Cost of dying to rise in Maidstone
THE cost of dying will go up in Maidstone – for the second year in succession. But the county town still claims to offer
good value as a place to be cremated or buried. The cost of a burial plot in the Sutton
Road cemetery is set to rise from £625 to £700 – an increase of 12% – while the price of a burial plot for ashes is to go up by 23%, from £325 to £400. However, the town has been applauded for recent environmentally friendly initiatives,
News update from the hospitals
Energy savings win top award GREEN energy-saving measures have won Maidstone and TunbridgeWells NHS Trust a prestigious award. The Sustainable Hospital Award, which recognises
the hospital hasmade smart use of energy, transport or waste management, is part of the Health Business Awards 2011 andwas presented to the trust at the Emi- rates Stadium. It closely follows a similar Green Apple Environment Award. The trust reduced its gas and electricity bills by £139,000 during the financial year and used 20% less water across its sites. Energy saving initiatives have included installing
more effective steam control equipment and a heat re- covery system at the trust’s laundry in Parkwood, Maidstone, while optimising existing systems and act- ing on frequent energy usage surveys have saved money and energy at Maidstone Hospital.
Care commission’s surprise visit THE Care Quality Commission made an unexpected day visit to Pembury A&E early in the New Year. The representative spoke to patients and members of staff. A spokesperson for the commission confirmed the
visit to the Downs Mail and said: “CQC inspectors vis- ited the TunbridgeWells hospital at Pembury. Thiswas an unannounced inspection of the A&E department. “CQC are unable to comment any further on this in- spection at present but a report showing the findings of this review of compliance will be published in due course.”
Tube still attached TRUDY Gower (91), of Rusthall, near TunbridgeWells, was sent home from the Pem- bury hospital with a medical tube still attached to her arm and her legs covered in faeces after she was admitted with se- vere abdominal pains. The trust has apologised to
her family and said an investi- gation would be carried out.
Hospital ‘very cold’ THE Downs Mail receives fre- quent complaints that Pembury Hospital is very cold with pa- tients wearing coats, hats and scarves in individual wards.
The nappy smells PEMBURY Hospital visitors have complained of strong smells in the main reception from the nappy-changing area.
Hospital on You Tube STAFF parking problems at Pembury Hospital have led to a three-minute ‘Hitler rant’ on You Tube by a junior doctor.
such as replacing three small incinerators with two larger ones and reducing mercury emissions. Proposals included in Maidstone Coun-
cil’s budget for 2012 mean that from April it will cost residents almost 54%more to bury
a loved one’s ashes in the town – rising from £130 at present to £200, while it will cost £500 for the burial of an adult (an increase of 7.53%) and £250 to bury a child aged five – 15 (an increase of 21.95%). There is no charge for burying a child up to the age of five.
The council’s head of finance, Paul Riley,
said that, following an evaluation of other cemeteries and crematoria in Kent, the fees and charges were still on a par with other areas in the South East. A scale of charges, which covers every-
thing from maintaining the cemetery and graveyard, to use of the chapel organ and the provision of plaques, is designed to raise an extra £50,000 during the year. The proposed increases will go before the council for approval at the end of February. In the meantime, KCC has made it easier
for local people to register a birth or death, offering the service at 24 local libraries and five Gateways in Kent. In Maidstone, the service has transferred
from the Archbishop’s Palace to the Maid- stone Gateway, King Street, and Maidstone Library, St Faith’s Street. Appointments can be booked online
atwww.kent.gov.uk/regis- tration or on 08458 247 400. Themain register offices will still be avail-
able for registering marriages, civil partner- ships, legal preliminaries (notice), providing a nationality checking service, settlement checking service, and ceremonies.
SKIP HIRE Green Box Recycling operates a
waste transfer station where all waste generated by our skip hire and roll
on/off operations is sorted for recycling email:
office@gboxkent.com
Tel: 01233 660099 REGISTEREDWASTE CARRIER &RECYCLING FACILITY
We are equipped to handle the following waste streams • Construction & Demolition waste • Industrial & Commercial waste
• Waste electrical & electronic equipment • Plastics, glass, wood & plasterboard waste
• Full range of 4-16 yard skips
• Full range of 15-40 yard Roll on/Roll off skips • Specialist skips,
such as asbestos disposal • 660/1100 ltr wheelie bins • Compaction specialists • Wait and load service • Rubbish clearance
• Grab lorry hire • Muckaway • On road permits obtained • Delivery of aggregates, topsoil, sand and type 1
To contact Downs Mail just phone 01622 630330
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