downsmail.co.uk` Hospital is safe, assures trust


FEARS that Maidstone Hospitalwas too small to survive an NHS shake- up have been put to rest.


THE Department of Health (DoH), West Kent Clinical Com- missioning Group (CCG) and Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells NHS Trust (MTW) have all re- sponded to MASH (Maidstone Ac- tion for Services in Hospital) with assurances about the future of Maidstone Hospital. Dr Bob Bowes, chairman of CCG,


says: “We share a clear view that the people of Maidstone deserve and should receive high-quality care, locally delivered where possi- ble.


“We are committed to the need


for Maidstone Hospital to develop and have a long-term future and cannot envisage a situation where both Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells hospitals do not have anA&E department. Dr Bowes pointed out two signif-


icant NHS trends, one of which would localise many services as close as possible to where people live. But the other centralises some specialist services to achieve suffi- cient activity to ensure consistent high quality. “We willwork to ensure decision making is open, based on solid ev-


Station revamp may be on track


A LONG-awaited plan to develop Maidstone East Station and the re- dundant sorting office in nearby Sandling Road has been received by Maidstone Council. The outline application, from


Solum Regeneration, comes 15 years after the development po- tential of the site was first dis- cussed, and hot on the heels of a decision by the borough council’s planning committee to refuse per- mission for a supermarket at


nearby Springfield. The development, which would


also take in the Cantium House of- fice block, proposes a superstore (8,296 sqm), café and 580 parking spaces, a filling station, and further units with widespread uses includ- ing financial and professional serv- ices, hot food takeaways and a “drinking establishment”. The plan also includes a new rail-


way station building (330sqm), with parking for 560 cars.


Affordable homes leader


MAIDSTONE is one of the league leaders at delivering affordable new homes. The borough has provided 1,050 affordable properties since April 2010 – either to rent or buy through shared ownership – put- ting it on a par with many London boroughs and cities such as Brad- ford, Coventry and Liverpool. Nationally, nearly 200,000 new affordable homes have been deliv- ered in the past four years, of which more than 32,000 are in the South East. Maidstone has seen 1,050 new


affordable homes delivered, with a further 1,060 in neighbouring Medway. Two thirds of the homes were planned through the afford- able homes programme, in which the Government is investing £19.5 billion.


Housebuilding is now at its highest level since 2007 and the af- fordable homes programme, which includes social rented homes, affordable rented homes and affordable homeownership schemes, is a key part of the Gov- ernment’s long-term economic plan.


Civic pair guests at reception MAIDSTONE’S mayor and mayoress met civic heads from across the county at a reception hosted by Kent’s Lord Lieutenant. Cllr Richard Thick and his wife Roseanne met fellow first citizens


and deputy lieutenants at Lord LieutenantVis- count De L’Isle’s home, Penshurst Place, near Tonbridge.


Accompanied by his


wife, Viscount De L’Isle congratulated the new civic heads on their honorary roles, adding: “I wish you a happy, memorable and productive year.”


24


From left: Deputy Lieutenant Bill Cockcroft; Maid- stone mayoress Roseanne Thick; the Lord-Lieu- tenant Viscount De L’Isle; Viscountess De L’Isle and Cllr Richard Thick.


Maidstone Town August 2014


idence and achieves best outcomes for patients – both our hospital sites must succeed and excel,” he said. The DoH says powers to deal


with a failing hospital trust would only be used in extreme circum- stances and patients and public would have “a proper say”. It added the powers “cannot be used as a general approach for reconfig- uration of acute services – a process that is properly led locally by NHS commissioners”. MASH chairman Dennis Fowle


said: “These assurances are impor- tant andwelcome.”


Diabetes services


CONSULTANT-led specialist serv- ices for diabetes will be available in four locations inWest Kent by De- cember, says the NHS West Kent Clinical Commissioning Group. Staff from many GP surgeries


have completed specialist diabetes training so thatmore than 200,000 patients can receive services in the community rather than in hospital.


Monthly prescription


TOavoidwastage patients willnow be given prescriptions for a 28-day period but GPs have discretion to prescribe for a longer period.


Pal’s bike challenge to help hospital unit


A FRIENDSHIP that started at school is the motivation behind a marathon cycle ride from Portugal – across the Pyrenees – to Maid- stone on August 1. The money will make visiting the


renal unit at the Maidstone Hospi- tal as pleasant as possible for pa- tients in future – an ambition casually mentioned by Richard Winchester to his chum of 42 years after receiving treatment there. In 2005 Richard (50), a car insur-


ance salesman from Hedley Street, Maidstone,was diagnosed with in- myeloma – an incurable form of cancer – and in 2012 received a kid- ney transplanted from his wife Al- ison.


Now Gary Blesson, who runs a


boot camp for bikers in Portugal and has known Richard since he was eight, has volunteered to do the fund-raising ride, along with fellow rider David Shepherd. Gary, who gave Richard his nick-


name of Richello when theywere at school in Surrey, said: “Chello men- tioned in conversation his gratitude to the staff at the renal unit for giv- ing him precious time with friends and family and I wanted to do something to help him say thank you.” The 1,400-mile ride from Mi-


randa de Corvo, in central Portugal, is expected to take them twoweeks. They will arrive at Dover on Au- gust 15, where they hope local cycle clubs will join them for the final


Richard (left) and Gary


push to the hospital. Gary said: “It will be tough, but


I’monly doing the ride. Chello has been amazing, coping with every- thing. He has strength I can only imagine and I would do anything for him.” Richard, who has a 24-year-old


son, said: “Gary’s a lot fitter than me and loves a challenge and I have every confidence the pair will go the distance.” He said the renal unit – and that


at Canterbury – had played a major part in his treatment, as had his wife, a sales manager for a recruit- ment firm in London. Back atwork after another round


of chemotherapy, Richard, who is in remission again, joked: “I can’t get away with buying her cheap presents any more, that’s for sure.” You can sponsor the Delucci


Chello challenge by visiting www.delucci.co.uk.


Charity planning new car park at HQ


THEMCCHSociety has applied to build a car park at its base in 84 Hol- land Road, Maidstone. The car park would mean another 10 spaces for the charity, which


helps people with learning disabilities, autism and mental health needs. Maidstone Council will decide the application.


News


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