News


downsmail.co.uk Nurses’home faces demolition


ALAST-ditch attempt by protestors to save a former nurses’home from destruction has failed. A 70-name petition was presented


to MaidstoneCouncil’s planning com- mittee by objectors to Maidstone and TunbridgeWells Trust’s application to replace the neo-Georgian building in Hermitage Lane, Maidstone, with 53 homes. But the committee, who had de-


ferred the application three weeks earlier, voted to give the go-ahead after a confidential viability report. The building formerly housed


nurses who worked at nearby Oak- wood Hospital, a psychiatric facility founded in 1833 as the Kent County Lunatic Asylum. Objectors wanted the building re-


tained on aesthetic and heritage grounds, but the trust argued it would not make financial sense to do


a conversion instead. As a non-listed building, therewas no special protec- tion on the nurses’ home. The report stated that in 2009 itwas proposed to convert the accommoda- tion into offices and a birthing centre. However, this would have cost more than £6m, with ongoing maintenance totalling more than £5m. The building requires new windows, a new roof


Hospitals ‘£11 million in the red’ MAIDSTONE and Pembury hospitals are facing an £11m overspend, according to figures revealed to the NHS Trust’s board. The budget deficit follows the resignation of finance director John Headley,


whowas in charge of the £367million budget forMaidstone and the Tunbridge Wells hospitals. A spokesman said: “We are currently reviewing our financial position. Like all


trusts in the current financial climatewe are seeking to provide the highest qual- ity care in the most efficient and productive way to give the public best value for money.”


Looking into dementia initiatives


INITIATIVES to detect dementia in Maidstone and Malling patients are being investigated. It follows a national survey that


showed just 42% of those thought to have the illness inWest Kent had re- ceived a formal diagnosis. Dr Bob Bowes, chair of NHS West


Kent Clinical Commissioning Group, agreed the area’s diagnosis rates are “disappointing”. He said: “We’reworking on a wide


range of initiatives to help increase the number of people being diag- nosed so that we can give them the support they need.” Work is also underway with part-


ners, including the county council, to support people with memory prob- lems in the West Kent health area to live and feel safe in the community. Dementia cafes, peer support groups and support for carers are all helping to improve the lives of people with dementia. A free 24-hour helpline for people


with dementia and their carers, offer- ing advice and emotional support is available on 0800 500 3014.  About 670,000 people in England are diagnosed with dementia, with al- most 7,000 living in the NHS West Kent CCG area: 1,970 in Maidstone and 1,480 in Tonbridge and Malling.


32 Maidstone Town February 2014


and a full upgrade of all internal fit- tings including lighting, power sys- tems and security systems. Removing asbestoswould cost about £100,000. “It is going to cost millions to con-


vert and they won’t make the profit under their own rules for justifying the disposing of assets,” said commit- tee member Cllr Stephen Paine. “The corridors are very narrow in-


side and each corridor is a supporting wall, so to do the work you would need to knock down thosewalls. You would have to pretty much rebuild it inside. “It’s very sad. It’s such a pictur-


esque building, but it is not listed.” Cllr Rodd Nelson-Gracie, also a committeemember, said: “The cost of refurbishment utterly shocked me


BOUNDARY fencing at Maidstone Hospital’s mental health department has been raised to prevent patients from trying to escape. Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells


NHS Trust was given planning per- mission to replace the existing 2.35m fence at Priority House, Hermitage Lane, Maidstone with one measuring 3.1m.


Help for deaf shoppers


CAMPAIGNERS are encouraging re- tailers in Maidstone to improve their facilities for hearing-impaired shop- pers.


Hi-Kent estimates one in six cus-


tomers has a hearing impairment, yet only a quarter of the shops in Maid- stone have working hearing loops and even fewer have appropriately trained staff to deal with deaf or hear- ing impaired customers. Deaf Maidstone resident Deborah


Kapaj, in partnership with Hi-Kent andVoluntary Action Maidstone, has launched a campaign after leading a group that visited almost 100 busi- nesses in the town centre to assess how well they catered for deaf cus- tomers. Only one in four were ade-


quate. Even where premises had hearing loops installed, often the bat- terieswere flat or the staff had no idea how to use the equipment. The Maidstone Disability Focus Group, which is co-ordinated by VAM, is urging all retailers improve. Chair of the focus group, Natalie Smith said: “At less than £300 it is rel- atively inexpensive for businesses to install a hearing loop. It doesn’t cost much to run deaf awareness training for staff – local charity Hi-Kent can help with set up. Every month, the campaign will


feature businesses that cater for hear- ing impaired customers, culminating with an event duringDeafAwareness Week, May 19 - 25.


Children’s doctor set to retire


MAIDSTONE children’s consultant CharlesUnter (pictured)willretireat the end ofMarch. DrUnter joinedMaid-


stone andTunbridge WellsNHS Trust in 1991 as a consultant paedia- trician. He currently acts as clinical lead for chil- dren with cystic fibrosis in the Maidstone area, and has a special inter- est in children with res- piratory problems. Dr Unter will be replaced by an-


other consultant, who will take on his job within an 11-person paedi- atric consultant rota. The new consultant


will be based at Tun- bridge Wells Hospital, and will hold outpatient clinics at both sites. The trust has made


provisional arrange- ments forDrUnter’scys- tic fibrosis patients and specialist respiratory pa-


tients to be cared for within the serv- ice after his retirement.


when I saw the papers.Cllr Paine did- n’t mention all the asbestoswork that has to be done as well. It would be a nightmare and totally financially un- viable.” The proposed 53 homes comprise


18 one-bedroom flats, 12 four-bed- room three-storey houses for private sale, eight three-bedroom three- storey houses for affordable rent, six two-bedroom flats, five three-storey houses for private sale and four four- bedroom two-storey houses for pri- vate sale. The outline application was ap-


proved by all 13 committee members. A detailed application is likely be submitted shortly. The trust plans to raise money by selling the land to a developer.


Mental health unit escape fears A supporting statement said: “Pa-


tients continue to abscond over the fence ... and the trust could be held re- sponsible should they injure them- selves. “It is hoped that the proposal, in conjunctionwith the anti-climb gutter guard, will prevent patients from choosing this route to escape from the care facility.”


More privacy at hospice


PATIENTS will have more privacy thanks to a £370,000 project which is under way at the Heart of Kent Hos- pice, Aylesford. The improvements, which are due


to be completed in the spring, in- clude an extension to the day ther- apy centre and the conversion of a four-bedded room into three ensuite rooms. There will also be a shielded ac-


cess road to the mortuary so that ve- hicles no longer have to pass the main entrance. Vicki Morrey, interim chief execu-


tive for the hospice, said:“We are de- lighted that the Department of Health has given us capital funding to improve the facilities, which will help us to provide even higher stan- dards of care for our patients. The creation of three further indi-


vidual rooms in the inpatient unit will also give our patients greater privacy, dignity and comfort.” The work on the day therapy cen-


tre will create a separate dining area for visiting patients and provide more space for art and craft sessions and other group activities.


Offices to flats SUNIL Gulshan has been given the go-ahead to convert second floor of- fices into two flats at Invicta House, Pudding Lane, Maidstone.


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  |  Page 49  |  Page 50  |  Page 51  |  Page 52  |  Page 53  |  Page 54  |  Page 55  |  Page 56