downsmail.co.uk News


Mortality rate THE mortality rate in Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells hospitals is causing concerns, and care plan- ning and capacity issues are being investigated. However, the GP-led NHS West


Kent CCG heard there had been a month-by-month improvement in the summer. The introduction of seven-day working had improved the situation forweekend deaths. A new mortality review system introduces “a duty of candour to relatives”. Investigation into deaths is now mandated for the hospital trust.


Care home GPs ALL GP practices in Maidstone and West Kent will be eligible to deliver wider services for residents in care homes and the CCG has approved enhanced payments to cover costs. The services will include: a geri-


newsagent shop LARKFIELD Parish Council has re- newedits request fordisabledaccess at McColl’s store in Martin Square, which also houses the PostOffice. When the Post Office closed at


Tesco some years ago, disabled ac- cesswas to be provided atMcColl’s, which obtained planning permis- sion for a permanent ramp in 2016. Access for the disabled is cur-


rently only possible on request, when a heavymetal ramp has to be brought to the door by shop staff. Parish Council Chairman David


atric assessment on admission; a weekly GP “home round”; and en- hanced reviews after hospital at- tendance or admission.


Thornewell said: “We understand McColl’s have not yet obtained the landlord’s permission from Ton- bridge andMalling Borough Coun- cil,which owns the shops. “We have written to the com- pany’s headoffice to chasematters.”


CCG now good THE annual NHS assessment per- formance now rates the GP-led NHS West Kent Clinical Commis- sioning Group as good. Previously it was assessed as “needs improv- ing”.


Country night THE Country Music Club meets at the community centre in Pad- dlesworthRoad, Snodland, onApril 22. Doors open at 7pm with music from7:30-10:30pm.Admission is £6 and £2 for under 16s. Therewill be a barwith refreshments available. For details callDilys on 01634 240783 or Esther on 07871 074274.


Call for ramp at GP cluster planwarning


AWARNING has been given that patients of localGPpractices which do not join the newGPcluster sys- temmaynot receive the same range of services as those who do. It comes from Dr BobBowes, long- standing chairman of the budget- holding GP-led NHS West Kent Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG). So far 75% of about 60 practices in Maidstone and West Kent are in- volved in cluster discussions. The plan is for seven clusters covering central Maidstone (7 practices), East Maidstone (11),Weald (15), Malling


Villagers issue shares in bid to save local pub


(6) plus Tonbridge, TunbridgeWells and Sevenoaks. The CCG plans to support prac-


VILLAGERS hoping to save their pubfromclosure are set to launcha share issue in a bid to raisemoney to buy and refurbish the premises. The Trosley Heritage Group is


hoping to raise about £400,000 to buy thePlough Inn andturn it into a village hub. The pub closed its doors last year,


GPS are unlikely to prescribe medicines which can be bought from pharmacies, supermarkets and other retailers. Savings will be redirected to other NHS serv- ices.The GP-led budget-holding West Kent CCG has approved the principle of creating a restricted list of over-the-counter medicines that should not be routinely prescribed. The cost of these medicines is esti- mated at more than £2m per year. Patients will also be encouraged to self care for minor ailments and common conditions and seek ad- vice from pharmacists, saving


Prescriptions under review Birth concerns WEST Kent CCG says it has iden- tified an increase in the number of serious incidents reported by Maid- stone and Tunbridge Wells hospi- tals’ maternity department. The department is now being in-


with its owner Debbie Carson say- ing it was struggling to break even, but her plans to turn it into a resi- dential property have been halted by a ruling that the pub is an Asset of Community Value. Group spokesman IanMills said:


“We have had an offer to buy the pub rejected, but there is at least nowdialoguewith the owner. “TheACV runs out inApril, so it


is our understanding that she may want to see what’s out there in the market, but we are still hopeful we canmanage to reach a deal. “We have had a brilliant response


from the village.We’ve had lots of people turn up at public meetings andwe are sure there is a lot of sup- port for the project.”


about 20% of GP time. These ail- ments include diarrhoea, constipa- tion, athlete’s foot, fever, cold sores, teething, nappy rash, mouth ulcers, haemorrhoids, oral and vaginal thrush, head lice, insect bites and stings, conjunctivitis, contact der- matitis, sore throat, , indigestion and heartburn, ear wax, warts and verrucaes, soft tissue injury, sca- bies, ring worm, mild acne, minor burns and scalds. In a survey 85% of people receiving such free pre- scriptions said they would buy them from a pharmacy if their GP asked them to.


A Community Benefits Society


has now been set up and that will enable the share scheme,which it is hoped to launch inmid-April, with interested parties being able to in- vest aminimumof £100. The group hopes that the pubwill


become the heartbeat of the village, with a shop also on the agenda and hopes that the Post Office will be- come involved. Local producewill be the order of the day if the pub, which first


vestigated in depth. In June, the hospital trust re- ported an increase in Caesarean section births and 3rd/4th degree tear rates. TheCCGsays “further assurance


opened its doors in 1817, is bought by the villagers. “Wewill sendthe sharedetails out


with our local parishmagazine, but we are looking atways to spreadthe word further,”MrMills added. “We still believe in the project and


is required in a number of areas, in- cluding safety and information governance”. The Care Quality Commission is also investigating.


we aren’t going to give up on our dreams of turning it into a commu- nity hub.We have applied for some grants and there will be some eq- uity, but the share issue will really help us achieve that aim.”


HAMILTON KITCHENS


Discover our stunning range of contemporary & traditional designs


tices to ‘co-operate, collaborate and combine’ to integrate out-of- hospital care and deliver services at scale. Practice mergers could also be supported. The aim is that practices will maintain their identities and re- lationships with their patients. Clusters, with more GPs available,


will offer extended hours (including some weekend work), wider serv- ices, teams of nurses and allied health professionals, co-ordinated care and back office and estate effi-


Health |News downsmail.co.uk


downsmail.co.uk


ciencies. The CCG will also prioritise and consider investment in new prem- ises where there is a need. The CCG says nothing has been defined yet on seven-day 8am-8pm working for practices and there is plenty of scope for collaboration in delivering extended hours. The focus is on consistency for patients and the key area is Saturday morn- ing access. Seven-day service is seen as a ‘natural direction of travel’ but the bestway to deliver for local peo- ple and professionals has still to be decided.


Stewards rewarded for service to county show


FACES familiar to those attend- ing Kent’s county show, near Maidstone, have been honoured for theirwork. MaryAnthony, RozDay and Roy


Keeler have, together, given more than 100 years’ service to the county’s showcase event atDetling. Thanking them for their dedica-


tion at theKentCountyAgricultural Society’s AGM, was chairman Kevin Attwood and society presi- dent The Lord Colgrain, who pre- sented them with long-service awards and added: “The help and support of these stewards is instru- mental to the running of the annual Kent County Show.” They have taken a leading role in


areas such as floral art, equine events, education and forestry, which are crucial to the success of the show. Mary,who lives at Stockbury and


Roz, from Headcorn, have been stewarding for 30 years,while Roy, who lives inMereworth, joined the societywhen itmoved toDetling 50 years ago.


News Fall in number


of teenmums TEENAGE pregnancies are at their lowest rate in Maidstone since the swinging 60s, butKent continues to record the highest number of un- planned pregnancies in the South East – a figure likely to rise as a re- sult of cuts to sexual health services. The Family Planning Associa-


tion says an £800m cut in public health spending has closed more than one in three council contra- ceptive care services, and almost a fifth of youngsters now wait more than two weeks for an ap- pointment. The comments are in response


Roy Keeler (centre) with his son Chris (left) and Kevin Attwood Roz has served as chairman of the


Society’s EducationCommittee and is chief steward of the Garden Life Marquee that hosts the flower show, NAFAS floral art competi- tion, Kent Federation of Horticul- tural Societies Summer Show, schools’miniature garden competi- tion and the Kent Bees and Honey Show. She is also a board director. Mary has been an equine steward,


board director and, more recently, vice-chair of the equinecommittee. Roy started volunteering for the


society in 1964 and helped plant MurrainWood. TheRDKeeler Tro- phy, named in his honour, is now awarded annually to Kent young- sters showing a commitment to forestry studies. To


volunteer, email meghan@kentshowground.co.uk.


to latest figures fromthe Office of National Statistics and the UK’s teenage birth rate, which remains one of the highest in western Eu- rope. The figures show concep- tion rates for those aged 15 to 17 in 2016 at 15 per 1,000 in the South East – a 12% fall on 2015, and a 60% drop since 1998. However, in Maidstone, a rate


of 18.1 unplanned pregnancies (51 cases) is the highest in Kent, be- hind Thanet, Swale andMedway. The county’s total of 608 un-


planned pregnancies in 2016 was the highest figure in the South East.


Business Focus


 Free no obligation consultation & design  Quality  Design  Imagination www.hamiltonkitchens.co.uk


16 Malling April 2018


 All building works undertaken.  Better and at the right price ✓  Tel: 01622 844897


Visit our showroom at Warmlake Business Estate, Maidstone Road, Sutton Valence, Kent ME17 3LQ Maidstone East October 2017


27 Malling April 2018 17


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