Hospital A&E targets missed Maidstone review


PRESSURES on accident and emergency led to Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells hospital trust missing the national four-hour A&E target from December until late April. But significant im- provements have now beenmade. Areport to the trust board indicated local hos-


pitals suffered from countrywide problems of demand increasing due to winter pressures and there was a growth in ambulance conveyances. In addition, weaknesses in the new NHS 111 telephone system,withmany unable to get a re- sponse, have led to an increase in patients self- presenting to hospital A&E. The board has introduced a plan in liaison


with new West Kent GP-led clinical commis- sioning group (CCG) aimed at meeting targets in the second quarter (April, May, June) of the year.


This includes extra investment in doctors and nurses working in A&E. A GP also works in A&E departments at both hospitals to help ensure emergency referrals from other GPs are directed to the most appro- priate service. The trust hit target in the last week of April


and improvements continued in May. This led to the CCG praising in late May the trust’s A&E departments on recent improvements in waiting times which saw 98% of patients admitted, transferred or discharged within four hours of arrival. The national shortage of A&E doctors is also worrying the trust and problems in filling a sen- ior post in the new emergency ambulatory unit at Maidstone harms its effectiveness.


TWOcyclists are preparing to ride from Land’s End to Maidstone in aid of two wor- thy causes. Twenty-seven- year-olds Paul Saunders (pictured, left) of Bower Place, Maidstone and Ross Errington (right) of Orchard Avenue, Aylesford will take on the 350-mile trek in aid of Hi Kent, for the deaf and hard of hearing, and children’s charity Barnardo’s. They have given themselves three days to complete the task. Paul, who used to work for Hi Kent, explained the inspiration behind the ride: “The reason for choosing this challenge was my grandad saying after we cycled 90 miles last year to Bedfordshire that we needed to do a proper cycle! He told me about his ride from Penzance to Maidstone in three days when he was younger so we decided it was a good idea to accept that challenge.” The friends will have to ride up to 14 hours a day, during the


first weekend in July, and have named their cycle “Paul and Ross’ Hell Ride.” Paul added: “We are happy to support these two excellent causes


and raise as much money as possible to help them continue to carry out the good work they do. We are expecting the ride to be tough in places but we are both really looking forward to it. We are looking forward to the curry at the Raja of Kent, Maidstone, at the end of it all the most!” Sponsor forms are available from Hi Kent on 01622 691151 or go to http://uk.virginmoneygiving.com/team/psre350mfundraiser


RESIDENTS in Addington have won their battle against a logis- tics firm using a depot in the heart of the village for its 24- hour express courier business. The company, 999 Logistics


Ltd, sought retrospective plan- ning permission from Tonbridge andMallingCouncil to take over a former plant nursery on land adjoining Shelmerdine at The Green. But a few days before council-


lors were due to consider an of- ficers’ recommendation to refuse the proposal, the firm pulled out, retreating to a less controversial base on theMedway City Estate. The company moved onto the Addington site last year, erecting portable cabins, a timber build- ing and two shipping containers, with parking for 12 vehicles in- cluding staff cars, courier vans and small lorries. As the business expanded, res-


idents raised concerns about the number of delivery vehicles using the narrow country lanes


26 Malling


near their homes. The com- pany’s application to use the land for a further two years was opposed by the parish council and Addington Green Residents Association. Concerns included damage to the green by vans and lorries, road hazards and the vi- sual impact of the temporary buildings. “Given the nature of this business and its proximity to the village green,we feel that the proposals are harmful to the res- idential amenity,” said the parish council. Council officials agreed that


the site was unsuitable and the buildings would be out of char- acter with the rural setting. The company had thought it


could use the premises because of its historical permission for use as a nursery. Planning agent Kevin Wise said the owner did not think hewas doing anything wrong but, after resident’s com- plaints, had realised there would be a problem and had decided to leave the site.


THE trust board also heard that a major strategic review and development pro- gramme was underway at Maidstone Hospital.Newendoscopyandurology in- vestigation units were due to open in June. Work starts on new admission and discharge lounges this summer.


Emergency targets


AMBULANCES in Kent have been miss- ing emergency targets. The performance measure/ambition


for category A calls to arrive in eight minutes is75%withalower thresholdof 70%. But in April the Kent figure fell to 69.56%. Emergencies requiring a 19- minute response were 96.65%, beating targets.


We’re all off on our bikes to Land’s End


A LEUKAEMIA scare has got Andy Davies from Mereworth on his bike for a mission to ride from John O’ Groats to Land’s End in 10 days. Andy’s son Aston was treated at London’s Royal Marsden Hospital as a three-year-old after becoming increasingly pale and listless in August 2010. The diseease was ruled out but


the Mereworth Community Pri- mary School pupil, now aged six, still has twice-yearly check-ups to keep an eye on his health. The experience shook the fam-


ily, who live in Beech Road, and Andy’s wife Romy and daughter Kami (9), also a Mereworth pupil, are right behind his cycle chal- lenge, which will take place from July 12-21 Andy (39), said: “Aston’s illness


was a very traumatic time in our lives; it opened our eyes to people going through the same thing and how hospitals struggle with fund- ing for basic items, such as colouring books and pens to keep children occupied.” The route Andy will take is 1,000-miles long, requiring a 100


miles of pedalling each day. The cyclists are aiming to raise £10,000 for children’s cancer charity CLIC Sargent. To sponsor them visit www.justgiving.com/seib-jogle


Courier firm retreats from village Woodland benefits from 60 more trees


A NEWwoodland atWateringbury is blossoming,with plans to in- troduce a further 60 trees at the rural beauty spot. SterndaleWood, off Love Lane, is part of a 10-acre site owned by shareholders from the village and the woodland has been created in the former pear orchard, which took up half the site. Chairman ofWateringbury Pear Orchards, Mike Pursey, said: “In


1995 a small group of residents bought 10 acres of apple and pear orchards to keep the builders out and ensure the land was kept for agricultural use in perpetuity. “Last year the pear trees began to die off from old age and ceased


to become commercially viable, so it was decided that we would create a woodland.” The apple orchard still remains and is being looked after by


Pierce Mill Farm at Golden Green, near Tonbridge. Residents worked in partnership with the Woodland Trust to oversee the planting of 1,600 trees, which include 15 different species, such as walnut, hornbeam and wild cherry. The trust added an oak sapling that had been grown in one of the


royal parks, which has been dubbed the “royal oak” by villagers. Ambitions for the woodland are growing and Mr Pursey is ap- plying to the NorthWest Kent Countryside Partnership for 60 trees, as part of its Trees to Treasure project. The scheme is in its second year and has 8,000 trees to give away in 2013. The 80-year-old treasurer of Maidstone Horticultural Society,


who became a Star of Maidstone inMay, said: “I would like to see an avenue of mountain ash and silver birch trees planted to add to thewoodland, which is now starting to show lots of green shoots.”


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