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Tunbridge Wells NHS Trust news


Stroke concern


PERFORMANCE in treating stroke patients “remains a key concern and a priority for action and improvement”. The trust has drawn up an ac-


tion plan and steering group. Key aims are early assessment and treatment and specialist care in the strokeward. Extra staff are being engaged, including a consultant to ensure stroke medical cover at all times and clinical nurse specialist.


Birthing trend


THE national rise in Caesarean births is being reflected locally. Across the UK rates have doubled in 20 years to 25%. Lo- cally the figure for May was 25.8% and for June, 28.8%. The trust is workign to reduce the rates by presenting options to women and is planning to in- troduce mobile epidurals to en- courage mobility in labour.


New meetings


THE trust has started “deep dive” workshop-style meetings to investigate key problems.


Care response


THE trust is responding to crit- icism that it does not have end- of-life care in its mandatory training of staff and a group has been set up to oversee an im- plementation plan.


Burns case


THE health and safety execu- tive is bringing a prosecution against the trust after an 18- month investigation into a pa- tient burn in Maidstone in October 2012.


News


Young dancers thrilled to make it big in Vegas


HIGH kicks and slick flicks earned a group of Maidstone dancers a haul of trophies when they took on their American counterparts in Las Vegas. A group of 34 girls, aged from


eight to 15, from the Mandy Ellen Performing Arts College in Earl Street, performed 42 dance routines in a five-day test of stamina against dance troupes from across the USA. Despite the rigours of an 11-hour


flight, the girls came away with a posse of trophies – including one of only six entertainment awards pre- sented during the competition. Mandy Ellen said: “It was hard


work, but well worth it and the place is just buzzing now.” Mandy, whose dancers won na-


tional TV acclaim when they reached the live semi-finals of Britain’s Got Talent six years ago, has been entering dancers in the Starpower competition in London for the past five years. The girls qualified for the US con-


test and 100 dancerswere given the chance of a lifetime. Mandy said: “I would like to


thank the families and friends for all their support. It’s something they won’t forget and was worth all the hardwork they put in.” Dancers competed in solo, duo,


trio, large and small group contests – and still found time to visit the NewYorkNewYork Hotel and ride on a gondola at the famous Vene-


Castle concert ‘best yet’


THIS year's open air classical concert set against the backdrop of the Leeds Castle has been hailed by concert-goers as the best ever. In a year that commemo-


rates the centenary of World War I, the 75th anniversary of the start of World War II and the 70th anniversary of the D- Day landings, passion and emotion spilled out in front of a flag-waving crowd. The evening got off to a rous-


ing start with the Band of the Royal Air Force ATC Pipes and Drums 2513 Squadron, and the RAF Battle of Britain Memorial Fight soared overhead to the sound of the Dambusters March, played by the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra and conducted by John Rigby. The show also featured the Salisbury Plain Military Wives Choir, the P&O Ferries Choir and amoving Last Post played at sunset by buglers on the castle ramparts.


Investment returns questioned


MAIDSTONE Council has hit back at a suggestion that it is not earning enough interest on council taxpay- ers’ money.


Newly-elected Labour councillor


for Fant, Cllr Paul Harper, was backed by Conservatives and Lib Dems when he challenged figures put before a recent audit committee, which revealed the council earned just £231,000 in interest last year, de- spite having more than £19m in re- serves – about 0.77%. Cllr Harper said: “With inflation


at or close to 2% for most of the pe- riod, this means we are losing sub- stantial value every year.” But a council spokesman said this was not the case. “While it is possi-


14 Maidstone Town August 2014


ble for members of the public to gain greater rates for their invest- ments, the council is considered to be a business and when lending amounts of £1m plus, it fits some- where between an individual and a large investor. For that reason it is hard to get much above base rate.” The council has £3m invested


with Lloyds Bank for two years – the maximum period permitted by the council’s strategy. Lloyds is cur- rently offering long-term fixed rates of 1.3% for two years. But rates for short-term investments – less than a year – are nearer 0.75% or 0.5%, de- pending on ease of access. The council’s audit committee supported Cllr Harper in seeking a


review of the process, with the find- ings being presented at a future meeting, so that members could de- cide if there was a way to get a bet- ter rate of return for the residents. But the council spokesman said:


“The strategy approved by council is to protect taxpayers’money above everything else, therefore we must protect the capital and maintain liq- uidity of our investments before considering return (interest earned). “The council’s strategy allows in-


vestment in a limited number of AAA-rated or government-backed organisations, which are so secure they can afford to pay low rates. None of the investments are with building societies or small banks.”


tian Palazzo. Inspired by the buzz of interna-


tional competition, the students are already looking at where they might compete next year. Mandy said: “Next year we will


look at taking some of our boys. They have certainly been bitten by the travel bug – and when they saw the standard of competition, it re- ally made them up their game. “We are absolutely thrilled – it


still hasn’t really sunk in.” Mandy, who is Maidstone born


and bred, set up her school to show local students itwasn’t necessary to travel to London to reach the top. Her most recent graduates have


all found work and Mandy said: “We have a terrific amount of local talent. It’s just a question of putting in the hours and thework.”


Why our tax


bills are up Continued from page one


each year, an increase of 10.6% over five years. Accountant UHY Hacker


Young said the statistics are due to the shift of the tax burden onto higher earners living in stockbroker belt towns in the South East, within commuting distance of London. They have been hit by an increase in the upper rate of tax, currently at 45p, and as tax thresholds have not increased in line with infla- tion, more people have been pushed into the highest bands. The firm said:“With property


prices in London pushing many out of the capital and into the surrounding counties we are likely to see a further increase in higher earners in other areas of Kent.


“The area weathered the re- cession well, with a large num- ber of residents continuing to take home significant pay pack- ets. The downside of Kent’s large number of high earners is that residents have some of the highest income tax bills in the country.” Sevenoaks and Tunbridge


Wells top the league in Kent, while Medway and Ashford had a drop in the average in- come tax bills over the past five years.


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