Photo: OLU · CC BY-SA 2.0About as many people in Fairbourne report bad health as its ages would predict
At the 2021 Census, 110 people reported bad or very bad health for every 100 expected from Fairbourne’s ages at England and Wales’s rates. Fairbourne has no Health Grade.
What stands out about health in Fairbourne
The nearest major A&E is a long way off
Bronglais General Hospital is about 19 mi from the village centre in a straight line; the typical UK town’s nearest A&E is 5.8 mi away. Getting care ↓
Written from the Census 2021 and NHS Wales figures on this page.
Care in and near Fairbourne
The nearest A&E, GP practices, and where to go when it’s urgent but not an emergency. In an emergency, call 999.
| Distance | Hospital |
|---|---|
| 7.7 mi | Dolgellau & Barmouth District Hospital Dolgellau |
| 7.9 mi | Tywyn & District War Memorial Hospital Tywyn |
| 11 mi | Broddyfi Community Hospital Machynlleth |
| 17 mi | Ysbyty Alltwen Porthmadog |
| 19 mi | Bronglais General Hospital A&E Aberystwyth |
| 19 mi | Ty Helyg Day Hospital Aberystwyth |
| 21 mi | Bryn Beryl Hospital Pwllheli |
NHS Wales hospital sites from the NHS Organisation Data Service (October 2026). “A&E” marks the 12 hospitals with a major emergency department; minor injury units aren’t listed. Healthcare Inspectorate Wales inspects Welsh hospitals but doesn’t publish ratings, so none are shown.
No GP practice in Fairbourne itself
The nearest practices.
| Practice | Distance |
|---|---|
| Minfor Surgery Barmouth LL42 1PL | 2 mi |
| The Surgery Dolgellau LL40 1LY | 7.5 mi |
| Tywyn Health Tywyn LL36 9HL | 8 mi |
GP practices in Wales from the NHS Organisation Data Service (October 2026), placed by postcode. Healthcare Inspectorate Wales doesn’t publish practice ratings. You can register with any practice whose area covers your address.
Fewer people in Fairbourne call their health good than across Gwynedd
Census 2021, all residents, as answered (not adjusted for age).
Fairbourne’s residents are older than Gwynedd’s (42% are 65 or over, against 23%), which accounts for much of the difference. Adjusted for age, 110 report bad health for every 100 expected, more than the national rate.
Show as a table
| Census 2021 | Fairbourne | Gwynedd | Wales |
|---|---|---|---|
| Good or very good health | 68% | 80% | 78% |
| Fair health | 23% | 14% | 15% |
| Bad or very bad health | 8.7% | 5.5% | 7.1% |
| Disabled under the Equality Act | 29% | 20% | 22% |
| Day-to-day activities limited a lot | 11% | 9% | 11% |
Gwynedd and Wales: all residents of their built-up areas (towns and cities), from the same Census 2021 output areas.
Health in the places around Fairbourne
Bad health per 100 expected for each place’s ages, and the nearest A&E. Tap a town for its health page.
| Town | People | Bad health | Nearest A&E | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fairbourne | 681 | 110 | 19 mi | — |
| Barmouth | 1,986 | 107 | 21 mi | B− |
| Dolgellau | 2,599 | 81 | 24 mi | B− |
| Tywyn | 3,134 | 102 | 12 mi | C+ |
| Machynlleth | 2,161 | 132 | 15 mi | C |
| Harlech | 1,261 | 99 | 24 mi | B− |
What this data can and can’t tell you
- Adjusted for age. A ratio of 100 means as many deaths, admissions or reports of bad health as England’s rates (England and Wales’s for the Census) would give a town with these ages; 120 means a fifth more.
- Small areas, summed to the town. The Census measures are counted for the town’s own output areas.
- Different years. The Census was taken in March 2021. NHS sites are as listed by NHS Wales in October 2026.
- Distances are straight lines. Miles are measured from the town’s centre to each site; the road is longer. For an emergency, call 999; for urgent advice, call NHS 111.
Questions about health in Fairbourne
Where is the nearest A&E to Fairbourne?
Bronglais General Hospital in Aberystwyth, about 19 mi from the town centre in a straight line. In an emergency call 999; for urgent advice call NHS 111.
How many GP practices are there in Fairbourne?
There’s no GP surgery inside Fairbourne itself; the nearest is about 2 mi away.
Contains OS data © Crown copyright and database right 2026. Contains Royal Mail data © Royal Mail copyright and database right 2026.
Sources: ONS health state life expectancy for small areas (MSOAs), England and Wales, 2019 to 2023 (life expectancy and healthy life expectancy) · ONS Census 2021 general health and disability, adjusted for age by TownRatings (observed ÷ expected at England and Wales rates) · NHS Organisation Data Service (GP practices and NHS Wales sites, October 2026) · ONS Postcode Directory · TownRatings grades: our own summary of the data, ranked against UK towns only. All under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Contains HM Land Registry data © Crown copyright and database right 2026. Contains OS data © Crown copyright and database right 2026 (ONS boundaries). Northern Ireland: Source: NISRA; contains Land & Property Services data and Ordnance Survey of Northern Ireland information, © Crown copyright, licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Scotland: contains National Records of Scotland data, Registers of Scotland data and SEPA data, © Crown copyright / © SEPA 2025, licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.