downsmail.co.uk Medical centre
will go ahead’ Continued from page one
development near M20 Junction 7. Councillors felt the scheme would have been detrimental to the town centre. Last year Mr Dickmann was
given planning permission to build a 98,000sqm KIMS extension – MMC – for new hospitals, a uni- versity and rehabilitation village. His letter said: “Should the Land Securities deal not be approved I will seriously reconsider investing in this scheme [MMC] and will therefore concentrate my attention on the alternative locations in Ash- ford or Kings Hill.” However, after the refusal of the Newnham Court proposal, which would have introduced aWaitrose and Debenhams and 17 retail units, Mr Dickmann told the Downs Mail: “We will still build it”. The MMC proposal promised
traffic improvements to Bearsted Road and J7 that would cost about £7m. Mr Dickmann was relying on Land Securities to help fund these. Mr Dickmann said he would be willing to pay for some of the in- frastructureworks. Land Securities’ Lester Hampson
said: “We will consider our next move carefully.”
Junction 7 | News
NHS patients’wait for access to new hospital
MAIDSTONE’S new KIMS hos- pital at Newnham Court is not yet making its ultra-modern NHS fa- cilities available to NHS patients. “We are surprised and pressing
hard for a very early change of heart by the local NHS,” said Franz Dickmann (below), the KIMS pres- ident and Kings Hill entrepreneur who spent more than eight years turning his £95m dream to reality. “This hospital can bring so many benefits to the people of Maidstone and Kent.” He wants to
see KIMS, which opened in April off M20 Junction 7, available to GPs and patients through the choose-and-
book system for hospitals. He said that when planning per- mission was granted, Maidstone Council included a condition for 25% use by NHS patients and this had NHS support. Mr Dickmann said NHS patients
Services we offer: Maidstone
• A vibrant Day Care Service in seven locations throughout the Borough in partnership with Golding Homes and the PCT
• If required, transport can be provided to the Day Care facilities on our fleet of mini-buses
• Community Foot Care Services in the home or at our nearest clinic.
• Community Bathing Service in the home for Maidstone & Malling
• Independent Living Support for those that need help with their housework, garden or shopping
• Volunteering opportunities • Advocacy Service for Maidstone & Malling • Disability Travel Vouchers on behalf of Maidstone Borough Council
• Computer Classes for the over 60’s • A list of local traders that have been recommended to us by older people
• Wheelchair Hire from our office in the town centre • The Goodman Centre for clients with Dementia • Information & advice for over 50’s in our office in Mill Street.
For more information on all our services, please feel free to contact us at: 7, Mill Street, Maidstone, Kent. ME15 6XW Between the hours of 10am-4pm Monday – Thursday, 10am-2pm Friday Or telephone us on 01622 753618 Or email:
info@ageukmaidstone.org.uk Or visit our website:
www.ageuk/
maidstone.org.uk
Maidstone East July 2014 17 Key facts
In the first three weeks there were 414 private patients (40% more than planned) in the 101-bed hospital, 80% of them from Maidstone. The broad range of specialisms will develop during the summer. The staff number will grow to 380 in addition to clinicians on call. There are nine operating theatres and one nurse to four patients. The 200 parking spaces will soon grow to 400.
were being sent to top London hos- pitals for specialist surgery that would be available at KIMS at 20% less than London charges and in some cases at higher standards, due to more modern methods at the new hospital. “We can operate the hospital very successfully with private patients,” he added. “But this is not good news for NHS patients who will miss out on the very wide, top clin- ical expertise and the magnificent modern, safe facilitieswe offer.” Since last year, the tight local
NHS budget has largely been held by the GP-led West Kent Clinical Commissioning Group, which has
had concerns about the business impact of KIMS on the finances of its two acute hospitals at Maidstone and TunbridgeWells. In answer to a Downs Mail ques-
tion at a meeting of the group’s governing body, chief officer Ian Ayres said it would be considering commissioning policies this au- tumn and if KIMS serviceswere se- lected, they could be used by next April. He said the 25% figurewas a planning condition but not an obli- gation on the NHS. There was an interest in specialist services pro- vided by London hospitals but these were not yet available at KIMS.
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