downsmail.co.uk
considered that the maerwas urgent. The hospital refused to take the lady’s blood for analysis and so the Coxheath surgery and possibly others had decided not to co- operate with the hospital. Two elements of the same NHS service
seem to be at loggerheads with each other. What is the point of having a single health service if they behave like this. Can it really be a question of cost? If so, surely it is cheaper for the surgery to carry out the taking of blood rather than have two appointments. Why should patients be inconvenienced because a surgery and the hospital are in dispute? The results of the blood tests are recorded at the surgery and are also received by the hospital doctor, so why is it necessary to have a blood test at the hospital when it can easily be taken by the visiting phlebotomist? Colin Trelfer, by email
GP practices in west Kent do not routinely carry out blood tests ordered by the hospital and never have. In Maidstone and Malling, practices have a visiting phlebotomist to come in and take blood test samples that the GPs require. The person ordering the test is responsible for interpreting the result – so, in the case of a test ordered by the hospital, it will be the hospital doctor who needs to see the result and communicate with the patient and GP.
Response by Dr Andrew Roxburgh, diagnostics, pathology and phlebotomy clinical lead for NHSWest Kent Clinical Commissioning Group
Beach access for all
IAMthe founder of the disability awareness campaign Changing Impressions and have started a petition to enable disabled access to the beach and sea at a minimum of one beach per coastal county in England.
A LARGE metal frame holding sixwater pumpswas stolen from a commercial premises in Lodge Road, Staplehurst. Some scrap metalwas also stolen from a container and a light unit was stolen from the roof of a Mercedes van. A vehiclewas taken from a yard in Lenham Road, Headcorn. A fencewas damaged in Corner Farm
Road, Staplehurst, when someone climbed over it.
Baerieswere stolen from temporary
traffic lights in Lenham Road, Headcorn. Intruders cut through a fence in Ulcombe
Hill, Ulcombe to get to an outbuilding, before stealing items from inside. Itemswere stolen from a property on
The Green, Boughton Monchelsea. A trailerwas taken from behind a property in PloughWents Road, Chart Suon. A garden ornamentwas stolen from the garden of a property in The Quarries, Boughton Monchelsea. Stoneswere thrown at a Vauxhall Viva
being driven along Loose Road, Loose, damaging the car. A shedwas broken into at a home in
Heath Road, Boughton Monchelsea, and a lawn mower, a strimmer, a chain saw and some copper scrapwas stolen. Plant machinerywas taken from a
As a special educational needs teacher
and twin to a brother with cerebral palsy, I am aware that individuals with mobility difficulties can miss opportunities in many aspects of life because of their needs. However, I do not feel that something as simple as going to the beach should be one of these. Poor access can be a problem during
family holidays as it can split up the family group when it is time to go to the beach. I don't feel that someone should have to miss out of this because of a mobility need. Many locations abroad are beginning to provide these services and I feel that in England they should become a more regular feature. As the petition stands at present, just
under 2,000 signatures have been gained since the end of February when it was started. However, a further 8,000 signatures are required by the end of August in order to make the government respond to the petition. There is still a long way to go. To sign the petition, please go to
petition.parliament.uk/petitions/122392 Leanne Burgess, Maidstone
Schools under pressure
MAIDSTONE has recently witnessed huge changes in its population growth and forecasts indicate this will continue due to ongoing trends for inward migration and an increasing local birth rate. As a result, the growth in demand for primary school places will continue to put pressure on all our local schools. Over the last three years, KCC has seen significant demand for school places arising from new housing developments in Maidstone. In the absence of a revised Local Plan, it is difficult for county to adequately plan for additional school places that might be required. Maidstone’s previous Local Plan, adopted in 2000, identified 7,400 new
homes; this compares against a revised housing need of 18,560 dwellings through until 2035. It is of prime importance that new housing developments mitigate their educational impact through developer’s financial contributions, enabling the expansion of existing schools, the establishment of new free schools and, where appropriate, the development of new academies. Hence, development proposals should
only be supported where adequate provision can be provided, which clearly extends to wider aspects of infrastructure provision than just education. It is not just the densely-populated areas
of urban Maidstone, but the rural fringes too which are facing similar pressure on primary places. Headcorn, Marden and Harrietsham/Lenham have been identified for expansion. However, in a number of these locations,
the expansion of existing primary schools would be extremely difficult due to lack of space on the school site or planning constraints. KCC is currently exploring a number of options for school expansions right across the district, together with the new school at Langley Park due to open in September 2016. This will support capacity for the large amount of housing already being built in the area, together with potential further expansion subject to planning consent. However, the continued indigenous growth and inward migration will continue to present challenges and speculative planning applications will continue to be submied, which aswe are witnessing, can be challenging and require solutions not only in education but in the provision of wider infrastructure needs. Gary Cooke, Kent County Council, (Maidstone South East)
See our education coverage on pages 4, 5 and 6 of this edition.
NeighbourhoodWatch Working to reduce crime. Call Crimestoppers 0800 555 111 or local police
property in Pickering Street, Loose. A strimmerwas stolen from a farm in
Heath Road, Coxheath. Three men and a Vauxhall Fronterawere
seen at the scene of a burglary in Linton Hill, Linton. An iPhone and a pursewere stolen from
an unlocked car parked in New Road, Langley. A shedwas broken into at a property in
Westerhill Road, Linton and a red Honda lawn mowerwas stolen. A homewas broken into in Priory Close,
East Farleigh. A vehiclewas broken into in Dickens
Close, Langley. Garden equipmentwas stolen in a break-
in at the garage of a property in Tilden Lane, Marden. An object hit a window, damaging it, at a property in Heath Road, Langley. A homewas broken into in Marden Thorn, Marden. A garden fencewas damaged by someone being drunk and disorderly in
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Maidstone South May 2016 33
Benover Road, Yalding. An ornamentwas taken from a garden in
West End, Marden. A garage at a home in High Street,
Yaldingwas broken into.A black Boardman carbon fibre bicycle, a black Carrera bicycle and two Stihl chain saws were stolen. Itemswere stolen from a vehicle parked
in Green Lane, Collier Street. Three lawn mowerswere stolen from a
barn at a farm in Sheephurst Lane, Marden.
Comment
Crime reports
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