Concern over merger of GPs’ budgeting boards Continued from page one


last two years and included 11 practices, with 98,500 patients, aimed at meeting the Govern- ment’s original targets. The other 18 Maidstone area practices were already part of the West Kent Group.


Chairman Dr Gary Singh,ofthe Northumberland Road practice, said his group was planning to work within its notional 2013 budget. But he said this group had to


bow to SHA pressure to merge with the larger group. The SHA told Maidstone it did not consider its geographical area was satisfac- tory or it was financially risk-free. Maidstone fought hard, but lost. When the Maidstone patients’


group met, there was high emo- tion about the loss of more NHS services.


Individual Maidstone area sur- geries had formed their own pa-


Solar boats to ferry workers


Continued from page one


the provision of cycles for rides along the towpath and nature trail and safety awareness proj- ects for local schools. Maidstone MP Helen Grant,


who is patron of the River Users Association, has backed the scheme, which Mr Bailey be- lieves could be a major boon to employment and tourism. More than 20 years ago, Mr


Baileywas instrumental in creat- ing the artists’ quarters around London’s Brick Lane and he has developed a riverside art fair which he hopes to expand in the summer. Hesaid: “Art is a greatplatform


for regeneration and I would like to see more people using the riverbank and the Lockmeadow amphitheatre. There is no reason why Maidstone cannot become the next Left Bank of Paris, or Hyde Park.” The river project will complete


a three-pronged business portfo- lio for Mr Bailey. As well as op- erating The Barge, he has just signed a 10-year lease to run the café and a new Kentish deli- catessen at the refurbished Maid- stone Museum.


Jubilee concert A CELEBRATORY concert of classic and modern organ music will be held at All Saints Church,West Farleigh, as part of the Queens’ Diamond Jubilee. AndrewWyatt, organ scholar


in residence from Canterbury Cathedral, will play a selection of favourite pieces. The concert organised by The Friends of All Saints Church, takes place on Friday June 1, starting at 7.30pm and con- cluding by 9.15pm. Tickets are available from


www.farleighevents.com priced £10 or call 01622 813019, 820305 or 814561.


16 South


tient participation groups and a representative from each joined the commissioning group’s new patient reference group. The aim wastoinform theGPcommis- sioners of user views. Mike Dawe, who represents St


Luke’s practice patients, said: “Maidstone patients and profes- sionals have again lost influence. We need to redress the balance and should try to set up a new or- ganisation to get what is best for Maidstone area.” Alex Turner, representing the


Vines Surgery, Tonbridge Road, said: “The combined group takes them too far away from Maid- stone. TheWest KentGroup does not have an attached patient group, so how will it communi- cate with 600,000 patients?” Dr Singh said he favoured a


new GP/patient organisation for Maidstone which could work if the West Kent and Weald Group


approved meaningful “locality rights”. Former chairman ofMaidstone Division of the BMA, Sutton Va- lence GP Dr Paul Hobday,isa strong opponent of Government NHS reorganisation. He said: “Themerger is an inevitable con- sequence of a mess of legislation. “Maidstone will lose yet more


power, influence and, as a result, services. But this would happen anyway under legislation. Secre- tary of State Andrew Lansley’s claim GPs will be ‘in charge of budgets’ is nonsense. It’s a smoke screen for commercialisation.” ADepartment ofHealth spokes- woman said both GP groups voted for a merger. “This is very much a locally-driven process. There is no national evidence to suggest a right size. It is impor- tant solutions develop from the bottom up.”


Dr Bob Bowes, chair of West


Goat VIP guest at shop’s party VILLAGERS in Chart Sut- ton celebrated the sec- ond anniversary of The Shop on The Green with amorningoffun. There were stalls sell-


ing plants, crafts and cakes outside the shop, which is manned by vol- unteers and the event was arranged to thank them for their hardwork. The Post Office is now


back in the shop on Tues- day and Friday. The VIP visitor was


Kent andWeald, said: “People in Maidstone and Malling have sim- ilar health needs to those inWest Kent and Weald, and they go to Maidstone orTunbridgeWells for the majority of hospital services. “It makes sense for services at


those hospitals to be guided by a single body commissioning healthcare for the whole area. “Doing that will enableus to se-


cure a wider range of services than might be possible for either clinical commissioning group on its own, while keeping adminis- trative costs as low as possible.” He emphasised a patient refer-


ence group would be set up. The SHA said individual prac-


tices in Maidstone and Malling and GPs from that areawho sit on theWest Kent Group’s governing body will now have a strong role in the way health services are commissioned for the people they represent.


Teaching praised PUPILS at Cornwallis Academy in Maidstone are receiving a good education in Personal, So- cial and Health Education (PSHE), say Ofsted inspectors. At a recent inspection aspart of


ChrisWebb and Julia Painter, Cllr Mike FitzGerald, chairman, and Anne Howden, secretary of Chart Sutton Community Shop Association


Lucky the goat, from Buttercups Sanctuary in Boughton Monchelsea, who happily posed for photos. Lucky is the latest addition to the But- tercups Sanctuary for Goats. TheRSPCAin Birmingham contacted But- tercups after seeing them featured on an episode of Countryfile earlier this year. Lucky, now three, had her throat cut as a


Planning a right royal celebration Coal yard homes


kid and was thrown into a pond and left for dead. She was found by a passer-by and takentotheRSPCA,whobottle-fedher back to full health before re-homing herat the age of sixmonths. However, shewas later adver- tised for sale, so the charity took her back. Buttercups is home to more than 150


goats. Family days are on Sundays June 10, July 1, August 5 and September 2.


MAIDSTONE is gearing up for one hot summer of celebrations to mark the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee and the arrival in town of the Olympic Flame. Last year, Maidstone was de-


clared “more Royal than Tun- bridgeWells” as townsfolk took to the streets to showsupport for William and Kate’swedding. Now, the pattern seems set to


be repeated, as applications flood in for street parties, fire- works and festivals. Kent hosted 182 street parties


for the Royal Wedding, placing the county third in a national league of local authorities for numbers of street parties.


With a closing date for appli- cations of May 18, there are al- ready 200 requests for road closures inKent, including more than a dozen in Maidstone. KCC is expecting an increase


of at least 30% on last year. Cllr Bryan Sweetland, Cabinet Member for Environment and Highways, said:“We have again waived charges for street parties on quiet residential roads. “The aim was to repeat the success of Kent’s royal wedding street party scheme, when we were one of the top local au- thorities in the country for the numbers of street parties, and this seems to be the case so far.”


Visit Downs Mail’s website — downsmail.co.uk


a national evaluation, pupils were found to have a good un- derstanding of personal finances andwell-being, were knowledge- able about health matters and keen to take part in sports. The school had a good “healthy living”programme, and the sixth form Skills for Life pro- gramme also won praise.


New home at pub CONSENT was granted to con- vert an outbuilding into a new home to the rear of The George pub in Benover Road, Yalding. Maidstone Council gave the go-ahead on condition that measures are taken to reduce the risk and impact of flooding.


AN application has been ac- cepted to erect two detached and two semi-detached homes at a coal yard to the rear of Hebron Villas, Leeds Road, Langley.


The council has offered to supply “road closed” signs. The majority of parties will


still be held in village halls or on sites which do not require road closures, such as Bearsted Green, Yalding Lees, Lenham Tithe Barn and Day’s Green, Headcorn – so it will be im- possible to say just how many thousands of people will take to the streets to celebrate Her Majesty’s coronation in 1952. The website www.street-


party.org.uk, is receiving more than 1,000 hits a day and it is estimated between two and three million parties will be held nationwide.


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