News in brief
Bob Deans spent his first day as interim chief executive of Kent’s mental health trust visiting services in Maidstone. Mr Deans saw services at Priority House, The Pagoda and Trevor Gibbens Unit, in Hermitage Lane, as he started his 12-month stint at the trust, whose HQ is at Kings Hill. It serves 1.6m people and em- ploys 3,600 staff.
Mixed ward sex compliance is improving but not quickly enough atMaidstone. Advice is being sought from the De- partment of Health and a re- view of ward configuration conducted.
A new dignity gown for pa- tients designed within the trust has been accepted by NHS Innovations for applica- tion for a design patent. This could produce an income for the trust.
A survey confirmed an im- provement in in-patient satis- faction.
Investment in new beds and mattresses has helped reduce pressure sores/ulcers.
A successful recruitment campaign for nurses has sig- nificantly reduced vacancies to below 9%.
Official opening date for the new hospital at Pembury is September 19.
Patients are being assured about care in single rooms at the new hospital through leaflets, bedside folders and work by the vulnerable pa- tients committee.
Summer fete ASUMMERfete in aid of Maid- stone Hospital League of Friends will be held on Satur- day, September 3 in the hospi- tal grounds, from noon to 4pm. Attractions will include a tombola, barbecue and stalls. Contact Pat Gaskin on 01622 726367 for more information.
THE Salvation Army in Maidstone presented a cheque for £600 to Kent Air Ambulance Trust. The donation was raised by Junior Soldiers (young members of the Sal- vation Army), who undertook a spon- sored fun run and bike ride in Mote Park on May 7. The cheque was presented on behalf
Fun run boost to ’copter coffers
of the Junior Soldiers by Major GraysonWilliams to Paul Skelley, a representative of Kent Air Ambulance Trust. Also present were the prayer partners of the Junior Soldiers in-
Hospital faces ‘pain’ from Pembury project
MAIDSTONEHospital may fall victim to the soar- ing costs of Pembury’s new hospital. Local campaigners fear the private finance ini- tiative (PFI) scheme will be “very damaging” in the long run. When Pembury opens this year it will be
the first NHS acute hospitalwith 100% single en- suite rooms for patients. But PFI critics are worried about the conse- quences of the initial £234m price tag rocketing to £640m as the NHS pays back £20m annually, plus inflation, over 32 years. NHS West Kent has asked the Department of Health to help meet the costs of the new hospital. A report to a recent board meeting said: “The challenges in and around the NHS in West Kent are high risk, (including)
...the exceptional chal- lenge relating to the additional recurring costs of approx £20m associated with the new Pembury hospital.” The report added: “The extent to which these costs will be considered as exceptional and un-
PIONEERING developments at Maidstone Hospital mean that fewer patients have to travel to London for treatment. The local NHS trust’s Quality Account 2010-11 lists some of the latest breakthroughs, partic- ularly for tackling cancer. Radiofrequency ablation –
This relatively new technique for treating cancer of the liver, lung or kidneys involves the use of a hi-tech CT scanner. A fine probe is inserted into the tu- mour which generates heat and destroys it. The report added: “Previously cancer patients had to travel to one of London’s big teaching hospitals for this care, but not any more. Image-guided radiotherapy
– This new technology exposes tumours to precise doses of ra- diotherapy in a 360-degree cir- cle. It enables cancer doctors to expose the tumour to a more constant, exactly calibrated
avoidable is being determined at a national level as part of the McInsey exceptional PFI exer- cise...but it cannot be assumed that it will not be- come a health economy problem and should be recognised as a risk for theNHS in Kent and Med- way as a whole, including the trust itself.” The situation has angered Dennis Fowle, chair-
man ofMASH –Maidstone Action for Services in Hospital. He said: “MASH has been worried for years about
the costs of this PFI hospital within our local trust and the impact of its financial needs on the hospi- tal which really matters to local people. “We have been robbed of core services from Maidstone due to the demands of this new hos- pital and there is now great danger that the fi- nancial strain on the trust will be very damaging to the budget for Maidstone Hospital.” He added: “We are very worried that the quality
of Maidstone Hospital will continue to fall to meet the needs of a Pembury hospital no one here sees as local.”
Praise for breakthroughs in cancer care
beam of radiation, following its outlinewith complete accuracy. “Healthy non-cancerous tis-
sue surrounding the tumour is much better protected and pa- tients receive a more effective and faster treatment,” the report explained. Microscopic bubbles –A revolutionary technique to help detect breast cancer using micro bubbles. It will prevent thou- sands of women in the UK from having to have repeat surgery to remove glands in their armpit. The procedure, pioneered at
Maidstone Hospital, allows the sentinel lymph node to be lo- cated and tested without sur- gery. The annual report, covering Maidstone and TunbridgeWells hospitals, concluded: “Looking to the future, the creation of our centres of expertise will help other professionals sub-spe- cialise and become even more expert in different fields. “Our aim is to bring home
more of the 35,000 patients a year who travel to London for their care.”
Patient care given ‘permanent’ boost FEWER agency workers are being used at local hospitals, giving a boost to care standards. In 2010-11, Maidstone and TunbridgeWells NHS Trust had its lowest vacancy rates for several years across medical, nursing and allied health professionals. “This resulted in a decreased reliance on temporary staff and increased the trust’s ability to provide continuity of care,” said its annual Quality Report, which added: “The trust is continu- ing to reduce its agency use in 2011-12.”
Making ready for new homes
A PLANNING application has been submitted to build 14 homes in a project that will see the downsizing ofMaidstone Ambulance Station. As part of the scheme, the Loose Road building
will become an Ambulance Community Response Post. This will form part of SECamb NHS Trust’s plan to develop aMake Ready Centre in Paddock Wood, where staff currently working from Cran- brook, Crowborough,Maidstone, Sevenoaks, Ton- bridge and Tunbridge Wells stations will begin and end their shifts. However, during their shifts staff will respond
Salvation Army Major GraysonWilliams hands over the cheque to Paul Skelley of Kent Air Ambulance Trust
volved in the fundraising event.
A WOMEN’s prayer breakfast will take place at The Salvation Army’s HQ in Union Street, Maidstone, on Saturday, September 3, from 8.30am until 10am. Pre-booking is required. To reserve a place, call 01622 681808.
from the response posts. SECamb’s programme director of estates, Geoff Catling, said: “The station will be too large for our requirements once the new Make Ready Centre is operational. “This is why we are looking to dispose of some
of the site and create a new ambulance commu- nity response post.” The Make Ready scheme will see the deploy-
ment of specialist teams to clean, re-stock and maintain vehicles, allowing ambulance staff,who routinely undertake these tasks, to spend more time treating patients.
26 Town Support YOUR local paper — and we can support YOU - advertise on 01622 630330
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48