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The NHS turns 75!
 On Wednesday 5 July the nation celebrated the NHS’ 75th birthday with a host of events across the country. Our Trust marked this milestone with a number of celebratory events, including the launch of inspiring exhibitions at Maidstone Museum and The Amelia Scott Centre in Tunbridge Wells, which showcase the history of our hospitals and of healthcare in the region. The exhibitions are free to attend and give visitors the opportunity to step back in time and delve into the fascinating history of our regional hospitals, with rarely-seen archive photos of times gone by.
Colleagues attended services of thanks at Westminster Abbey and Rochester Cathedral as well as a special reception at 10 Downing Street. Trust staff raised the NHS flag over Tunbridge Wells Borough Council Town Hall and we were honoured to be presented with the Freedom of the Borough. Long Service Award ceremonies were held to recognise the incredible work of our staff who have served the NHS for over 40 years. Together, our recipients had an incredible 900 years’ service between them!
Thank you to all the amazing teams across our NHS family for everything you do, and to our local communities for celebrating this milestone birthday with us.
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Celebrating a long life of service to the NHS
 Ninety-four-year-old Lucia Cascioli, a domestic assistant with almost 60 years of service to the NHS, was one of our incredible colleagues who was recognised with a Long Service Award as part of the NHS' 75th birthday celebrations.
Lucia was presented with the award by His Majesty’s Lord Lieutenant of Kent, The Lady Colgrain at a ceremony held at Tunbridge Wells Hospital.
Lucia, who will turn 95 next January and is originally from Italy, worked at various local hospitals before joining our Trust as a domestic assistant in 1994. She has remained with us ever since and is a well-known figure, not only for her length of service but also for her age and charisma. “I’m the oldest one here, so everyone knows me!” said Lucia. “I’m a hard worker and I like my job. I want to carry on with it as long as I can.”
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Ophthalmology patients across the region are set to benefit from a state-of-the-art patient record system thanks to a generous donation of £30,000 from the Maidstone Hospital League of Friends. Ophthalmology is an area of medicine that deals with eye care, and the diagnosis and treatment of eye disorders.
The new technology, called OpenEyes, aims to seamlessly connect hospital trusts and other services across the region including Diabetic eye screening, GPs and local optometry providers. This will mean that healthcare professionals will have access to the most up to date information about a patient, helping speed up processes and reduce waiting times.
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Maternity teams win 'Team of the Year' and research awards
 Our Maternity teams were recently recognised with two awards at the South East Perinatal Learning and Sharing Event.
The team were awarded ‘Maternity Team of the Year’ for supporting a patient who received a terminal cancer diagnosis during her pregnancy and was given only four weeks to live. The woman and her partner decided they would like to marry, and the team ensured all arrangements were put in place; sourcing flowers, a photographer and even organising for a selection of wedding dresses to be brought into the hospital for the bride to try.
The Maternity research team also won the ‘Excellence in perinatal education, learning and research’ award for supporting the research into group B Strep in pregnant women. This is the most common cause of life-threatening infection in newborn babies in the UK, and the research has led to 80% of eligible women now being offered the test for group B Strep.
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Endoscopist becomes one of first in the country to achieve accreditation |
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Lead Nurse Endoscopist at our Trust, Ricardo Alves, has become one of only a handful of non-medical endoscopists in the country accredited to deliver procedures as part of the national bowel cancer screening programme.
Bowel cancer is the fourth most common cancer in the UK and the second most common cause of cancer death. Screening helps to detect bowel cancer, or early signs of it, at a stage when there is a better chance of a person being successfully treated.
Colonoscopy is a highly effective way to diagnose pre-cancerous polyps and bowel cancer. It involves looking inside the body using a small camera, often at the end of a long tube.
Ricardo has achieved the accreditation after carrying out more than 1,500 procedures and passing a series of demanding tests.
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Patients benefit from new state-of-the-art
x-ray machine
 Our clinicians are able to diagnose and treat patients using better quality x-ray images thanks to a brand-new machine at Maidstone Hospital. The state-of-the-art technology enables our Radiology team to look at real-time images of internal organs including the digestive, urinary, respiratory and reproductive systems.
The team uses imaging in the form of ultrasound, fluoroscopy and CT. These different types of imaging help to guide clinicians so they can perform a range of minimally invasive surgical procedures. Fluoroscopy shows a continuous x-ray image on a monitor, like an x-ray movie. This means that clinicians can see the movement of a body part, or a surgical instrument, in detail while a procedure is taking place.
The new machine is located in the recently renovated Fluoroscopy Suite, and can be entered in a standing position to make it more accessible. The Suite also has a feature ceiling light to provide our patients with a more calming experience.
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The 75 for 75 challenge
 As part of the NHS 75 celebrations, our MTW Hospitals Charity challenged staff and local communities to take part in the #75for75 challenge, which involved doing 75 of something for 75 days.
From completing 75 daily burpees and running 7.5 minutes, to walking a mile for 75 days and tackling a special birthday obstacle course, those taking part have so far managed to raise over £3,000!
All donations received will enable the Charity to provide extra support that helps our patients, services and staff. Find out more about our #75for75 challenge on our JustGiving page, where you can also show your support for the inspirational individuals who took part.
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