appointments at Forest Practice face to face?
78% of appointments from June 2026 to August 2026 were face to face, against 63% across England.
What is Forest Practice's phone number?
020 8508 4580.