News Bunker blaze


FIREFIGHTERS were called to tackle a fire at awaste incinerator. Workers at the site in Allington


raisedthe alarmafter seeing smoke and flames in a storage bunker. Crews from Kent Fire and Res-


cue Service (KFRS) arrived on scene at 3.30pm on March 11 and worked formore than 10 hours to bring the blaze under control. A spokesman for KFRS said:


“Crews worked closely with the site team to tackle the fire. They usedhose reel jets to attack the seat of the fire, and positive pressure ventilation fans to clear smoke.”


Garden call


AMATEUR gardeners are being sought to help out atCobtree Park inMaidstone. Twenty volunteers are neededto


plant, shape and create a wild- flower bund and meadow, which will include preparing the soil, planting and sowing seeds. Park manager Lizzie Bucking-


ham said: “Introducing meadow areas is so important for pollinat- ing insects,which have seenadras- tic decline recently.” Call 01622 715702 or email info@cobtreemanorpark.co.uk.


downsmail.co.uk


Patients’ concerns at hospital closure plan


HEALTH chiefs are shutting a Maidstone hospital, sparking concern for hundreds of patients. Managers at The Somerfield in


LondonRoadwill close theirdoors at the end of thismonth. They say the move has been


prompted by an influx of rival healthcare providers in the bor- ough,which has caused “financial challenges” for the 30-year-old es- tablishment. The future of The Somerfield’s


50-oddnurses andhealthcareprac- titioners is hanging in the balance, with ownerBMIHealthcare saying only that it is committed “to help- ing staff on the next steps in their careers”. A spokesman said: “This has


been a difficult decision to make, not least because the staff at the hospital have been so dedicated and take pride in the level of serv- ice they provide to patients. “But we have seen new inde- pendent providers opening in the


area and this has affected our ac- tivity and financial position. “After looking at this in detail,


we have concluded that the logical optionwould be to close.” The 38-bed private hospital,


which has three operating theatres and a fully-equipped high de- pendencyunit, has about 60%of its inpatients referred by the NHS, and upwards of 30% of its outpa- tients. The hospital’s performance had


been rated good by health watch- dog, theCareQualityCommission (CQC), during its last assessment in May 2017. Professor Edward Baker, the CQC’s deputy chief in-


spector of hospitals (South East), said at the time: “We sawa strong safety culture.” The hospital says it has been


“overwhelmed with messages of support” since news of the closure was first mooted at the beginning ofMarch. However,worried patients have


also been jamming phone lines to find out where they stand. BMI Healthcare has urged them not to call in. “This is so we can support pa-


tients with the earlier appoint- ments first,” said the spokesman. “We will be contacting every pa- tientwith an appointment.”


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ELECTRONIC SERVICE HISTORY UPDATED FOR BMW,MINI & MERCEDES VEHICLES


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