Happy 2024!

We had barely got used to writing 2023 and here we are in 2024 already! Our amazing teams continued to work throughout the festive period to care for patients, and maternity colleagues welcomed our beautiful Christmas day babies into the world. Staff sprinkled some seasonal sparkle for all those spending time in our hospitals over Christmas and the New Year, while working hard to provide the very best care to our patients.

We cared for more than 900,000 people last year and this was only possible thanks to the skill and dedication of all our teams. From clinical staff, diagnostics and laboratories, to catering, IT and recruitment teams – everyone played an integral role in helping us look after our local communities.

On behalf of everyone at the Trust, a big thank you to our patients, visitors and our local communities for your unwavering support. We wish you all a very happy and healthy 2024!

Visit from the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care

We kickstarted the new year with a visit from Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, Victoria Atkins, who officially opened our West Kent Community Diagnostic Centre (CDC).

Located near Maidstone Hospital, the CDC will enable thousands more patients to get faster access to tests including x-rays, CT, MRI, DEXA and ultrasound scans. The centre at Hermitage Court, on Hermitage Lane, also provides additional clinic rooms and x-ray, respiratory and cardiology rooms. With 98% of our patients needing diagnostic tests, the CDC will provide checks and scans to around 149,000 people in its first year.

During her visit, the Secretary of State talked to clinical staff working in the centre and to patients undergoing treatment. Local MPs Greg Clark, Tracey Crouch and Helen Grant also joined the visit and met members of our senior management team to discuss the initiatives we have implemented which have made us one of the top performing trusts in the country.

Trust stars in new Channel 5 series

Our Emergency Department teams at Tunbridge Wells Hospital are featuring in the new series of Channel 5’s ‘A&E After Dark’ programme, which broadcast its first episode on 4 January.

The show will air weekly on Thursday at 9pm on 5Star until 15 February. The series will also be available to stream on the My5 app.

Now on its fifth series, ‘A&E After Dark’ offers a glimpse of what it’s like to work on the front line of emergency care after hours, and this series features three emergency departments including our own.

New facilities for Stroke patients

With the last beads of silicone applied and the smell of fresh paint in the air, the finishing touches were made to phase two of the Trust's Stroke Unit re-configuration at the end of last year, which saw the completion of new Acute Stroke Unit (ASU) beds at Maidstone Hospital.

The newly refurbished space opened to patients just before Christmas, and includes a spacious reception, capacity for 25 beds, a new therapies area and a quiet room for patients and their relatives. The Stroke team were involved in the design process of the new Unit, to ensure it enables them to provide the best possible care. 

The end of the project is in sight with the third and final phase now underway, which will create a further 10 ASU beds. It will also link up the new ASU and recently refurbished Hyper-Acute Stroke Unit (HASU) next door. The HASU is one of three specialist units in Kent and Medway, and is accessible 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

We will bring you further updates on the exciting development of the Trust's Stroke services once the refurbishment project is completed in the spring. 

Extra extra, read all about us!

We’ve been taking a look back at some of the fantastic staff and patient stories we've shared with the media over the last 12 months.

From BBC South East News interviewing our teams providing lifesaving cancer care and broadcasting live from Tunbridge Wells Hospital to Kent Online reporting on the new Kent and Medway Orthopaedic Centre and prestigious medical journals featuring our talented colleagues - 2023 was a busy year for media at the Trust!

Thank you for your support

Our MTW Charity was blown away by the number of donations received throughout December.

Young patients in our paediatric wards were treated to gifts generously donated by the Charity's supporters, and both Maidstone United and Tonbridge Angels football clubs popped in to say hello.

The pantomime cast of Beauty and The Beast brought smiles to children and their families when they visited Hedgehog and Woodlands wards at Tunbridge Wells Hospital. Collections at their performances raised over £1,000 for the Charity, which will help make a difference to the services we provide to patients.

Looking forward to this year, the team are busy planning a fundraising abseil event in the summer - keep an eye on their website for updates!

Did you know?

As we welcome 2024, we have been reflecting on all that our dedicated teams have achieved over the past year. Did you know that in 2023, we saw over 220,000 patients in our emergency departments and provided 430,000 outpatient appointments? The Trust's brilliant Maternity teams welcomed over 5,200 babies and the Children's Services Paediatric teams cared for over 18,000 young patients.

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