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Protest over ‘threats’ to hospital services
FEARS of a new threat to services at Maidstone Hospital have led to a protest to health secretary Je- remy Hunt. A letter has been sent by Dennis Fowle, chairman of MASH (Maid- stone Action for Services in Hospi- tal) and it also goes to Dr Bob Bowes (chairman of NHS West Kent Clinical Commissioning Group) and Tony Jones (chairman of Maidstone and Tunbridge NHS Trust). Mr Fowle, who led two cam- paigns to retain services at Maid- stone Hospital, said he was concerned about two recent devel- opments that could endanger the remaining services. They are: Government strengthening legal powers to close “failing” hospitals; NHS view in some quarters that Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells NHS Trust should be responsible for just one hospital with two cen- tres.
His letter says: “There is a long history of deep concern among many of the 250,000 or so popula- tion of greater Maidstone area since
the ‘shot-gun’ marriage of Maid- stone and Tunbridge Wells into a single NHS trust.” He says such concern is justified by subsequent events. “The Tunbridge Wells-domi-
nated trust board concentrated on financing a new Tunbridge Wells Hospital – at a disastrous cost to patient care. This led to almost 100 deaths from the C-Diff infection
“
There is a long history of deep concern among many
of the 250,000 or so popula- tion of greater Maidstone area since the shot-gun marriage of Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells into a single NHS trust
and a healthcare investigation end- ing with the removal of just about the whole trust board, including the chief executive. “Tunbridge Wells Hospital is funded by a Private Finance Initia- tive, and financing this is a major
challenge for the trust, with im- pacts on Maidstone’s local hospital. “The Maidstone area fought a
major campaign against reconfigu- ration of emergency and or- thopaedic surgery to Tunbridge Wells Hospital – and lost. “The Maidstone area fought an
even bigger campaign against re- configuration ofwomen’s and chil- dren’s services to a TunbridgeWells Hospital up to an hour away, over mainly country lanes and other poor transport links – and lost. “Despite thesemajor setbacks the people of the Maidstone area – this population appears set to grow by 50,000 by 2031 – still strongly val- ues and support its own local hos- pital.
“Maidstone and TunbridgeWells
NHS Trust has two excellent, sepa- rate hospitals serving two well-de- fined areas. “We see this as one trust with two hospitals – both seemingly per- forming well for their separate communities despite an imposed financial straitjacket, which should not be interpreted as ‘failure’.”
Water music BOATERS on the Medway in Maid- stone have found themselves very much “in tune” with the wind and the waves. Some of them so much so that
they have unearthed a new tourist attraction – which they have dubbed “Maidstone’s best-kept secret”. The so-called underwater piano
is created by the reflection of the underside of the main town cen- tre bridge (looking from the town side towards the Travelodge) that resembles the keys of a piano. It is only clearly visible to those passing underneath, either on the towpath or by boat – but thanks to modern technology, we are able to share it with you.
News
Published by D.A.Weedon on behalf of Maidstone and the Weald Liberal Democrats, 56, Bower Mount Road ME16 8AU Maidstone Town May 2014 3
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