East January 2015

downsmail.co.uk Early deaths

THE figure for potential years of life lost to conditions amenable to NHS care in West Kent is “markedly lower” than the Eng- land average. But the downward national gradient suggests progress in stemming premature deaths is outpacing the rate of change in West Kent.

Skin service

THENHSWest Kent Clinical Com- missioning Group is planning to commission an integrated consult- ant-led dermatology service for children and adults.

Help to go home

AGEUKis to assist in a “take home and settle” service for patients dis- charged from Maidstone Hospital. The service can provide trans-

port; home safety assessment; help with cleaning and shopping and medication and social support.

Dementia care

THE commissioning group now has a dementia strategy and imple- mentation group to establish an in- tegrated approach to ensure early diagnosis and patient support.

Formore local news www.downsmail.co.uk

Health | News

‘Radical’ new look for out-of-hours services

By Dennis Fowle

A COMPREHENSIVE NHS out- of-hours and hospital-at-home service for Maidstone and the rest ofWest Kent will start to operate from September 2015. This “radical service design”

will be introduced in two phases. The GP-led West Kent Clinical Commissioning Group has agreed to commission by tender the serv- ice and says the key elements are:  Primary care help for patients with urgent care needs, often ini- tiated by an NHS 111 phone call.  Integration of out-of-hospital provision with ambulance, primary care and community services working together as potentially a single urgent-care service. The group currently commis-

sions three core primary care serv- ices to deliver urgent and emergency care. They are an out- of-hours service; an enhanced rapid response health and social care service to support people at

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 January 2015 15 NHS 111 improves

TheNHS111 phone service has op- erated for 18 months. After a poor start inWest Kent it now routinely achieves national standards. About 100,000 calls are made every month.

home; GPs working in hospital A&E to see and treat primary care type patients. The first phase of the service will

see these three services combined in one contract to improve integra- tion and reduce fragmentation. This contract will run for two

years (from 2015 to 2017) “to allow the group more time for the devel- opment of phase two, in which the group will procure a more com- plex and comprehensive urgent care service that would engage all key providers locally”. The group sees the main strate-

gic objectives of the new service as:  Reducing A&E attendances

and emergency admissions.  Developing more community services to avoid transfers to hos- pital. The hospital-at-home service

will provide responsive short- term, clinical care and acute reha- bilitation to patients in crisis, with ongoing assessment and, where needed, referral for longer term treatment or community support. It will provide medical, nursing and social input to patients at home and also work closely with hospitals’ discharge teams and GP practices to facili- tate early discharges.  Making best use of the enhanced rapid response service to provide health and social care support for people at home.  Supporting wider introduc- tion of NHS 111 locally that does not lead to increased A&E attendances.  Working with the ambulance service to care for more people in the community, decreasing de- mand for hospital services.

Page 1 | Page 2 | Page 3 | Page 4 | Page 5 | Page 6 | Page 7 | Page 8 | Page 9 | Page 10 | Page 11 | Page 12 | Page 13 | Page 14 | Page 15 | Page 16 | Page 17 | Page 18 | Page 19 | Page 20 | Page 21 | Page 22 | Page 23 | Page 24 | Page 25 | Page 26 | Page 27 | Page 28 | Page 29 | Page 30 | Page 31 | Page 32 | Page 33 | Page 34 | Page 35 | Page 36 | Page 37 | Page 38 | Page 39 | Page 40 | Page 41 | Page 42 | Page 43 | Page 44 | Page 45 | Page 46 | Page 47 | Page 48