Loughton Health Centre, Loughton: patient reviews and CQC rating
Loughton Health Centre is a GP practice in Loughton with 9,979 registered patients (September 2026). In the 2026 GP Patient Survey, 55% of its patients described their overall experience as good, below the England figure of 77% (Essex: 74%). The Care Quality Commission rates it Good overall, in a report published in January 2020. It has 3.9 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs, or 2,563 patients per GP.
Latest data: September 2026. Patient survey 2026; registered patients September 2026; appointments to August 2026.
What patients say about Loughton Health Centre
Its best result against England is the share who said their needs were met at their last appointment: 95%, against 90% across England. Its weakest is the share who found it easy to get through to the practice by phone: 20%, below the England figure of 57%. Of the 11 results in the table, 0 are above England and 7 below by more than the survey's margin of error, and 4 within it.
On overall experience it is 3rd of the 3 practices in Loughton with 50 or more responses. 20% found it easy to get through by phone (England: 57%). The overall experience result is unchanged from 2025 (55%). 104 patients answered the survey (response rate 30%).
| Survey question | Loughton Health Centre | Essex | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overall experience good | 55% | 74% | 77% |
| Easy to contact by phone | 20% | 50% | 57% |
| Easy to contact via the website | 28% | 56% | 58% |
| Easy to contact via the NHS App | 35% | 51% | 54% |
| Reception team helpful | 67% | 83% | 85% |
| Last contact good | 50% | 70% | 73% |
| Wait for appointment about right | 56% | 70% | 69% |
| Listened to well | 83% | 84% | 87% |
| Treated with care and concern | 89% | 83% | 86% |
| Confidence and trust in the clinician | 89% | 91% | 93% |
| Needs met | 95% | 89% | 90% |
CQC's overall rating for Loughton Health Centre is Good, published in January 2020. One key question is rated differently: Responsive Requires Improvement. Its previous overall rating was Requires Improvement (February 2019).
| Key question | Rating |
|---|---|
| Safe | Good |
| Well-led | Good |
| Caring | Good |
| Responsive | Requires Improvement |
| Effective | Good |
9,979 patients were registered at Loughton Health Centre in September 2026, down 0.9% on a year earlier (England: down 1.1%).
22% of its patients are aged 65 or over, against 19% across England. With 3.9 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs, there are 2,563 patients per GP, more than the England figure of 2,171 and Essex's 2,514. The practice also has 1.4 nurses and 0.8 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 | 5.0 | 5.0 |
| August 2025 | 5.0 | 5.0 |
| August 2026 | 3.9 | 3.9 |
From June 2026 to August 2026 the practice recorded 3,861 appointments a month, or 387 per 1,000 registered patients (England: 510). 67% were face to face (England: 63%). 48% took place on the day they were booked and 11% more than 28 days after booking (England: 45% and 5%).
41% were with a GP rather than another member of the practice team. 3% of booked patients did not attend.
| Measure | Loughton Health Centre | Essex | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Appointments per 1,000 patients a month | 387 | 480 | 510 |
| Face to face | 67% | 69% | 63% |
| Same day as booked | 48% | 45% | 45% |
| More than 28 days after booking | 11% | 5% | 5% |
| Did not attend | 3% | 3% | 4% |
Compared with England, the practice has a higher share of patients on its registers for atrial fibrillation (3.0% against 2.2%). It has a lower share for osteoporosis (0.3% against 1.2%), a learning disability (0.2% against 0.6%) and chronic kidney disease (2.8% against 4.6%). The practice's patients live in areas with an average deprivation score of 11.8 (England: 21.8; higher is more deprived).
Life expectancy for its patients' neighbourhoods is 84.9 years for women and 80.6 for men (England: 83.0 and 79.1).
| Condition register | Age group | Practice (2024/25) | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| High blood pressure | All ages | 17.0% | 15.2% |
| Depression | 18+ yrs | 14.6% | 14.3% |
| Diabetes | 17+ yrs | 7.5% | 7.9% |
| Asthma | 6+ yrs | 6.1% | 6.6% |
| Cancer | All ages | 4.5% | 3.8% |
| Coronary heart disease | All ages | 3.3% | 3.0% |
| Atrial fibrillation | All ages | 3.0% | 2.2% |
| Chronic kidney disease | 18+ yrs | 2.8% | 4.6% |
| Stroke and TIA | All ages | 1.8% | 1.9% |
| COPD | All ages | 1.7% | 1.9% |
| Heart failure | All ages | 1.1% | 1.1% |
| Serious mental illness | All ages | 1.1% | 1.0% |
| Rheumatoid arthritis | 16+ yrs | 1.0% | 0.8% |
| Palliative care | All ages | 0.8% | 0.6% |
| Dementia | All ages | 0.7% | 0.8% |
| Epilepsy | 18+ yrs | 0.5% | 0.8% |
| Peripheral arterial disease | All ages | 0.5% | 0.6% |
| Osteoporosis | 50+ yrs | 0.3% | 1.2% |
| Learning disability | All ages | 0.2% | 0.6% |
| Screening coverage | Period | Practice | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bowel cancer screening (aged 60 to 74) | 2024/25 | 72.3% | 72.9% |
| Breast cancer screening (women aged 53 to 70) | 2024/25 | 73.0% | 72.2% |
| Cervical screening (women aged 25 to 49) | 2023/24 | 69.6% | 67.5% |
| Cervical screening (women aged 50 to 64) | 2023/24 | 77.3% | 74.9% |
Loughton Health Centre, The Drive, Loughton, IG10 1HW. Phone: 020 8502 5000. Website: www.loughtonhealthcentre.co.uk.
| Nearby practice | Distance | Overall experience good |
|---|---|---|
| The Loughton Surgery | 0.4 km | 69% |
| Forest Practice | 1.5 km | 76% |
| The River Surgery | 2.2 km | 89% |
| Palmerston Road Surgery | 2.5 km | 89% |
| Kings Medical Centre | 2.6 km | 89% |
- Chigwell Medical Centre (68% overall experience good)
- Forest Practice (76% overall experience good)
- Kings Medical Centre (89% 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 Loughton Health Centre?
In the 2026 GP Patient Survey, 55% of patients described their overall experience of Loughton Health Centre as good, below the England figure of 77%. 20% found it easy to get through by phone.
How many patients are registered at Loughton Health Centre?
9,979 patients were registered in September 2026, down 0.9% on a year earlier.
What is Loughton Health Centre's CQC rating?
Good overall, published in January 2020.
How many GPs does Loughton Health Centre have?
3.9 full-time-equivalent qualified GPs (4 qualified GPs by headcount), which is 2,563 patients per GP against 2,171 across England.
Are appointments at Loughton Health Centre face to face?
67% of appointments from June 2026 to August 2026 were face to face, against 63% across England.
What is Loughton Health Centre's phone number?
020 8502 5000.