MAIDSTONE & TUNBRIDGE WELLS TRUST NHS FUTURE PLANS

Following the advice of the Independent Reconfiguration Panel, the Secretary of State for Health, Alan Johnson, has announced that he is satisfied that the proposals relating to the Kent & Sussex Hospital and Maidstone Hospital are in the interests of the local Health Service for West Kent. The independent panel established a sub-group consisting of senior health professionals Dr Nick Naftalin, Dr Paul Watson and Sanjay Chadha. They made 5 visits to West Kent and also received written evidence including evidence from local MPs. Having considered the evidence the independent panel were unanimous in their recommendations to the Secretary of State.

KCC Labour Spokesman for Health, Mark Fittock, said “The KCC Health Overview Committee worked very hard with the Maidstone & Tunbridge Wells Trust to agree a health service provision that will meet all the needs of residents in West Kent”.

“These discussions were successful in obtaining a level of service that would meet the demands of the 21^st century. It is encouraging that the views of the Labour Group were shared by eminent independent health professionals such as Dr Nick Naftalin who is a consultant at University Hospitals of Leicester Trust and Dr Paul Watson, Director of Commissioning East of England Strategic Health Authority.”

The KCC invited the independent panel and the Secretary of State to intervene in this matter.

Mark Fittock added: “Instead of trying to rubbish the findings the current Conservative Leader of the Council would serve the people of West Kent better if he agreed to implement the recommendations of the report that KCC can do something about. In particular to see how public and community transport access between Maidstone Hospital and East Sussex Hospital can be improved. Perhaps if KCC hadn’t wasted money on re-organising highway offices we would have better roads.”