There are many things that are essential to a healthy and fulfilling life, and quality healthcare is among the most important. Whether that takes the form of faster GP and specialist appointments, shorter waiting times for critical surgeries and procedures, or a better and more hygienic stay in hospital, many people prefer healthcare to be of a high standard in their area. Sadly, some facilities and services across the UK perform below expectation, and offer their patients a lower quality of care than other services.
Lasting issues such as higher demand and scars from the pandemic have led to increased strain on the NHS over recent years, leading to standards slipping in some areas. The Care Quality Commission (CQC) is responsible for maintaining quality healthcare across the UK, auditing both public and private services to ensure all important requirements are met. The organisation inspects everything from the quality of patient care to the hygiene of the facility in question, and while many services pass easily, others are not so lucky.
Vanguard Cleaning lead the charge in helping facilities pass their CQC inspections. Boasting over two decades of medical cleaning expertise, we have worked with numerous medical practices to improve their hygiene levels and get ship-shape for audits. Our staff training procedures are unparalleled across the industry, being accredited by the British Institute of Cleaning Science (BICSc), which gives our staff the skills and flexibility to handle a broad spectrum of environments, including office areas, reception rooms, and medical examination areas.
In Vanguard’s latest healthcare report, we’ll take a look at services across the county of Surrey. We’ll discover which towns and settlements have the worst-performing medical services as rated by the CQC, and what that might mean for those living in or looking to move in the area.
Healthcare in the county of Surrey is generally rated positively, with 83.8% of the area’s medical facilities earning the rating of Good. However, 11.3% (or over 1 in 10 services) were rated poorly, which is a startling figure for local citizens who would undoubtedly prefer a more robust performance from their healthcare providers.
Of those negative ratings, the vast majority (10.6%) were classed as Requires Improvement, which indicates that while operations were found to be below expectations, some minor adjustments in certain areas (such as facility hygiene) may bring these practices back up to scratch. Very few surgeries (0.7%) were rated as Inadequate, which signifies a more concerning lapse in one or more key areas and the need for a substantial overhaul. The fact that these ratings were so rare in Surrey is perhaps more promising news for patients and practice managers alike.
Another more positive outlook is that the county boasts a higher-than-average number of Outstanding services, at 4.8%. While this is still a low percentage (implying a lack of best practice across many locations), the figure remains higher than many other areas in the UK, which indicates that Surrey citizens are receiving a better quality of healthcare than elsewhere.
If you’re looking for somewhere to settle down, or are simply curious about how your town fares, see our ranking of Surrey’s worst areas for healthcare below.
Two towns to the west of Guildford, Farnham and Aldershot have a deeply rooted history. Past industries have included both tile making during Roman times and wool making in the medieval period, whereas mammoth tusks have even been excavated in the nearby area. Healthcare in the two towns has remained unremarkable, however, with 6.6% of services rated poorly.
The area is far from the worst location on this list, but residents may be worried nevertheless about a total of 5 local services performing below expectations.
Lying at the convergence of Rivers Ock and Wey, Godalming is one of Surrey’s many rural settlements, being almost entirely surrounded by national trusts and parks. The nearby hamlets of Witley, Milford, and Busbridge help make up the area’s healthcare ecosystem, which is far from perfect with 7.9% of local practices failing their most recent CQC audit.
While that does include 5 services rated poorly, this negative point is offset by 7 locations that were given an Outstanding rating.
One of Surrey’s largest towns, Woking boasts excellent transport connections like Basingstoke Canal, which runs over 31 miles, and a train line that links the capital to other key towns in the South East such as Winchester and Southampton. Despite its size, Woking has a fairly robust healthcare system, with 9.1% of medical facilities rated as Requires Improvement.
Out of 123 total rated locations in the area, a worrying 12 medical services were found to be underperforming.
Among a collection of rural settlements in the heart of the country, the two towns of Frimley and Camberley are west of Woking and south of Bracknell. Despite luxury spas, golf courses, and country parks dotting the area, the two towns leave plenty to be desired when it comes to healthcare, with 10.4% of local services needing improvements.
That figure breaks down to 14 locations that are rated poorly, with 1 such service being given the infamous Inadequate rating.
On the southern outskirts of London, the closely linked towns of Warlingham and Caterham fade from the urban jungle of the capital into the gardens and green land of the South East. The area is perhaps best known for the series of historical manors that lie nearby, but what the towns are not so famous for is their quality of healthcare, with 10.6% of nearby services found below expectations.
A worrying 4 locations were given the rating of Inadequate, no doubt raising worries for patients and local residents.
Ewell and Epsom are both towns on the London commuter belt, and only a short distance from Greater London. Among the area’s many parks and grounds is Epsom common, which features a unique neighbourhood that circles around the old Epsom well. As for healthcare prospects, however, there are serious signs of strain, with 10.9% of the area’s medical facilities failing their most recent CQC inspections.
A shocking 46 services have been given the Requires Improvement rating, while 1 has been declared Inadequate.
Resting at the foot of the Surrey Hills, Horsley lies just to the east of Guildford and sports a series of bridges and country roads that wind around the sweeping landscape. The eastern of the twin towns is also home to an elaborate gothic mansion that serves as a venue for weddings and functions. Accordingly, the area’s healthcare prospects remain just as bleak, with 11.1% of services found below par.
Out of 36 total medical services, this works out to 4 locations rated as Requires Improvement, which is a concerning figure for many.
On the other side of the Surrey Hills are Redhill and Reigate, two adjoining towns that are sizeably larger than the previous entries. Nearby is the Redhill aerodrome, which serves as a private flying hub with various flight courses and leisure trips being offered to clients. This is also where an air ambulance helipad is located, but even with this specialist facility, the towns suffer from a poor level of overall healthcare, with 11.7% of services requiring improvement.
This not only includes 10 facilities that have been rated poorly, but 4 additional services that were given the Inadequate rating.
Located alongside the Thames (with the perfect view as river snakes inwards and narrows in width), Walton and Weybridge are two important crossing points in the area. Not only does Walton bridge cross the Thames, but Weybridge is named after another vital crossing structure nearby. Regardless, healthcare in the area could us some improvement, with 11.9% of medical services coming in below expected standards.
Despite this, the towns boast a surprising 8 locations that are rated as Outstanding, indicating a mixed bag of healthcare across the area.
Nestled around a ford on the River Mole, Leatherhead was once a Royal Vill, before developing into an agricultural centre, market town, and industrial hub over the course of its history. The nearby settlements of Ashtead and Fetcham have since developed on either side of the town. Unfortunately, healthcare in the area is performing worse than most areas in Surrey, with 12.1% of local services needing improvements.
While that may encompass 16 poorly-rated facilities, just over half that number (9) earned the best possible rating of Outstanding, giving some hope to nearby residents.
On the western edge of the capital, Staines lies close to several prominent landmarks. Transport hub Heathrow Airport is positioned just to the north, while popular theme park Thorpe Park rests between Staines and the neighbouring town of Chertsey. On top of this, the historical signing of the Magna Carta took place only a few miles away. As for the area’s healthcare, however, 14.7% of nearby medical facilities were found below required standards.
That percentage breaks down to a total of 17 services in the area that were rated as Requires Improvement.
The River Eden runs through Oxted and Limpsfield, eventually feeding into the Medway. However, this is far from the only thing that contributes to the area’s picturesque landscapes – so too do the low rolling hills and grassy knolls found scattered over the area. Despite those beautiful surroundings, the grim reality of healthcare is less pleasant, with 14.9% of local medical locations failing their recent CQC audits.
A worrying total of 2 services in the area were rated Inadequate, on top of 5 services already rated as Requires Improvement.
Positioned on the doorstep of Gatwick airport, Horley is a common thoroughfare for travellers, with over 40 million passengers using the town’s roads and commuter links to get to their final destination. While the town may benefit economically from this close proximity, healthcare has not seen a similar boon, with 16.5% of local medical services allowing strain to harm their professional standards.
The area has some of the most polarised healthcare results, with 8 services rated Outstanding while 6 services were rated Inadequate.
A charming market town snuggled in the heights of the Surrey Hills, Dorking was long renowned for its poultry trade, with that reputation going so far as to name a British chicken breed after the settlement. While Dorking did develop rapidly during Tudor times, the town has since stagnated due to geographical constraints. This is also reflected in the town’s healthcare, with 18.5% of local surgeries not up to scratch.
That works out to 10 services rated as Requires Improvement, out of a total of 54 locations.
Just resting on the edge of Souths Down National Park, Hindhead and Haslemere are divided by a short stretch of greenery and the A3, which winds its way down to Portsmouth. It is also home to the Devil’s Punch Bowl, a natural amphitheatre regarded as one of the wonders of the south. As the worst area in Surrey for healthcare, Hindhead and Haslemere suffer from 20.5% of healthcare services being found unfit for purpose.
With only 1 Outstanding rating and 34 Good ratings, 9 services in the area were rated as Requires Improvement, causing great concern for local residents.
Vanguard is committed to remaining objective in our reporting and being fully transparent in how we collect and present our data, which is retrieved directly from the Care Quality Commission (CQC) website. From here, we conduct a search across large towns and settlements in Surrey to learn the number of healthcare services that have earned Outstanding, Good, Requires Improvement, and Inadequate ratings. We then work out the percentage of badly-rated services to get an idea of the overall quality of healthcare in the area.
In each location, there are a number of services that haven’t been fully assessed by the CQC yet, so we leave these out of our calculations. Additionally, to capture all of the healthcare services in each town, we cast a 5-mile radius across each area to ensure no services are missed. As the UK is a highly metropolitan country, there will naturally be some crossover between population centres. For example, St Peter’s Hospital will serve residents of both Woking and Staines-upon-Thames, and is therefore included in the radius of both settlements.
