News Call to review


homes target Continued from page one


those people who have objected to certain parts.” Of the 2,000 responses to the draft,


most voice concerns about the pres- sure on villages, the number of houses and infrastructure, he said. MrRobertson has written to coun-


cil chief executive Alison Broom. He said several local councillors had suggested the 19,600 target might be driven by the council’s aim for addi- tional funding from central Govern- ment and said: “I hope this is not the case and anewfigure can be agreed. “If this [amount of development]


is replicated in other local authority areas across Kent, the county will suffer massive infrastructure and ca- pacity problems. “Due to my fundamental dis- agreement with the local plan over the projected housing numbers and their implication for the rest of the plan, I am afraid that I cannot sup- port [the plan] as currently drafted.” Cllr Collins said: “It is the coalition


Government that wants as many houses built as possible. “If we do not have a plan, devel-


opers will target the greenfield sites first, in desirable locations, where people want to live, until they run out. Then they will turn to brown- field sites.”


downsmail.co.uk


Hospital defends care aer report criticism


MAIDSTONE Hospital has hit back at a damning report that claims it is failing to meet some basic national standards of care. The Care Quality Commission


(CQC) made an unannounced visit in February to look at two key areas: the care of patients undergoing sur- gical procedures and the provision of care for children. While all the people inspectors


spoke to were positive about the care they had received before and after surgery, somewere not happy about the number of delays and can- cellations they had experienced. In some instances, patients were


asked to give their consent for sur- gery while already on the trolley ready for theatre. This meant that, although they


had consented to their operation going ahead, they might not have had sufficient time or information to make an informed choice, according to inspectors. Other findings: • Patients did not always receive care from appropriately qualified staff. • Arrangementswere not in place for patients to receive on-going


care from their consultant. • Children receiving care did not always have access to staff trained in paediatric medicine. • The paediatric resuscitation team did not routinely contain a paedia- trician out of hours. The team identified a number of concerns – including the manage- ment of risks to patients’health,wel- fare and safety. Professor Edward Baker, deputy


chief inspector of hospitals for the south, said: “We’ve identified some serious issues at this hospital around surgical services. Patients are entitled to be treated in services which are safe, effective, caring,well run, and responsive to their needs.” But Dr Paul Sigston, medical di-


rector for the trust, said some of the report’s findings were based on in- correct assumptions and defended the hospital’s safety record. He said staffing levels complied


with national guidelines and said: “Our hospitals are very safe. We have good mortality rates, positive patient feedback, high-quality out- comes and excellent infection con- trol.We are also improving in all of


these areas and this is evidenced through robust local and national safety and quality indicators.” He said the trust had launched a review of paediatric care in A&E and an assessment of paediatric nursing levels. The trust is also examining proce-


dures for patients admitted on the day of surgery, to ensure they re- ceive privacy and dignity and have sufficient time to discuss concerns. Dr Sigston said: “We welcome


many areas of this latest review that identify good clinical practice, posi- tive patient comments and opportu- nities which we are quickly addressing to improve patient care. “We are also clarifying some in- correct assumptions within the re- port.” The trust has examined its gover-


nance processes and introduced monthly quality and safety meet- ings. It has reviewed its surgical services and is said to be happy that these are of a high standard. CQC inspectors are expected to


return – again unannounced – in the near future to check that the neces- sary changes have been made.


Golding Homes Lifeline – help at the touch of a button


Are you caring for a relative who needs support and who is vulnerable in some way? Do you have someone you care for who wishes to remain independently living in their own home with quality of life?


For example someone who may be: ‰Home from Hospital after surgery or an accident


‰ Disabled child or adult ‰ Elderly and frail ‰ Vulnerable young persons ‰ Have mental health issues ‰Be in recovery from drug/alcohol problems


‰ Have learning disabilities ‰Anyone who is anxious about bogus callers, anti-social behaviour or who just need reassurance at the press of a button


4 Maidstone Town June 2014


We offer a service for the local community where fully trained staff are able to deal with every situation via a call centre who can contact a key holder, a family member or the emergency services to provide cover and peace of mind 24 hours a day 365 days a year.


All you need to have the Golding Homes Lifeline is a telephone socket, a working phone line and a power point within 6 feet. There is a one off charge to install the equipment and a monthly charge for lease of the lifeline and calls monitoring.


Why not call for a free demonstration on Freephone 0800 923 2700 reference DM1.


Established in 2004, following the transfer of housing stock from Maidstone Council, Golding Homes is one of the largest not for profit housing associations in the South East region, and owns and manages more than 6000 homes in Mid Kent.


www.goldinghomes.org.uk


24hrs 365 days a year


Visit our website for more details


a day


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