News Poorer students
‘need 11+ help’ POORER pupils should be given extra 11-plus marks to help them get into grammar schools, according to an education research body. A report by the Education Data-
lab, looking at the application of the selective tests in Kent, says the odds are loaded against children from poorer backgrounds. The report says parents who are
better off can afford tutoring athome and this creates a disparity with chil- dren not being offered preparation for the tests at school. It also consid- ered that the tests are too short and unreliable. The Education Datalab report
said: “Kent state primary schools are explicitly asked not to prepare their pupils for the 11-plus. “This means that the only ones
able to gain familiarity with the rea- soning questions are those whose parents help them practice, those who pay for private coaching and those at private schools. “We think this lack of 11-plus preparation for some explains why the free school meals gap in average marks is greatest in reasoning.” The report is based on data ob-
tained under the Freedom of Infor- mation Act by the Kent Education Network, which opposes selective education.
downsmail.co.uk
Number of cancelled ops soars in bed crisis
THE number of cancelled opera- tions caused by bed shortages at Maidstone Hospital has more than doubled since 2015, a request under freedom of information legislation has revealed. Twelve surgerieswere cancelled in
2015, but this has risen sharply to 31 this year alone. In total, the Freedom of Informa-
tion Act request shows that 58 oper- ations in total have been postponed in the past two years. The disturbing revelation by the Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells NHS Trustwas made by the Liberal Democrat parliamentary candidate for Maidstone and theWeald Emily Fermor (pictured). She discovered that surgeries can-
celled due to bed availability rose from 12 in 2015, to 15 in 2016, and 31 in 2017. This meant an increase of over
50% from 2016, just five months into 2017.
Although the trust does not deny
the accuracy of the figures, it sought to set the figures in context of treat- ing 100,000 patients in total.
has revealed that 31 people so far this year had their surgeries can- celled because there were not enough beds available, that’s an in- crease of 50% on the 2016 total. “Urgent funds are needed for Maidstone NHS. We cannot con- tinue asking the system to deliver more and more, without giving it the resources to do so.” She said her party could aim to redirect a penny in the pound to plug “funding gaps” in theNHSand social care. AMaidstone andTunbridgeWells
Miss Fermor said: “I have experi-
enced first-hand the pain caused to patients and their families of bed shortages in Maidstone Hospital. “In February this year,myelderly grandad who is battling bowel can- cer, was left in a corridor in Maid- stone Hospital overnight after he had been admitted to A&E. “Despite the tireless hard work of
ourNHSstaff, he did not get the ur- gent treatment he needed because therewere not enough beds. “My grandad is not the only one. Our Freedom of Information request
NHS Trust spokesman said: “It is sometimes necessary to postpone planned procedures during periods of unprecedented demand for emer- gency care to maintain safe services. “To put this into context, our hos-
pitals carried out over 1,900 more planned procedures, and admitted over 4,400 more patients in an emer- gency last year than the year before – treating nearly 100,000 patients in total. “We are working with our health
and social care partners to meet people’s changing health needs.”
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6 Maidstone June 2017
bathing/showering/washing service sta
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