The NHS has been feeling the strain lately following the aftermath of the global pandemic, with healthcare stretched more than ever.
The Care Quality Commission (CQC) is in charge of regulating all health and social care services in England. This includes health facilities such as hospitals, dentists, ambulances, and care homes, helping provide patients with the information they need so they can make choices about their care.
Inspectors judge each health and social care service based on the five CQC standards which are: Safe, Effective, Caring, Responsive and Well-Led, with four ratings available - Outstanding, Good, Requires Improvement and Inadequate. These ratings must be displayed by law where patients can easily see them, such as in the main entrance of a hospital or a GP waiting room.
To help you find out how your local hospital and treatment centre has been performing, we’ve put together a list of all the CQC ratings of every hospital and treatment centre in the North East, ranked from highest to lowest rating.
The CQC ratings for Middlesbrough – Newmedica, Newcastle – CHEC and Newcastle – Newmedica are not available at this time as their services have not been inspected as of yet.
5. Gateshead – Spamedica
Gateshead Spamedica has been rated good by the Quality Care Commission. The eye hospital provides cataract care and ranked good in four out of the five categories including safe, responsive, well-led, with an outstanding rating for being effective. | Google Maps
6. Gateshead Health NHS Foundation Trust
Gateshead Health NHS Foundation Trust scored a good rating from the Quality Care Commission. The trust provides hospital care, community care and home care in the Gateshead region and operates the Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Blaydon Urgent Treatment Centre and Bensham Hospital. It ranked good on four out of the six categories including - safe, effective, responsive and well-led and was rated outstanding for caring. It also received a rating of requires improvement for use of resources. | Google Maps
7. Middlesbrough – Newmedica
Middlesbrough – Newmedica has been rated as good by the Care Quality Commission. The eye hospital scored good ratings in all five categories - safe, effective, caring, responsive and well-led. It also ranked good for two specialist services - outpatients and surgery. | Google Maps
8. Nuffield Health Newcastle-upon-Tyne Hospital
Nuffield Health Newcastle-upon-Tyne Hospital has been rated as good by the Care Quality Commission. The private hospital was founded in 1973 and scored good ratings in all five categories - safe, effective, caring, responsive and well-led. It also ranked good for two specialist services - outpatients and diagnostic imaging and surgery. | Google Maps