News | Health Improvements


after incidents AGROWTHis serious incidents at Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells hospitals has ledWestKentCCGto support the hospital trust in mak- ing improvements. Serious incidents have risen from


two in 2015, seven in 2016 to 16 in 2017. Three ‘never events’ – serious in-


cidents that are entirely preventa- ble due to national guidance – have occurred recently; one administra- tion of a nerve block to the wrong arm and the other two concerned retained swabs. Investigations con- tinue. In another recent report, Maid-


stone and Tunbridge Wells hospi- tal trust reported 12 serious incidents in the category of ‘abuse/alleged abuse of adult pa- tient by staff.’ There have also been two serious


incidents relating to abuse of child patients by staff, one a child with complex needs. The trust has recently appointed


a learning disability nurse. The hospital trust is nowdriving


compliance with safeguarding training; improved communica- tionswith and between teams; and improved staff understanding of ‘consent.’ The company providing security


services in the two hospitals has changed.


Better mental


health services LOCAL services in mental health are set to improve with a decision by NHS West Kent Clinical Com- missioning Group (CCG) to allo- cate extra funding. The GP-led group is appointing


a newleadmanager to improve ac- cess to psychological therapies and will develop “integrated service pathways” for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), pain and diabetes. The Five-Year Forward Plan out-


lines a commitment to expand psy- chological therapies to enable 25% of people with depression or anxi- ety disorders to access services each year by 2020/21 (current target is 5%). Investment needed to improve


these services is £420,835 in 2019/20 and £709,843 in 2020/21.


£3.4mis saved LOCAL GPs have been encour- aged to be more efficient in pre- scribing medicines and, so far this year, it has led to a saving of £3.4m inWest Kent.


22 Maidstone February 2018


CANCER patients will be treated with greater accuracy thanks to a new smart radiotherapy machine atMaidstone Hospital. State-of-the-art Truebeam tech-


nology allows the new piece of equipment at the Kent Oncology Centre to track and target cancers as a patient breathes. The £2million machine, which


makes 10,000 calculations a sec- ond, will improve treatment for thosewith relativelymobile cancers such as those in the lung and breast. Henry Taylor, the hospital’s clini-


cal director for cancer and haema- tology, explained that many tumors in places like the lungs, brain, breast, prostate, head and neck move when you breathe in and out. The Truebeam system measures up to 100,000 data points every ten seconds during treatment to ensure the tumour continues to be targeted precisely. He added: “The Truebeam ma-


downsmail.co.uk Smart technology to boost accuracy of cancer treatments


Staff fromthe radiography department atMaidstone Hospital with the new ‘Truebeam’machine which will improve treatment of ‘mobile’ can- cers, such as in the lung and breast.


chine will allow us to target tu- mours that can vary in position dur- ing treatment, helping us to deliver treatment quickly and accurately while avoiding healthy tissues and organs. “This is a very positive enhance- ment to the cancer services we


offer and I amdelighted to see the equipment in place and ready for our patients.” The purchase is part of a 10-year


investment program by Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells NHS Trust to replace several major pieces of ra- diotherapy treatment equipment.


Experience key as trust appoints chief executive


A NEWchief executive has been appointed to run Maidstone and Tun- bridgeWells NHS Trust (MTW).


Miles Scott has over 30 years’


experience in the NHS encom- passing acute, community and mental health. He will join MTW from NHS


Improvement (NHSI), where he had been Improvement Director for the last 18months. He was chief executive of St


George’s University Hospitals Foundation Trust from 2011 to 2016 – the finances reportedly col- lapsed in the final two years in charge, leaving a massive £56m deficit. AnMTWspokesman said: “We


are obviously aware of stuff that has been reported butwe took his career as awhole. “He does have very extensive


experience.” Previously, Mr Scott was chief


executive at Bradford Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust (2005 to 2011) and Harrogate and District NHS Foundation Trust (2001-2005). Most recently, he hasworked at


a national levelwithNHSI, focus- ing on its establishment as a new national organisation and leading


Miles Scott is the new chief execu- tive of the trust which runsMaid- stone Hospital


the nationalAmbulance Improve- ment Programme with NHS Eng- land. MTWchairmanDavidHighton,


said: “I am delighted that Miles will be joining us as our newchief executive. “He brings with him extensive experience at all levels in theNHS.


Our ambition, together, is to con- tinue to make MTW an excellent place for care which is under- pinned by financial stability. “Iwould like to take this oppor-


tunity to thank Jim Lusby for the invaluable contribution he made while fulfilling the role of interim chief executive following Glenn Douglas’s departure a fewmonths ago.” Mr Scott said: “I amdelighted to


have been appointed CEO at MTW. “I have been very impressed by


the staff I have met and look for- ward to working together to de- liver outstanding patient and staff experience.” He started with MTW on Janu-


ary 8, 2018. Mr Scott, who is married with


two children, lives in London. Miles has also been Chair of the


NICE Safe Staffing Advisory Committee, Vice Chair of the Foundation Trust Network and chair of the


NIHR South London Applied Health Research Centre, among numerous other roles.


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