MARDEN man Paul Collins’s dedicated service to St John Ambulance has been officially endorsed by the Queen. Paul was invested into the Order of St


John for his contribution to first aid. Her Majesty approves each recipient. Paul said: “It’s a real honour. I joined


St John Ambulance so that I could learn first aid and be the difference be- tween a life lost and a life saved but I


Continued from page one decision – and which hospitals they will recommend under pa- tient choice. monitor, with KCC’s help,


how the local NHS reacts to Mr Lansley’s concerns about con- sultant paediatric cover at Maidstone Hospital – MASH wants 24/7 on-site cover at a 24/7 unit consider, at its February 28


meeting, plans to stage a public protest rally in the early sum- mer. Mr Fowle said: “These


changes are all about the busi- ness plan for the new hospital at Pembury. The loss of maternity and children’s ward, emergency


Royal approval for Paul’s honour


never thought it would lead to some- thinglike this.” He added: “I think my most reward- ingexperience was comingto the as- sistance of the great-grandmother of one our cadets who needed to go to hospital. “It’s also great that my wife is in-


and orthopaedic surgery, our chronic pain unit, gynaecology and much ENT are all highly damaging to Maidstone.We are under no obligation to support what is going on in any way. Our responsibility is to do all can to keep quality services in Maidstone.” Helen Grant, MP for Maid-


stone and TheWeald, a leading campaigner against the changes, said: “I am appalled by what is a truly puzzling and irrational decision. It is not acceptable and I cannot support it. “He (Mr Lansley) has com-


pletely ignored his own funda- mental criterion for local GP support in hospital reconfigura-


THE trust says consultant-ledmaternity and chil- dren’s services will be transferred from Maidstone Hospital to the new Pembury Hospital with a clo- sure date in September for maternity and chil- dren’s wards. Anew midwife-led birthing unit (4/5 beds) will


volved with St John Ambulance. We share a passion for the charity.” Paul’s honour was bestowed at a cer-


emony last month in the Order’s 12th century Priory Church in London’s Clerkenwell. The Order of St John is one of the world’s oldest charities and traces its origins back 900 years.


Town set to rally in maternity move protest


tion decisions.” But Glenn Douglas, chief ex-


ecutive of Maidstone and Tun- bridge Wells NHS Trust, said: “These important changesmake the very best of the skills and expertise in our clinical teams for patients and maintain high- est and safest standards of care for women and children throughoutWest Kent.” He added: “There is a strong


future for hospitals in Pembury and Maidstone, which will pro- vide a range of specialist serv- ices to complement each other and benefit the local commu- nity.” But MASH has accused Mr Lansley of breaking his own


What the trust’s decision means for Maidstone A day-care unit for children will be set up to


be built in Maidstone Hospital grounds to open around that same time.


run 8am-8pmMondays to Fridays. Any inpatient children still in the unit at the end of the day will be transferred to Pembury. In addition to these two services emergency and orthopaedic surgery will be transferred from Maidstone to Pembury. Already transferred are: gynaecology, chronic pain unit, much ENT.


four new rules - that hospital re- configurations should have GP support; clinical safety; patient choice; and follow genuine en- gagement with the community. Mr Fowle said: “In MASH’s


11 carefully-compiled papers to him, we showed how the local NHS failed badly on all four – the most glaring being GP sup- port after five separate surveys revealed they are massively op- posed. The minister came to Maidstone and heard GPs’ ve- hement objections first hand. Then went away and ignored them totally.” He also believes the Secretary


of State misguided himself by using an outdated report by the


chairman of the Independent Reconfiguration Panel instead of instructing the panel to stage a full hearing in Maidstone. He also says the Health Secretary depended on a report by a KCC task and finish group that was decisively countered by the full overview and scrutiny commit- tee.


4 South


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