Photo: Robert Lamb · CC BY-SA 2.0Across Norwich, life expectancy spans 13 years from one area to another
Inside the city, men’s life expectancy runs from 71.6 in Heigham Grove & St Augustines to 84.5 in Eaton, 1.9 miles apart. Life expectancy is 78.8 for men and 83.0 for women. For 2019 to 2023, England’s figures are 79.1 and 83.0. Norwich grades C for health: life expectancy, healthy life expectancy, early deaths, hospital admissions, child obesity and Census health, each adjusted for age; #43 of 51 in Norfolk.
What stands out about health in Norwich
A 13-year gap from one part of Norwich to another
Men in Eaton can expect to live to 84.5, longer than the English average of 79.1. In Heigham Grove & St Augustines, 1.9 miles away, the figure is 71.6, and Heigham Grove & St Augustines records 181 deaths under 75 for every 100 expected for its ages. For women the range is 79.0 in Bowthorpe & West Earlham to 86.9 in Eaton. Neighbourhoods ↓
More A&E patients are seen within four hours than across England
Norfolk and Norwich University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, which runs the A&E at Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital, saw 70% of major-A&E patients within four hours in the 12 months to September 2026, against 61% across England: 18th of 117 trusts. 12% of patients admitted through its A&Es waited more than 12 hours from the decision to admit, against 13% in England. A&E ↓
NHS dentists are harder to get than in most of England
Of adults in the Norfolk and Suffolk area who tried to get an NHS dental appointment in the last two years, 76% succeeded; across England it was 82%. Dentists ↓
Patients rate Norwich’s GP practices above England’s
In the 2026 GP Patient Survey, 80% of patients at Norwich’s 19 practices called their overall experience good, against 77% across England, and 64% found it easy to get through by phone (57% in England). That is ahead of 52% of English towns. GP practices ↓
Written from the OHID, NHS England and GP Patient Survey figures on this page. Life expectancy covers 2019 to 2023; neighbourhoods are ONS middle-layer areas of about 8,000 people.
Norwich grades C for health
Healthier than 27% of UK towns, on age-adjusted measures.
What holds the grade back: deaths under 75 and men’s years in good health (better than 18% and 18% of UK towns). What lifts it: emergency admissions (52%) and child obesity (35%). Among the 47 UK towns of 141,000 to 271,000 people, Norwich’s Health Grade is the 22nd highest.
Each measure is ranked against every UK town of 1,000 or more, the ranks are averaged, and the average is ranked again. Every measure allows for the town’s ages: life expectancy is worked out from the death rate at each age, so it doesn’t depend on how old the town’s residents are; deaths and admissions are counted against what England’s rates would give a town with these ages, and the Census answers against England and Wales’s rates by single year of age, so a seaside town of retired people isn’t marked down for being old.
Men’s life expectancy across Norwich runs from 71.6 to 84.5
Life expectancy at birth, 2019–23, in Norwich’s 23 middle-layer neighbourhoods (about 8,000 people each). Circles are sized by residents and show men’s life expectancy.
The gap follows deprivation closely: Mile Cross, where 42% of residents are income-deprived, has men’s life expectancy of 76.9. Heigham Grove & St Augustines has the most deaths under 75 for its ages (181 per 100 expected), against 54 in Eaton.
Show every measure as a table
| Neighbourhood | Men | Women | Deaths under 75 | Emergency admissions | Year 6 obese | Income-deprived |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Eaton | 84.5 | 86.9 | 54 | 65 | 23% | 11% |
| Old Catton | 82.9 | 86.7 | 67 | 66 | 15% | 13% |
| Earlham Road & College Road | 82.7 | 82.7 | 65 | 63 | 14% | 8.9% |
| Thorpe St Andrew North | 82.1 | 85.2 | 80 | 72 | 12% | 11% |
| New Costessey | 81.9 | 84.1 | 89 | — | 24% | 17% |
| Sprowston East | 81.9 | 85.3 | 78 | 72 | 17% | 12% |
| Sprowston Central | 80.8 | 84.6 | 82 | 74 | 19% | 15% |
| Hellesdon South East | 80.2 | 84.5 | 83 | 84 | 19% | 12% |
| Thorpe St Andrew South & Dussindale | 79.7 | 81.8 | 82 | 74 | 16% | 12% |
| City Centre East | 79.3 | 81.1 | 114 | 84 | 19% | 19% |
| Thorpe Hamlet & Mousehold South | 79.1 | 83.7 | 112 | 91 | 17% | 24% |
| University & Avenues | 79.0 | 82.6 | 90 | 74 | 25% | 21% |
| Hellesdon North West | 78.4 | 83.7 | 89 | 89 | 15% | 14% |
| Town Close | 77.7 | 84.4 | 103 | 77 | 20% | 20% |
| City Centre West | 77.5 | 84.6 | 127 | — | 18% | 22% |
| Catton Grove & Airport | 77.4 | 82.2 | 131 | 97 | 22% | 31% |
| Lakenham & Tuckswood | 77.1 | 84.3 | 116 | 103 | 23% | 36% |
| Earlham | 77.0 | 81.4 | 129 | 101 | 23% | 38% |
| Mile Cross | 76.9 | 81.2 | 150 | 110 | 27% | 42% |
| Heartsease & Pilling Park | 76.9 | 81.2 | 133 | 101 | 22% | 32% |
| New Catton & Mousehold North | 76.7 | 82.1 | 110 | 85 | 22% | 23% |
| Bowthorpe & West Earlham | 75.6 | 79.0 | 136 | 109 | 26% | 31% |
| Heigham Grove & St Augustines | 71.6 | 80.7 | 181 | — | 30% | 41% |
Deaths and admissions per 100 expected for each area’s ages (England = 100). Each figure has a range: Heigham Grove & St Augustines’s men’s life expectancy is 71.6 with a 95% range of 69.4 to 73.8. Neighbourhoods are ONS middle-layer areas at least 30% inside Norwich; names are the House of Commons Library’s.
Norfolk and Norwich University Hospitals saw 70% of major-A&E patients within four hours
Type 1 (major) A&E attendances seen, admitted or discharged within four hours of arrival, by month. NHS England publishes it by trust, not hospital: Norfolk and Norwich University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust runs the A&E at Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital, the nearest to Norwich (3.2 mi).
The share seen within four hours has held near 70% over 18 months. Long waits for a bed are close to the typical trust’s: 3,276 patients in 12 months, 12% of emergency admissions through A&E. CQC’s latest ratings for Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital: urgent and emergency services good (2021), the hospital overall requires improvement (2024).
East of England trusts
Hospitals within 25 miles
| Distance | Hospital | CQC overall | Urgent & emergency |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1.1 mi | Norwich Community Hospital Norwich · East of England Community Health and Care NHS Trust | Not rated | — |
| 1.5 mi | Colman Hospital Norwich · East of England Community Health and Care NHS Trust | Not rated | — |
| 3.2 mi | Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital A&E Norwich · Norfolk and Norwich University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust | Requires improvement2024 | Good2021 |
| 8.7 mi | Ogden Court Community Hospital Wymondham · East of England Community Health and Care NHS Trust | Not rated | — |
| 13 mi | North Walsham Hospital North Walsham · East of England Community Health and Care NHS Trust | Not rated | — |
| 15 mi | Dereham Hospital Dereham · East of England Community Health and Care NHS Trust | Not rated | — |
| 19 mi | James Paget Hospital A&E Great Yarmouth · James Paget University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust | Good2026 | Good2019 |
| 20 mi | Cromer Hospital Cromer · Norfolk and Norwich University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust | Not rated | — |
NHS acute hospitals registered with the Care Quality Commission (care directory, 01 October 2026). “A&E” marks a major (type 1) emergency department, open 24 hours and led by consultants, in NHS England’s Emergency Care Data Set; a hospital without the mark may still have a minor injury unit or urgent treatment centre. Ratings run Outstanding, Good, Requires improvement, Inadequate; the year is when each was published. Distances are straight lines from the town centre.
76% of adults in the Norfolk and Suffolk area who tried got an NHS dental appointment
Adults who tried to get an NHS dental appointment for themselves in the last two years, and got one. GP Patient Survey 2026, by integrated care system (the NHS area that plans dentistry for Norwich).
Across England 82% of those who tried got an appointment. Of Norfolk and Suffolk patients who did, 67% rated the experience good (England 74%). NHS practices taking new patients are listed on the NHS website’s Find a dentist; for urgent dental pain, call NHS 111.
The survey asks GP patients about dentistry, so results are published for health areas, not towns or practices.
80% of patients rate Norwich’s 19 GP practices good
GP Patient Survey 2026 (NHS England, run by Ipsos), about 100 patients a practice, against 77% across England. 8th of 44 English towns of 141,000 to 271,000, from the highest.
| Practice | Overall experience | Easy by phone | Wait about right | CQC |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Magdalen Medical Practice NR3 4LF · 12,109 adult patients | 93% good · range 83%–98% | 80% | 82% | Good2023 |
| Mile End Road Surgery NR4 7QX · 14,670 adult patients | 87% good · range 69%–96% | 72% | 80% | Good2017 |
| West Pottergate Medical Practice NR2 4BX · 4,948 adult patients | 87% good · range 82%–91% | 88% | 78% | Good2019 |
| Beechcroft Surgery NR5 0RS · 5,565 adult patients | 87% good · range 80%–91% | 84% | 92% | Good2019 |
| St Stephen's Gate Medical Practice NR2 2TJ · 16,153 adult patients | 86% good · range 67%–95% | 75% | 66% | Good2019 |
| The Lakenham Surgery NR1 3JJ · 7,331 adult patients | 86% good · range 77%–92% | 70% | 87% | Good2018 |
| Dr I P Tolley and Partners NR6 5QJ · 9,299 adult patients | 85% good · range 76%–91% | 76% | 54% | Good2023 |
| Lawson Road Surgery NR3 4LE · 7,159 adult patients | 84% good · range 77%–89% | 72% | 85% | Good2023 |
| UEA Medical Centre NR4 7TJ · 18,270 adult patients | 84% good · range 63%–94% | 91% | 69% | Good2018 |
| Woodcock Road Surgery NR3 3UA · 6,585 adult patients | 78% good · range 69%–85% | 71% | 82% | Good2023 |
| Wensum Valley Medical Practice West Earlham Health Centre NR5 8AD · 9,952 adult patients | 77% good · range 65%–86% | 68% | 46% | Good2024 |
| Old Catton Medical Practice NR6 7HQ · 6,954 adult patients | 75% good · range 63%–84% | 74% | 72% | Good2018 |
| Prospect Medical Practice NR3 2HW · 5,475 adult patients | 73% good · range 65%–80% | 53% | 74% | Good2016 |
| Lionwood Medical Practice NR1 4NU · 12,148 adult patients | 72% good · range 56%–84% | 39% | 68% | Good2018 |
| East Norwich Medical Partnership NR7 0AJ · 11,613 adult patients | 72% good · range 55%–85% | 32% | 58% | Good2016 |
| Thorpewood Medical Group NR7 9QL · 10,172 adult patients | 72% good · range 59%–82% | 39% | 61% | Requires improvement2025 |
| Oak Street Medical Practice NR3 3DL · 6,030 adult patients | 72% good · range 63%–79% | 47% | 68% | Good2020 |
| Roundwell Medical Centre NR5 0GB · 11,730 adult patients | 70% good · range 49%–84% | 36% | 74% | Good2016 |
| Trinity and Bowthorpe Medical Practice NR5 9HA · 9,009 adult patients | 69% good · range 56%–79% | 52% | 53% | Good2016 |
Magdalen Medical Practice has the city’s highest rating (93%). You can register with any practice whose area covers your address.
GP Patient Survey 2026: surveys sent January to March 2026; results weighted by NHS England. The range is the 95% confidence interval. Adult patients: the survey’s practice population aged 16 and over. A practice counts as in Norwich when its main surgery is inside the built-up area; branch surgeries are part of their main practice. CQC ratings © Care Quality Commission.
Men’s life expectancy in Norwich is about what its level of deprivation predicts
Across 1,996 English towns of 2,500 or more, men’s life expectancy tracks income deprivation closely (correlation −0.81). Each dot is a town.
23% of Norwich’s residents are income-deprived, more than in most English towns. For that level, the line predicts 78.9 years for men; Norwich’s is 78.8. For women it predicts 82.8, and Norwich’s 83.0 is close to it.
Income deprivation: share of residents in low-income households, English Indices of Deprivation 2025, averaged over each town’s neighbourhoods. A town above or below the line isn’t necessarily doing better or worse on care: students, prisons and hostels inside a boundary all shift the figures.
Care in and near Norwich
The nearest A&E, the practice patients rate highest, and where to go when it’s urgent but not an emergency. In an emergency, call 999.
80% of residents say their health is good or very good
Census 2021, all residents, as answered (not adjusted for age).
Norwich’s residents are younger than Norfolk’s (18% are 65 or over, against 24%), which accounts for much of the difference. Adjusted for age, 106 report bad health for every 100 expected, close to the national rate.
Show as a table
| Census 2021 | Norwich | Norfolk | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Good or very good health | 80% | 79% | 82% |
| Fair health | 14% | 15% | 13% |
| Bad or very bad health | 5.4% | 5.6% | 5.2% |
| Disabled under the Equality Act | 20% | 20% | 17% |
| Day-to-day activities limited a lot | 7.8% | 8.3% | 7.4% |
Norfolk and England: all residents of their built-up areas (towns and cities), from the same Census 2021 output areas.
Norwich’s Health Grade is 22nd of 47 UK towns of 141,000 to 271,000
Ordered by Health Grade: the top three, the towns either side of Norwich, and others in Norfolk. Life expectancy for men / women; deaths under 75 per 100 expected.
| # | Town | People | Life expectancy | Deaths under 75 | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Richmond upon Thames London | 192,888 | 82.2 / 86.6 | 64 | A |
| 2 | Kensington and Chelsea London | 143,348 | 81.5 / 86.2 | 72 | B+ |
| 3 | Kingston upon Thames London | 166,333 | 81.1 / 85.3 | 77 | B+ |
| … | |||||
| 20 | Swindon Wiltshire | 183,687 | 79.0 / 83.1 | 98 | C |
| 21 | Ipswich Suffolk | 151,566 | 79.4 / 83.0 | 102 | C |
| 22 | Norwich Norfolk | 200,744 | 78.8 / 83.0 | 106 | C |
| 23 | Slough Berkshire | 166,868 | 77.8 / 82.4 | 116 | C− |
| 24 | Bournemouth Dorset | 196,453 | 78.5 / 83.1 | 109 | C− |
| … | |||||
| 47 | Blackpool Lancashire | 149,087 | 74.3 / 79.2 | 167 | D− |
Health letters rank against every UK town of 1,000 or more; the order here is context only. Welsh towns are graded on life expectancy, healthy life expectancy and the two Census measures: OHID’s early-death, admissions and child-obesity figures cover England.
Health in the places around Norwich
Life expectancy for men / women, and the nearest A&E. Tap a town for its health page.
| Town | People | Life expectancy | Nearest A&E | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Norwich | 200,744 | 78.8 / 83.0 | 3.2 mi | C |
| Cringleford | 4,686 | 81.5 / 84.1 | 1 mi | A |
| Thorpe End | 1,173 | 82.2 / 84.1 | 6.5 mi | A− |
| Costessey | 2,608 | 81.5 / 83.1 | 2.9 mi | B− |
| Horsham St Faith | 1,051 | 81.7 / 84.8 | 5.6 mi | B+ |
| Spixworth | 3,418 | 81.7 / 84.8 | 6.5 mi | A− |
| Rackheath | 1,761 | 82.2 / 84.1 | 7.4 mi | B |
| Taverham and Drayton | 14,989 | 80.7 / 83.2 | 4.6 mi | B+ |
Thorpe End, 3.4 miles away, has men’s life expectancy of 82.2, 3.4 years longer than Norwich’s.
What this data can and can’t tell you
- A&E figures are for the trust. NHS England publishes four-hour waits by trust, not hospital, so Norfolk and Norwich University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust’s figures cover every major A&E it runs. They count type 1 (major) departments; minor injury units and urgent treatment centres are left out, which is why they sit below the all-types figure NHS England headlines (75% for England).
- The GP survey is a survey. About 100 patients answer for each practice, so a practice’s figure has a range (shown in the table); small differences between practices aren’t meaningful. The town figure weights each practice by its adult patients, some of whom live outside Norwich.
- 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. OHID publishes these figures for middle-layer areas of about 8,000 people; the town’s figure averages the areas it covers, weighted by how many of their residents live in it, so a village shares its area’s figure with the countryside around it.
- Different years. Life expectancy and deaths cover 2019 to 2023; emergency admissions 2016/17 to 2020/21 (the latest OHID publishes for small areas, including the pandemic dip); child obesity the three school years to 2024/25; A&E the 12 months to September 2026; the GP Patient Survey early 2026; CQC ratings were published on different dates, shown in each row.
- 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 Norwich
How healthy is Norwich?
Norwich earns a C for health, healthier than 27% of UK towns on measures adjusted for age, and 22nd of 47 UK towns of its size. Life expectancy is 78.8 for men and 83.0 for women (England 79.1 and 83.0), and there are 106 deaths under 75 for every 100 expected.
Which parts of Norwich have the highest life expectancy?
For men, Eaton (84.5), Old Catton (82.9) and Earlham Road & College Road (82.7); the shortest is Heigham Grove & St Augustines (71.6). For women, Eaton is highest (86.9) and Bowthorpe & West Earlham lowest (79.0). OHID figures for 2019 to 2023, by neighbourhood of about 8,000 people.
How long are A&E waits at Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital?
NHS England publishes waits for the trust, Norfolk and Norwich University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust. In the 12 months to September 2026 it saw 70% of major-A&E patients within four hours, against 61% across England; in September 2026 the figure was 68%. In an emergency call 999; for urgent advice call NHS 111.
Can I get an NHS dentist in Norwich?
It is harder than in most of England. In the 2026 GP Patient Survey, 76% of adults in the Norfolk and Suffolk area who tried to get an NHS dental appointment in the last two years got one, against 82% across England. Practices taking new NHS patients are listed on the NHS website’s Find a dentist service.
Which GP practice in Norwich do patients rate highest?
In the 2026 GP Patient Survey, Magdalen Medical Practice (93% good overall), Mile End Road Surgery (87% good overall) and West Pottergate Medical Practice (87% good overall). Across all 19 Norwich practices, 80% of patients rate their practice good, against 77% in England.
What is the life expectancy in Norwich?
78.8 years for men and 83.0 for women, on OHID’s figures for 2019 to 2023. Men can expect 63.1 of those years and women 64.8 in good health.
CQC ratings © Care Quality Commission.
Sources: OHID Fingertips small-area indicators (life expectancy and deaths 2019–23, emergency admissions 2016/17–2020/21, NCMP 2022/23–2024/25); House of Commons Library MSOA names · ONS health state life expectancy for small areas (MSOAs), England and Wales, 2019 to 2023 (healthy life expectancy) · ONS Census 2021 general health and disability, adjusted for age · Care Quality Commission care directory and latest ratings, 01 October 2026 · NHS Organisation Data Service · GP Patient Survey 2026 (NHS England, run by Ipsos) · NHS England, A&E Attendances and Emergency Admissions (monthly, by trust) and Emergency Care Data Set activity by site, June–September 2026 (type 1 A&Es) · MHCLG English Indices of Deprivation 2025 · 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.