During an assessment under our new approach
Date of Assessment: 8 May to 13 May 2026. Nova Scotia Medical Centre is located at 22a Leeds Road, Allerton Bywater, Castleford, West Yorkshire, WF10 2DP. The practice serves a population of approximately 6,000 patients and is a member of the NHS West Yorkshire Integrated Care Board (ICB). The practice provides services under the terms of a Personal Medical Services (PMS) contract and is part of the LS25/26 Primary Care Network (PCN).
The provider is registered with the Care Quality Commission (CQC) to deliver the Regulated Activities: diagnostic and screening procedures, family planning, maternity and midwifery services, treatment of disease, disorder or injury and surgical procedures.
Information published by Office for Health Improvement and Disparities shows that deprivation within the practice population is in the sixth decile (6 of 10). The lower the decile, the more deprived the practice population is relative to others.
According to the latest available data, the ethnic makeup of the practice area is 96.4% white, 1.1% Asian with the remaining 2.5% being Black, Mixed and other non-white backgrounds.
The practice was previously inspected in January 2019 and was rated good overall and in all key questions. We carried out this focused assessment in response to information of concern received by CQC and due to the length of time since our last inspection. We assessed 13 quality statements across the key questions safe, effective, caring and well-led.
Safe: The facilities and equipment met the needs of people, were clean and well-maintained and any risks were mitigated. There were enough staff, with the right skills. We saw evidence of appraisals being carried out for some staff members. However, some staff told us they had not received an appraisal within the last 12 months.
Effective: Staff regularly reviewed people’s care and worked with other services to achieve this. However, the provider had not been able to meet expected outcomes for all childhood immunisations and cancer screening.
Caring: People were treated with kindness and compassion. Staff protected their privacy and dignity. They treated them as individuals and supported their preferences. People had choice in their care and treatment. The service supported staff wellbeing.
Well Led: Staff understood their roles and responsibilities and leaders worked with the local community to deliver the best possible care. However, we identified issues in respect of the culture within the practice. During our assessment we received mixed feedback from staff members regarding interactions with leaders. We also identified issues with governance systems.