The health of our treasured loved ones is something that nobody can put a price on, so it’s no wonder why – for many people – quality medical services are so important. Whether that means being seen by the GP more quickly, having a smoother experience at a walk-in centre, or your family member recovering in a clean and hygienic hospital environment, a healthcare system that is fit for purpose is of substantial importance. Unfortunately, not all facilities across the UK meet that important standard.
The Care Quality Commission (CQC) is the independent regulator responsible for maintaining a high standard of healthcare across the country. The body conducts audits and inspections of all services including hospitals, doctor’s surgeries, and dentists – assessing a range of factors including infection control, quality of patient care, and practice management. While many facilities will pass their audits comfortably, others may struggle from increasing strain on their services, or poor facility hygiene.
This is where Vanguard comes in – we boast over two decades of medical cleaning expertise, and have come to the aid of numerous medical practices by providing exceptional cleaning services to help them pass their CQC inspections. Our staff are trained in accordance with procedures endorsed by the British Institute of Cleaning Science (BICSc), giving them the professional expertise needed to clean a wide array of specialist medical zones, such as receptions, waiting areas, and consultation rooms.
In Vanguard’s latest healthcare survey, we’ll take a look at medical services across the South East. We’ll outline which towns and cities have the worst-rated healthcare services as determined by the CQC, and discuss what that could mean for residents living in the area.
Healthcare facilities across the South East are generally rated positively, while approximately 14% of services (or over 1 in 8) have received negative ratings. Such common failings in the region should concern local residents, who have a significant chance of themselves or their family members receiving below-average care during their residency.
Despite this, most of the negatively rated services in the area (13.2%) were only rated as Requires Improvement, signifying that after some much-needed adjustments are made to the practice, they may yet recover from this poor performance. What may be more concerning, however, is the select few services (0.8%) that were rated Inadequate, which suggests more critical problems with their day-to-day operations. Those served by one of these Inadequate services would certainly not be blamed for feeling worried about their wider healthcare prospects.
While the overwhelming majority (85.9%) of services were rated positively, comparatively few of those locations (4.6%) earned the CQC’s top rating of Outstanding. That breakdown implies that while many services are up to scratch, they may not be performing well enough or implementing best practice in all areas where they could. Therefore, it seems clear that improvements will be required across the board for overall better healthcare performance in the South East.
If you’re curious about how your area scores, or are looking to determine your longer-term healthcare prospects, then see our ranking below for the worst areas for healthcare in the South East.
Looking out across the mouths of both the River Thames and Medway, Sheerness is perched on the northern edge of the Isle of Sheppey. First constructed as a coastal fort to protect more inland settlements, the town continued its maritime tradition to become a seaside resort in recent years. Healthcare in the area leaves much to be desired, however, with 20% of medical facilities requiring substantial improvements.
While the area does contain 1 Outstanding service, Sheerness is let down by 4 nearby facilities being rated as Requires Improvement.
With both Hindhead & Haslemere situated in the very heart of the South Downs National Park, the two towns offer breathtaking views over their surroundings, in addition to close access to the critical A3 road leading down to Portsmouth. Despite this, healthcare quality across the towns is not nearly as convenient, with 20.5% of healthcare services being found unfit for purpose.
Offering only 1 Outstanding rating and 34 Good ratings, 9 services in the area were rated as Requires Improvement in comparison, no doubt causing concern for locals.
A beacon of activity in a sea of surrounding farmland, Wantage is perched on the boundary of North Wessex Downs, one of the largest nature reserves in South England. Beyond that, the town has earned acclaim for being the birthplace of renowned monarch King Alfred The Great. What the area is less renowned for though is healthcare, with 21.1% of medical services in the town failing their most recent CQC audit.
That figure encompasses 4 practices that were rated as Requires Improvement, out of a total 19 rated services.
Situated in the short stretch of land between Portsmouth and Southampton, the two suburbs of Locks Heath & Fareham are home to many residents who commute into the nearby cities for work. They would perhaps be wise to travel elsewhere for healthcare also, due to 21.2% of medical services in the area being determined below standards.
A shocking 27 facilities in the area have been rated as Requires Improvement, while 2 services have been given the infamous rating of Inadequate.
With a substantial armed forces presence over the past few centuries, Andover now plays host to several museums relating to the RAF, Royal Logistics Corps, and even the Iron Age. Another facility, the Andover War Memorial Hospital, was constructed to commemorate the lost lives of World War I. Despite this, the overall picture of healthcare in Andover is sub-par, with 21.9% of services performing poorly.
That includes a total of 6 services that received ratings of Requires Improvement, and an additional 1 service rated as Inadequate.
On the easternmost edge of the Greater London built-up area, the location of Gravesend has proven to be of great strategic importance throughout its history. The town holds dominating control over the entrance to the River Thames, resulting in various forts and stations being constructed over the years. Sadly, healthcare remains in dire straits, with 22.4% of medical services assessed to be below expectations.
On top of this, almost 2/3 of the nearby healthcare services (or 282 in total) have not yet been rated, meaning the overall impression of health services in the area is not as clear-cut as it could be.
Another town attached to the South Downs National Park, Bordon began its life as an old military base during the 20th century. The area has since developed into a settlement in its own right, but lingering elements of old training grounds and vehicle storage remain to this day. Poor healthcare services are also endemic in the area, with 22.6% of the surrounding locations failing their most recent CQC inspection.
That’s worrying for local residents, especially considering Bordon offers no services with an Outstanding rating.
Two towns on the Canterbury coastline, Whitstable and Herne Bay offer all the typical fare that coastal communities are known for, and more. Whitstable is renowned for its native oyster beds, and holds an Oyster Festival annually, while Herne Bay served as a popular holiday destination in Victorian times. Where the towns differ, however, is their poor healthcare, with 23.5% of nearby surgeries needing important changes.
With a total of 16 facilities that have earned a rating of Requires Improvement, the area could certainly benefit from improvements to their medical practices.
Lying just next to one of the most important bridges in the area, Dartford has long been an important crossing point. The name itself is derived from Darent and Ford, which describes some of the low-lying marshes in the area that helped form the town into a crossing point during the Roman period. Unfortunately, healthcare has struggled in Dartford recently, with 23.7% of local services requiring improvements.
The area has seen a startling number of facilities rated Inadequate, with 3 practices in total being given that critically unfortunate rating.
Sitting on the Royal Greenwich Meridian, the geographical reference line that determines worldwide timekeeping and navigation, East Grinstead offers its residents the chance to place one foot on either side of the border. That unique distinction unfortunately does not change the healthcare situation in the town, with 25.6% (or over 1 in 4) practices being found to require substantial improvements.
Out of 11 negatively rated services, 4 of those are rated Inadequate, a shockingly high proportion that will no doubt worry nearby citizens.
Centred in the heart of South Downs National Park, Petersfield treats residents to breathtaking views of the surroundings, combined with peaceful streams and handy travel connections such as the A3 and A272 main roads. While these draws may be popular to local residents, the poor state of healthcare in the town is of greater concern, with 26.1% of nearby services performing under expectations.
However, those figures also include 4 services (or 17.4%), that were rated as Outstanding, indicating a mixed bag of quality across the area.
The area directly south of Southampton contains a number of settlements including Holbury, Hardley, Blackfield, Langley, Dibden Purlieu, and Hythe. These hamlets encompass a number of suburban and industrial zones, often with idyllic views over the Southampton Water. Cracks are beginning to show in the area’s healthcare, however, with 26.4% of services under-performing in their most recent CQC inspections.
That figure breaks down to 39 services rated Good, 13 rated as Requires Improvement, and 1 rated Inadequate.
The settlement of Buckingham is relatively lesser known, but as the name might suggest, it stood as the county town of wider Buckinghamshire before being unseated by Aylesbury in the 18th century. Today, Buckingham has become a quaint market town, expanding out from the Great Ouse river. Regardless, healthcare in the town is under strain, with 28.6% of nearby medical services being marked down for serious problems.
With 4 services rated as Requires Improvement, and only 10 locations receiving a positive rating, Buckingham residents face a stark reality when it comes to their long term healthcare prospects.
Perched on the eastern expanses of Kent, the coastal settlement of Deal has long functioned as a fishing and market settlement. The surrounding area has an intriguing history, from the possible landing site of Julius Caesar’s first Roman expedition to the construction of an artillery fort in the Tudor era. Despite that, healthcare in the area remains a persistent problem, with 29.3% of services being found sub-par.
That correlates to 12 practices rated as Requires Improvement, compared to just 29 positively rated services.
An urban conurbation winding around the River Medway, the Rochester area is home to tens of thousands of residents, as well as important historical buildings such as Rochester Castle and Cathedral. As one of the largest population centres in the South East, it’s disheartening to see this area take the top spot on our list, with 30.5% of healthcare services (or almost 1 in 3) performing poorly.
The full CQC stats amount to 1 Outstanding rating, 113 Good ratings, 48 Requires Improvement ratings, and 2 Inadequate ratings, with over 300 facilities that are yet to be rated. That’s a worrying state of affairs for such a large population centre in the South East.
Vanguard aspires to remain entirely objective and transparent in how we report CQC stats, so we retrieve our data directly from the Care Quality Commission (CQC) website. This allows us to search across towns and areas in the South East to learn how many healthcare services were rated as Outstanding, Good, Requires Improvement, and Inadequate in each area. From there, we then calculate the percentage of negatively rated services to acquire a general impression of the overall healthcare in each location.
In many areas, some of the local services have not been rated by the CQC yet, so we exclude these from our data. In smaller locations, there are too few rated services to gain a good sample, so we exclude these locations from our list as well. Finally, for a full assessment of each area, we cast a 5-mile radius over the location to catch all relevant medical services nearby. Due to the country being a highly urban one, there will inevitably be some crossover between towns and cities. For example, Royal Southampton Hospital will serve residents of nearby Totton and Eastleigh, as well as Southampton citizens.
