Loughton Buckhurst Hill & Chigwell PCN: primary care network practices and patient survey
Loughton Buckhurst Hill & Chigwell PCN is a primary care network of 7 GP practices with 62,044 registered patients (September 2026). In the 2026 GP Patient Survey, 73% of its patients described their overall experience as good, below the England figure of 77%. Its practices have 2,508 patients per qualified GP (England: 2,171).
Latest data: September 2026. Registered patients September 2026; GP Patient Survey 2026.
Across the 7 practices in Loughton Buckhurst Hill & Chigwell PCN with survey results, the share of patients describing their overall experience as good ranges from 55% at Loughton Health Centre to 89% at Kings Medical Centre, with a median of 76% (England: 77%). 3 are above England and 1 below by more than the survey's margin of error. Palmerston Road Surgery has the highest share finding it easy to get through by phone (84%, England 57%).
| Practice | Registered patients | Overall experience good | Easy to contact by phone | CQC rating | Patients per GP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kings Medical Centre | 7,838 | 89% | 60% | Good | 1,661 |
| Palmerston Road Surgery | 4,539 | 89% | 84% | Good | 3,404 |
| The River Surgery | 4,431 | 89% | 71% | Good | 2,518 |
| Forest Practice | 11,833 | 76% | 50% | Good | 2,276 |
| The Loughton Surgery | 15,026 | 69% | 53% | Good | 3,120 |
| Chigwell Medical Centre | 8,398 | 68% | 54% | Good | 2,787 |
| Loughton Health Centre | 9,979 | 55% | 20% | Good | 2,563 |
Results for the network as a whole, from 672 responses, against Essex and England.
| Survey question | Loughton Buckhurst Hill & Chigwell PCN | Essex | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overall experience good | 73% | 74% | 77% |
| Easy to contact by phone | 52% | 50% | 57% |
| Easy to contact via the website | 47% | 56% | 58% |
| Easy to contact via the NHS App | 46% | 51% | 54% |
| Reception team helpful | 82% | 83% | 85% |
| Last contact good | 70% | 70% | 73% |
| Wait for appointment about right | 72% | 70% | 69% |
| Listened to well | 87% | 84% | 87% |
| Treated with care and concern | 86% | 83% | 86% |
| Confidence and trust in the clinician | 91% | 91% | 93% |
| Needs met | 88% | 89% | 90% |
There are 2,508 registered patients per full-time-equivalent qualified GP in Loughton Buckhurst Hill & Chigwell PCN, more than England's 2,171 and Essex's 2,514. Practices recorded 378 appointments a month per 1,000 patients (England: 510), 85% of them face to face. 50% of appointments took place on the day they were booked (England: 45%).
18% of registered patients are aged 65 or over (England: 19%). Lists shrank by 1.7% over the year (England: shrank 1.1%).
| Measure | Loughton Buckhurst Hill & Chigwell PCN | Essex | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Patients per qualified GP | 2,508 | 2,514 | 2,171 |
| Appointments per 1,000 patients a month | 378 | 480 | 510 |
| Face-to-face appointments | 85% | 69% | 63% |
| Same day as booked | 50% | 45% | 45% |
| Did not attend | 4% | 3% | 4% |
| Patients aged 65 or over | 18% | 20% | 19% |
Relative to England, the register furthest above England's rate at practices in Loughton Buckhurst Hill & Chigwell PCN is palliative care (1.2% against 0.6%), and the furthest below is osteoporosis (0.4% against 1.2%).
| Condition register | Age group | Loughton Buckhurst Hill & Chigwell PCN (2024/25) | England | Patients on register |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| High blood pressure | All ages | 13.3% | 15.2% | 8,354 |
| Depression | 18+ yrs | 9.1% | 14.3% | 4,549 |
| Diabetes | 17+ yrs | 6.6% | 7.9% | 3,356 |
| Asthma | 6+ yrs | 5.4% | 6.6% | 3,163 |
| Chronic kidney disease | 18+ yrs | 3.8% | 4.6% | 1,880 |
| Cancer | All ages | 3.6% | 3.8% | 2,242 |
| Coronary heart disease | All ages | 2.5% | 3.0% | 1,598 |
| Atrial fibrillation | All ages | 2.2% | 2.2% | 1,400 |
| Stroke and TIA | All ages | 1.5% | 1.9% | 946 |
| COPD | All ages | 1.3% | 1.9% | 788 |
| Palliative care | All ages | 1.2% | 0.6% | 723 |
| Dementia | All ages | 1.1% | 0.8% | 710 |
| Serious mental illness | All ages | 0.9% | 1.0% | 570 |
| Heart failure | All ages | 0.9% | 1.1% | 542 |
| Rheumatoid arthritis | 16+ yrs | 0.7% | 0.8% | 348 |
| Epilepsy | 18+ yrs | 0.6% | 0.8% | 286 |
| Peripheral arterial disease | All ages | 0.4% | 0.6% | 243 |
| Osteoporosis | 50+ yrs | 0.4% | 1.2% | 88 |
| Learning disability | All ages | 0.3% | 0.6% | 209 |
- Cranbrook PCN (6 practices)
- Epping Forest North PCN (6 practices)
- Fairlop PCN (8 practices)
- Loxford PCN (5 practices)
- New Cross Alliance PCN (3 practices)
- Seven Kings PCN (7 practices)
- Wanstead and Woodford PCN (10 practices)
Which practices are in Loughton Buckhurst Hill & Chigwell PCN?
Chigwell Medical Centre, Forest Practice, Kings Medical Centre, Loughton Health Centre, Palmerston Road Surgery, The Loughton Surgery and The River Surgery.
How do patients rate Loughton Buckhurst Hill & Chigwell PCN?
73% described their overall experience as good in the 2026 GP Patient Survey, below the England figure of 77%.
How many patients does Loughton Buckhurst Hill & Chigwell PCN cover?
62,044 registered patients across 7 practices in September 2026.
How many patients per GP does Loughton Buckhurst Hill & Chigwell PCN have?
2,508 per full-time-equivalent qualified GP, against 2,171 across England.