Maternity teams scoop award for supporting

vital research

Our Maternity Triage, Maidstone Birth Centre and Antenatal Ward teams have won the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) awards for their contribution to vital research projects across the region.

The awards recognise those who support the delivery of research and give patients the opportunity to take part in research that could lead to new treatments and new ways of delivering care.

The judging panel were impressed with our maternity teams’ support of the group B Strep (GBS) trial. The study involved the routine testing of pregnant women for GBS, the most common cause of life-threatening infection in newborn babies in the UK.

The teams’ work led to 80% of eligible women being offered the test for group B Strep. Commending their dedication to the study, the judging panel spoke of the huge difference the teams' support of the research will make to mothers and babies in the future.

MTW ranked fourth in the country

for performance

Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells NHS Trust (MTW) has been ranked fourth out of 120 Trusts across England in The Telegraph’s latest NHS data tracker. The rankings are based on a number of important measures including how quickly cancer patients receive treatment after diagnosis and A&E waiting times. MTW has achieved the national standard for treating cancer patients within 62 days, and is one of only three trusts to have reached this target every month for the last three years. Our Emergency Department is also regularly in the top five for A&E performance in England. The Trust's high ranking in the latest NHS data tracker was made possible thanks to the hard work of our staff and is testament to their dedication in providing outstanding care to our patients.

Public event showcases careers in healthcare

We welcomed over 100 people to our Healthcare Careers event at Maidstone Hospital last month! The day offered an insight into both clinical and non-clinical roles in the NHS for anyone considering a career in healthcare.

There are around 350 careers available in the NHS and attendees were able to find out more about a wide range of roles in health and social care, including pharmacy, radiotherapy and physiotherapy. The event also showcased roles in our vital support services, including emergency planning, estates and facilities and IT.

Our Recruitment team were on hand to chat with people about our latest job vacancies. Visitors were also given some hands-on experience using mannequins and clinical equipment during interactive demonstrations by the Trust’s Resuscitation team. 

Trust features in week-long BBC news series

As one of the top performing trusts in the country for access to cancer treatment, the work of our amazing colleagues in the Kent Oncology Centre has been further recognised by BBC South East News.

Over the last week, the Centre has been the focus of a series of daily reports by the regional flagship news programme. The powerful reports have been looking at the impact a cancer diagnosis can have on patients, their families and the staff who look after them. As part of the series, the BBC met a number of patients to talk about their experiences. They also spoke to colleagues about the treatments we offer to cancer patients and how these continue to develop.

Tune in to BBC South East News this evening at 6.30pm to watch the final report in the series. And if you’ve missed the ones shown between Tuesday and Thursday, you can catch up with them on the MTW YouTube channel.

Patients to benefit from new multimillion-pound surgical hub

A new surgical hub is on target to open at Maidstone Hospital in early 2024 and will increase capacity for routine orthopaedic operations such as hip and knee replacements.

The new multimillion-pound theatre complex will provide 24 dedicated surgical beds to patients undergoing planned orthopaedic surgery for arthritic conditions and soft tissue injuries affecting the bones and joints.

Once complete, the building will be named the Kent and Medway Orthopaedic Centre and will enable to Trust to carry out around 5,000 procedures a year. Treating patients from across the region, the Centre will make a huge difference to those who have been waiting for surgery and may be struggling to stay active. It will also free up beds in regional hospitals, so patients needing other types of treatment or emergency care will also benefit.

Shortlist announced for our Star Awards 2023

At the beginning of the year we asked for your help in recognising the fantastic work of staff and volunteers at our Trust as part of our Exceptional people, outstanding care Star Awards. A huge thank you to everyone who contributed towards the 450 nominations that we received!

It was a tough job for our judges to whittle all of the nominations down, but we are delighted to announce the shortlisted nominees for each of the categories.

The awards ceremony will be held on Friday 28 April, so not long to wait! Keep an eye out for the next edition of Patient First, where we'll be giving you the lowdown on our winners.

Did you know?

Our Radiotherapy teams had a record-breaking year in 2022, carrying out over 50,000 treatments. We also took delivery of two state-of-the-art Halcyon machines, new radiotherapy technology which halves treatment times and provides a more comfortable experience for our patients. Our laboratories were also busier than ever last year. Our Pathology teams carried out an incredible 11 million tests and our Pharmacy teams processed well over half a million prescriptions.

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