• Manchester region has eight out of the top 11 CCGs with the highest number of GP surgeries rated requires improvement or inadequate by CQC
  • Hambleton, Richmondshire and Whitby in north Yorkshire tops the list with 27 per cent of surgeries receiving the lowest two CQC ratings
  • North Tynside CCG is the best for primary care quality with almost a fifth of surgeries rated outstanding

Exclusive analysis of Care Quality Commissioning ratings of GP surgeries shows that the majority of the worst performing areas for primary care are within a 40 mile radius of Manchester.

HSJ reviewed all CQC GP inspection reports published by 1 March 2017 to reveal the number of GP surgeries in each clinical commissioning group area that received a rating of inadequate, requires improvement, good or outstanding.

Analysis of NHS England’s North region shows that eight of the 11 worst performing CCG areas are within Greater Manchester or 40 miles to the south or east, with at least 13 per cent of surgeries in each of the eight areas rated requires improvement or inadequate (see table).

However, the worst performing CCG is Hambleton, Richmondshire and Whitby in north Yorkshire, with 27 per cent of surgeries receiving the lowest two CQC ratings. However, the same CCG also had almost 14 per cent of its GP surgeries rated outstanding.

The two CCGs with the most surgeries rated outstanding by the regulator are in the north of the region (see second table), with North Tyneside CCG topping the list with 19 per cent of GP practices receiving the top rating, followed by Cumbria at 17 per cent.

The CCGs in the North with the highest percentage of GP surgeries rated requires improvement or inadequate

CCG% of GP surgeries rated inadequate and requires improvement
Hambleton, Richmondshire and Whitby 27.3
Southport and Formby 23.1
South Manchester 19.2
Oldham 18.2
South Cheshire 17.6
Greater Preston 17.4
East Lancashire 16.0
Knowsley 15.8
Bolton 14.6
Trafford 13.8
West Cheshire 13.8

Top 10 CCGs in the North with the highest percentage of GP surgeries rated outstanding

CCG% of GP surgeries rated outstanding
North Tyneside 19.2
Cumbria 17.4
Leeds West 14.7
Blackpool 14.3
Hambleton, Richmondshire and Whitby 13.6
Harrogate and Rural District 13.3
Bassetlaw 12.5
Northumberland 11.9
West Lancashire 11.8
North Manchester 10.0

HSJ analysed 6,476 GP practice inspections across England out of a total of 7,705 inspected by the CQC, which accounts for 84 per cent of all surgeries. The regulator is still to publish the remainder of its GP inspection reports. It is the first time GP practices across the country have been comprehensively inspected and rated.

Topics

Mapped: CCGs and STPs with the best and worst GPs