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#Patientfirst
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December 2023
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Help us to help you this winter
 With temperatures dropping, it's important that you look after yourself this winter. There are steps you can take to help and to ensure you receive the right care in the right place at the right time:
How can you get ready for winter?
- Get your COVID-19 booster/flu jab if you're eligible.
- Keep warm.
Where else can you go instead of A&E?
- See a local pharmacist.
- Use NHS 111.
- Speak to your GP.
- Visit an urgent treatment centre.
How can you support your relative to get home from hospital quickly and safely?
- Encourage them to take part in treatment and therapy that can help their recovery.
- Plan for their return home.
These steps will help our emergency departments to prioritise patients who need urgent care and will also ensure you are seen more quickly.
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New Community Diagnostic Centre
opens its doors
 We recently welcomed our first patients in the newly expanded West Kent Community Diagnostic Centre (CDC). Across our Trust, 98% of patients need diagnostic support and the CDC enables us to significantly increase our capacity for providing x-rays, ultrasounds and DEXA (bone density) scans, as well as respiratory and cardiac diagnostic tests.
Located at Hermitage Court near Maidstone Hospital, the new multimillion-pound Centre provides extra capacity for tests and scans away from our main hospital site, providing patients with a faster and more convenient service. Having quicker access to these diagnostic tests means patients can start any treatment they may need sooner.
Local MP Greg Clark, who recently visited the CDC and met staff involved in its development, described the new unit as a ‘fantastic facility’.
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Head of Radiation Physics recognised for outstanding professional development |
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Our Head of Radiation Physics, Katy Fleckney, has been announced as a winner of the Science Council’s Continuing Professional Development (CPD) Awards for Chartered Scientists.
Winners of the CPD Awards demonstrate a commitment to undertaking work-based learning and self-directed learning at the highest standards, to provide an outstanding service to both staff and patients.
Katy leads our Radiation Physics department, which provides a scientific, clinical and technical service to Trust staff working with radiation in our Radiology and Nuclear Medicine teams, and in our Kent Oncology Centre. The department also supports other healthcare providers across Kent and the south east.
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The King and Edel
 To celebrate his 75th birthday, His Majesty the King opened the doors of Buckingham Palace last month to more than 400 NHS nurses and midwives.
Edel Sabas, our Lead Nurse for Internationally Educated Nurses (IENs)/Midwives and Pastoral Care, was one of the lucky few who received the invitation from His Majesty, with other guests including the Chief Nursing Officer of England and the Chief Executive of NHS England.
Speaking of the experience, Edel said: “The day was surreal; impostor syndrome came to the fore but I thought of all the ways I have helped shape the experience of our Internationally Educated Nurses at the Trust and I draw strength and pride in that.
“For a girl from a small city in the Philippines, being invited to the Palace is something I could only dream of! I am proud to be a Filipino who is nursing and working in the UK, and making a difference to the lives of other international nurses who are just starting their life and career here."
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PCSO saves life of Trust colleague |
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Dedicated police community support officer (PCSO), Sophie Lusher, has been praised by hospital staff for saving the life of one of our colleagues in Tunbridge Wells.
The PCSO, who has worked at Tunbridge Wells Police Station for 16 years, drove past a member of Trust staff earlier this year who had stopped her car and was in distress. Realising the lady was choking, Sophie successfully cleared a blockage in the woman's throat before then driving her to hospital. The staff member has since made a full recovery.
On behalf of everyone at the Trust, our thanks to Sophie for her swift action, which saved our colleague's life.
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Sign up to our new patient portal
 Do you want to manage your hospital outpatient appointments with a few taps of your phone? Then why not join over 72,000 patients who have already signed up to our new patient portal – Patients Know Best (PKB).
We are the third hospital trust in Kent and Medway to launch the new portal, which gives patients the opportunity to take advantage of features such as being able to view appointment letters as well as reschedule and cancel appointments.
Signing up to the patient portal can not only save you time calling into our teams to manage your appointments, but it also means we can get more people the care they need, more quickly, by rescheduling others into cancelled or moved appointments.
The patient portal also links in easily with the NHS app and can send you notifications about upcoming appointments, so you don’t miss a thing!
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Did you know?
We have over 60 advanced clinical practitioners (ACPs) and trainee advanced practitioners from a range of professional backgrounds including nursing, pharmacy, paramedics and occupational therapy.
 ACPs are healthcare professionals educated to Master's level, and their advanced skills and knowledge allow them to expand their scope of practice to better meet the needs of our patients.
As part of Advanced Practice Week, we talked to some of our ACPs who shared their career journey and gave some advice for anyone interested in following in their footsteps.
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