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Cancer victim ‘ignored’ in weeks before death
A WIDOW claims her late husband was misdiagnosed and disrespected by healthcare staff in the weeks before his death.
Joan Godding has lodged a formal complaint against the hospital trust after she battled to get her husband Brian into Tunbridge Wells Hospital after Maidstone diagnosed his can- cer as soft tissue damage and arthri- tis. Crippled with pain and too ill to travel in a car, Mr Godding (77) spent hours waiting for ambulances and sitting in A&E waiting rooms, racked in pain.
In desperation, his family even left him on a hospital trolley after staff refused to admit him to hospital, de- spite being given specific instruc- tions to do so from their GP. “This was an absolutely heart- breaking thing for us to do,” said Mrs Godding, of Priory Close, East Farleigh.
“We will be forever haunted by leaving him ill, in pain, unwell and alone. However, we knew we had to do this; it was the only way.” The family wants a written apol- ogy for the treatment Mr Godding received in Maidstone and Tun- bridge Wells hospitals and a thor- ough investigation into the case. The retired father of two, who worked his whole career for Teston- based grounds and landscape com- pany Turfsoil Ltd, had been suffering from shingles for eight weeks when he was suddenly gripped by a crippling pain in his thigh in August last year.
Following an X-ray at Maidstone Hospital, he was told it was soft tis- sue damage. In agony, he returned
to the hospital four days later, only to be told he had not allowed suffi- cient time for it to heal. Ten days later, when Mr God- ding’s speech became slurred, his wife feared he had suffered a stroke. Paramedics said they could not take him to Tunbridge Wells Hospital in Pembury so GP Dr Graham Makey faxed the hospital, arranging for him to be taken there by ambulance and admitted for an MRI scan. The ambulance arrived five hours later – but the hospital claimed no arrangement had been made for him to be admitted. It was at this point Mrs Godding and her two daughters Susan and Debra made the heart- wrenching decision to walk
6 Food credit for ‘friendly’ village pub
THE King and Queen at East Malling was Kent’s runner-up Din- ing Pub of the Year in this year’s Taste of Kent Awards.
The New Road pub prides itself on its great atmosphere and fantas- tic food, which found favour with the judges, who said of the 16th cen- tury pub: “The Romney Marsh breast of lamb was succulent and rich and the vegetables included roasted sprouts. We felt well cared for and at home – just the sort of friendly local I would like in my vil- lage.”
The award was received at a black tie dinner at Detling Showground by owner David Drury, who has had
March 2016 No. 227 News River connection
A NEW bridge over the River Medway is due to open at the end of this summer.
4 Young carers praise
TRIBUTES were paid to young carers to celebrate the annual awareness day. 10
Homes on print land
NEW housing could be built on the former Aylesford Newsprint site.
12 Times are changing
MAIDSTONE Museum is to close on Mondays to save cash and aid maintenance.
Comment 46-47
17 26
Crime Reports 27
A MIXER and bags of cement were among items stolen from a farm in West Peckham.
Obituaries 34 Parish Councils42-43
A PEDESTRIAN gate to the new play area in Addington had van- ished; Aylesford members were keen to buy the Blue Bell Hill pic- nic site; an EU directive could leave Birling in the dark; ‘stupid’ drivers were lamented in Mere- worth; a bus shelter request in Ryarsh was refused; a war explo- sive was found in Wateringbury.
the pub since December 2000. The other category finalist was The Kings Head at Wye and the win- ning pub was The George Inn at Molash.
David Drury (second left) from the King and Queen at East Malling with his three guests Chris Terry, Steve Rutt and Michael Mowbray
Inside this edition: Shiny Mall
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THE Mall shopping centre in Maidstone town centre has a shiny new entrance. To see how it looks, and for more on the refur- bishment scheme, go to page 35.
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AN eyesore wall in East Malling came tumbling down thanks to a strong community effort. For details, see the four-page supple- ment by Malling Action Partner- ship, which supports people, businesses and events in the 11 parishes in the Malling area.
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