Forest Heath PCN: primary care network practices and patient survey
Forest Heath PCN is a primary care network of 8 GP practices with 74,685 registered patients (September 2026). In the 2026 GP Patient Survey, 85% of its patients described their overall experience as good, above the England figure of 77%. Its practices have 1,849 patients per qualified GP (England: 2,171).
Latest data: September 2026. Registered patients September 2026; GP Patient Survey 2026.
Across the 8 practices in Forest Heath PCN with survey results, the share of patients describing their overall experience as good ranges from 77% at Lakenheath Surgery to 94% at Rookery Medical Partnership, with a median of 84% (England: 77%). 4 are above England and 0 below by more than the survey's margin of error. Rookery Medical Partnership has the highest share finding it easy to get through by phone (85%, England 57%).
| Practice | Registered patients | Overall experience good | Easy to contact by phone | CQC rating | Patients per GP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rookery Medical Partnership | 13,521 | 94% | 85% | Good | 1,445 |
| Oakfield Surgery | 8,624 | 88% | 77% | Good | 2,497 |
| Forest Group Practice | 7,405 | 86% | 56% | Good | 1,902 |
| Brandon Medical Practice | 4,922 | 85% | 72% | Good | 2,006 |
| Orchard House Surgery Partnership | 11,565 | 83% | 68% | Outstanding | 1,773 |
| Market Cross Surgery | 12,858 | 81% | 37% | Outstanding | 1,492 |
| The Reynard Surgery | 10,269 | 81% | 78% | Good | 2,895 |
| Lakenheath Surgery | 5,521 | 77% | 54% | Good | 2,179 |
Results for the network as a whole, from 930 responses, against Norfolk and Suffolk and England.
| Survey question | Forest Heath PCN | Norfolk and Suffolk | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overall experience good | 85% | 80% | 77% |
| Easy to contact by phone | 66% | 61% | 57% |
| Easy to contact via the website | 68% | 62% | 58% |
| Easy to contact via the NHS App | 53% | 55% | 54% |
| Reception team helpful | 90% | 88% | 85% |
| Last contact good | 81% | 76% | 73% |
| Wait for appointment about right | 85% | 74% | 69% |
| Listened to well | 91% | 89% | 87% |
| Treated with care and concern | 90% | 88% | 86% |
| Confidence and trust in the clinician | 94% | 94% | 93% |
| Needs met | 93% | 92% | 90% |
There are 1,849 registered patients per full-time-equivalent qualified GP in Forest Heath PCN, fewer than England's 2,171 and Norfolk and Suffolk's 2,133. Practices recorded 547 appointments a month per 1,000 patients (England: 510), 60% of them face to face. 56% of appointments took place on the day they were booked (England: 45%).
21% of registered patients are aged 65 or over (England: 19%). Lists shrank by 1.1% over the year (England: shrank 1.1%).
| Measure | Forest Heath PCN | Norfolk and Suffolk | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Patients per qualified GP | 1,849 | 2,133 | 2,171 |
| Appointments per 1,000 patients a month | 547 | 578 | 510 |
| Face-to-face appointments | 60% | 70% | 63% |
| Same day as booked | 56% | 42% | 45% |
| Did not attend | 2% | 3% | 4% |
| Patients aged 65 or over | 21% | 25% | 19% |
Relative to England, the register furthest above England's rate at practices in Forest Heath PCN is copd (2.5% against 1.9%), and the furthest below is serious mental illness (0.8% against 1.0%).
| Condition register | Age group | Forest Heath PCN (2024/25) | England | Patients on register |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| High blood pressure | All ages | 15.9% | 15.2% | 12,010 |
| Depression | 18+ yrs | 13.3% | 14.3% | 8,114 |
| Diabetes | 17+ yrs | 8.2% | 7.9% | 5,088 |
| Asthma | 6+ yrs | 7.3% | 6.6% | 5,182 |
| Cancer | All ages | 4.4% | 3.8% | 3,278 |
| Chronic kidney disease | 18+ yrs | 4.3% | 4.6% | 2,659 |
| Coronary heart disease | All ages | 3.1% | 3.0% | 2,346 |
| Atrial fibrillation | All ages | 2.6% | 2.2% | 1,953 |
| COPD | All ages | 2.5% | 1.9% | 1,860 |
| Stroke and TIA | All ages | 1.9% | 1.9% | 1,464 |
| Heart failure | All ages | 1.1% | 1.1% | 862 |
| Osteoporosis | 50+ yrs | 1.1% | 1.2% | 338 |
| Rheumatoid arthritis | 16+ yrs | 1.0% | 0.8% | 627 |
| Serious mental illness | All ages | 0.8% | 1.0% | 594 |
| Dementia | All ages | 0.7% | 0.8% | 552 |
| Epilepsy | 18+ yrs | 0.7% | 0.8% | 443 |
| Peripheral arterial disease | All ages | 0.6% | 0.6% | 446 |
| Palliative care | All ages | 0.5% | 0.6% | 395 |
| Learning disability | All ages | 0.5% | 0.6% | 356 |
- Blackbourne PCN (4 practices)
- Bury St Edmunds PCN (5 practices)
- Haverhill PCN (2 practices)
- Sudbury and West Suffolk Rural PCN (4 practices)
Which practices are in Forest Heath PCN?
Brandon Medical Practice, Forest Group Practice, Lakenheath Surgery, Market Cross Surgery, Oakfield Surgery, Orchard House Surgery Partnership, Rookery Medical Partnership and The Reynard Surgery.
How do patients rate Forest Heath PCN?
85% described their overall experience as good in the 2026 GP Patient Survey, above the England figure of 77%.
How many patients does Forest Heath PCN cover?
74,685 registered patients across 8 practices in September 2026.
How many patients per GP does Forest Heath PCN have?
1,849 per full-time-equivalent qualified GP, against 2,171 across England.