Urban practices find it hardest to score points.

Quality scores 2005/6 - Effects of deprivation, top scores for Northern.

Ireland and prevalence changes

Practices in urban areas in England score consistently lower than their counterparts in the affluent Home Counties or rural areas, quality framework data show.

The 30 PCTs in the bottom 10 per cent for average quality scores in 2005/6 before reconfiguration are all in urban areas, often concentrated in major English cities (see map right).

Almost one in three of these PCTs are in London, four are in and around Manchester, three in Liverpool and two in Sheffield. Other low-scoring PCTs are in Birmingham, Hull and smaller manufacturing …