News | Health


Lifestyle focus THENHSWest Kent Clinical Com- missioning Group is backing the decision to commission in Kent an “integrated lifestyle” service. It would essentially be a public


health prevention service covering smoking, obesity and alcohol aimed mainly at those with long- term conditions and cancer preven- tion. It is likely to be provided by groups of GP practices.


Inspection


ENGLAND’s Chief Inspector of Hospitals will visit Tunbridge Wells’and Maidstone’s hospitals to inspect services provided by the area’s NHS Trust. Prof Sir Mike Richards team was


due to start their detailed inspec- tion on October 14. The findings will be published by the Care Qual- ity Commission later in the year.


Faster service THENHSWest Kent Clinical Com- missioning Group received a report on Kent improvements to the child and adolescent mental health serv- ices, which showed “clear im- provements to waiting times” and numberswaiting for treatment sig- nificantly reduced.


Quicker scans WORK progresses on improving stroke services at Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells hospitals with more patients receiving a CT scan within one hour.


downsmail.co.uk NHS facing local cuts


CUTS in local NHS services are threatened now the GP-led West Kent Clinical Commissioning Group is running over budget for the first time.


The group is almost halfway through the year with an over- spend of about £4m. The governing body was told at its September meeting that it could face challeng- ing and difficult decisions. Most overspend relates to in- creasing activity at Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells hospitals – but there are concerns too about costs of other stakeholders. Urgent dis- cussions are being held with the hospital trust to try to bring activ-


ity under control – but the problem is expected to worsen before im- provement. The financial problems appear to


be facing many similar groups. Chief officer IanAyres said itwas a national issue and a current politi- cal challenge in a system “with a huge number of pressures”. The group is investigating urgent


steps to meet budget by year-end and prevent carrying forward a deficit into next year. These will in-


clude reducing unnecessary GP re- ferrals to the hospitals; maximising effectiveness of contracts; review- ing high A&E usage; and closing Romneyward at MaidstoneHospi- tal where special care is provided largely for the elderly. Chief officer Ian Ayres said the


group was looking at changes to some services to improve them for patients and to deliver within budget. Arecovery plan should be put before the next meeting.


Pals’ bike challenge helps kidney units


DAD Richard Winchester says he is only alive today because his wife gave him one of her kidneys. The 50-year-old insurance salesman from Maidstone needed the life-saving transplant after cancer knocked out his kidneys. To thank the medical team who


saved him, Richard challenged his best man Gary Blesson to a 1,400- mile (2,300km) charity bike ride. Keen cyclist Gary and his friend


Dave Shepherd (53) spent 14 days in the saddle on a gruelling non- stop journey fromLisbon in Portugal, over the Pyrenees and across the Spanish desert to the


Critical hospital report ‘poor quality’


THE damning report on Maidstone Hospital issued by the Care Qual- ity Commission (CQC) has now come under attack by the NHS West Kent Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG), led by local GPs. The report had already been strongly criticised by KCC and Maidstone Borough Cllr Dan Daley, who is closely associated with local health bodies, and Den- nis Fowle, chairman of Maidstone Action for Services in Hospital (MASH). They felt the report lacked qual-


ity and did not fairly reflect the standards in Maidstone Hospital. NowtheCCGhas taken theCQC


to task through NHS England on two key points:  The CQC was concerned there was not a consultant obstetrician present when a woman attending A&E (for a non-maternity matter) gave birth. The CCG says this fails to recog-


nise that the Maidstone site does not have a consultant-led maternity


28 Malling October 2014


service, nor that midwives from the midwife-led birthing unit sup- ported the mother in giving birth. Itwas not reasonable for theCQC


to expect all sites with an A&E to have a consultant-led maternity service as this would not be sup- ported by best practice models of care for maternity services.  The CQC also said there was not always a consultant paediatri- cian on site at Maidstone. TheCCG said this again conflicted with the services model for children’s serv- ices that has been implemented by Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells NHS Trust across its sites. This service model was designed to meet best practice models for chil- dren’s services. Mr Fowle, who raised the issue at


a CCG meeting, said: “The CQC has a great responsibility to ensure its reports are fair and accurate and do not unfairly damage confidence in local NHS services. “I have always felt this was a poor quality report.”


Richard welcomes Gary and Dave to Maidstone Hospital after their ride


Maidstone Kidney Care Centre at Maidstone Hospital, operated by East Kent Hospitals University NHS Foundation Trust. The trip is on target to raise


£5,000 for the Maidstone and Canterbury renal units where


Respiratory help


A CONSULTANT-LED respira- tory service team for managing high-risk chronic obstructive pul- monary disease is being planned by West Kent Clinical Commis- sioning Group (CCG) for delivery by Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells Hospital Trust. This is expected to help patients


with long-term respiratory condi- tions reduce unplanned hospital admissions by 20% and ensure prevention programmes includ- ing smoking cessation, healthy exercise andweight loss.


Children’s A&E


WEST KentCCGisworking with the hospital trust on national rec- ommendations for paediatric pathways in A&E to ensure stan- dards are being met. Consultant cover was criticised in a CQC re- port.


Special needs care


AGROUP of experts is reporting nationally on how to provide health and care for patients with learning difficulties to reduce re- liance on hospital care.


Richard was treated. He said: “We have also been given one of Sir BradleyWiggins’s cycling shirts to auction. I’m hoping we can top £7,000.” To donate, go to www.justgiving. com/RICHARD-WINCHESTER.


Stroke changes


MAIDSTONE and Tunbridge Wells Hospital Trust has “recog- nised that the current stroke serv- ice does not provide best care for patients in a consistent manner.” There is a “case for change” and possible redesign of the service offered at both trust hospitals.


Falls prevention


THEfalls prevention team at local hospitals is working on an im- proved strategy. Recent invest- ment includes low-rise beds, alarm mats and non-slip socks.


Transport beer


THE patient transport service provided by NSL Transport lo- cally is seen as “generally im- proved” since November but further improvements were needed to make it more reliable. Main complaints still concern delay in providing transport.


Positive response


PEOPLE are now seen as receiv- ing “positive care” fromNHS111 after its problematic start – but with room still for improvement.


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