By Joshua Robinson – 

Despite medical services in Yorkshire generally being rated well, an average of 16.6% of services (or over 1 in 8) were rated poorly. This might pose concerns for nearby patients and staff, who would no doubt prefer their healthcare institutions to perform at a higher level.

Most of the poorly-rated services (15.2%) were classed as Requires Improvement, which means after changes are made in a couple of important areas, these services might get themselves in better shape. Significantly fewer facilities (1.5%) were rated as Inadequate, which would indicate a critical problem in their everyday operations. If served by those services, residents would certainly not be blamed for feeling worried about their long-term healthcare prospects.

On the other hand, while many services in Yorkshire are up to scratch, very few of them earned the rating of Outstanding (3.9%). This implies a worrying lack of best practices across facilities, and despite the majority of services scoring well, it indicates that across-the-board improvements are still needed to ensure a better standard of healthcare.

Top 10 Worst Areas for Healthcare in Yorkshire:

Barnsley

19.2% Of Healthcare Services Require Improvement.

Lying in the shade of the Pennines, Barnsley’s interconnected network of trains and buses means it’s well-suited for commuters on their way to Leeds and Sheffield. However, 19.2% of the area’s healthcare facilities are being found to be below the required expectations.

That includes 22 facilities that were given a rating of Requires Improvement, and 2 practices labelled as Inadequate.

Leeds

19.2% Of Healthcare Services Require Improvement.

As Yorkshire’s largest city, Leeds is host to one of the UK’s biggest and most thriving economies, as well as a robust and long-lasting cultural investment program that’s seen important injections into the arts, culture, and events for the city. However, healthcare has not seen the same attention, as reflected by 19.2% of the city’s medical facilities failing their most recent CQC audit.

Out of a whopping 317 services that were rated in the city, 10 have achieved the rating of Outstanding, whereas 61 were rated poorly.

Castleford & Pontefract

19.6% Of Healthcare Services Require Improvement.

Ranking just one place above Leeds – Castleford, Pontefract, and the surrounding towns are located southeast of the wider urban area. Marshes, ponds, and rivers are all in abundance, with attractions in the area including Diggerland, a muddy, JCB-themed family park. Unfortunately, the nearby healthcare services leave much to be desired, with 19.6% of services requiring improvement.

That figure includes a total of 18 services rated as Requires Improvement, although the area boasts 3 locations with an Outstanding rating.

Bradford

21% Of Healthcare Services Require Improvement.

Bradford is widely known as a sister city to Leeds and Huddersfield, since the deindustrialisation of Northern England, it has grown into one of West Yorkshire’s biggest economies, with a sizeable population. However, the city’s healthcare has scaled poorly, with 21% of the area’s health facilities being found to be sub-par.

That includes 41 services that are rated as Requires Improvement and 5 locations that are seen as Inadequate.

Batley & Dewsbury

22.4% Of Healthcare Services Require Improvement.

The area between Leeds, Bradford, Huddersfield, and Wakefield is home to several towns including Dewsbury, Batley, Heckmondwike, and Birstall. This area has a significant population and therefore a substantial amount of healthcare services, of which 22.4% require improvement.

While that does include 38 locations that are rated poorly, the area also has 6 services rated as Outstanding.

Garforth

22.7% Of Healthcare Services Require Improvement.

Just east of Leeds, Garforth shares much of its healthcare ecosystem with the larger city beside it, but the town and surrounding villages do have their own facilities in addition to this. Many of the nearby services are lacking in their most recent CQC inspection, with 22.7% of locations needing improvement.

That figure includes 3 surgeries rated Inadequate, which is a worrying stat for an area with such a limited number of facilities.

Bridlington

25.7% Of Healthcare Services Require Improvement.

Home to a beachfront that stretches for miles down the eastern coastline, the seaside town of Bridlington has a deep fishing heritage, and is famed for processing hundreds of tonnes of crustaceans every year. The town also receives a boost from summer tourism every year. Despite this, the area’s healthcare is not-so-renowned, with a quarter of facilities in the region being found below expectation.

Out of the town’s several dozen services, 8 are rated as Requires Improvement, whereas 1 has been given an Inadequate rating.

Stocksbridge

28.6% Of Healthcare Services Require Improvement.

Resting on the north-eastern edge of the Peak District, Stocksbridge is not far from Sheffield. The town itself lies in a valley and is surrounded by multiple woodlands, reservoirs, and rivers. Despite the beautiful views, healthcare in the area could use greater observation, with 28.6% of nearby facilities found to be lacking.

That’s a total of 6 services rated as Requires Improvement, in contrast to only 15 services rated as Good.

Keighley

29.2% Of Healthcare Services Require Improvement.

Not far north of Bradford lies the town of Keighley. The town encompasses several outlying villages that congregate around the settlement, including Bingley, Haworth, and Silsden. Unfortunately, the healthcare around the area is far from ideal, with 29.2% of services lacking in major areas.

While the surrounding area boasts 5 locations with an Outstanding rating, it also suffers from 18 locations with a Requires Improvement rating.

Goole

32% Of Healthcare Services Require Improvement.

Halfway between Hull and Doncaster, Goole takes the top spot for the worst healthcare in Yorkshire. Resting on the banks of the Humber, Goole is a major inland dock that acts as a major depot for logistics and shipping and is capable of handling millions of tonnes of cargo every year. Despite this, healthcare in the port town is suffering, with almost a third of locations being given a rating of Requires Improvement.

This includes a steep 8 medical services out of 25 that have been rated, causing worry to those living nearby.

More Information:

To read the original research conducted by Vanguard Cleaning, please click here.

Vanguard Cleaning’s study combed through open-source CQC data to investigate and rank the 15 worst areas for healthcare in Yorkshire. For each location, they cast a 5-mile radius over the area to catch all nearby medical services and their ratings.

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