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New facilities for top performing Stroke Unit
 The Stroke Unit at Maidstone Hospital is providing some of the best facilities in the region, following the development of a new Hyper Acute Stroke Unit (HASU) and Acute Stroke Unit (ASU).
The new stroke facilities were officially opened by Dame Tracey Crouch DBE, MP for Chatham and Aylesford, on Friday 3 May. Dame Tracey was joined by Professor Sir Stephen Powis, NHS England National Medical Director, and the event was attended by Trust staff and past Stroke patients, who were all given a tour of the new facilities.
The new HASU is the first of three specialist units to open in Kent and Medway, and is home to a dedicated Stroke Assessment Bay, where 90% of suspected stroke admissions are directly brought in on arrival at the hospital. The Stroke Assessment Bay is the first of its kind in the Kent and Medway region, and means patients do not need to go through the Emergency Department first. Together with the newly developed ASU, the Trust’s Stroke Unit now has capacity to care for over 1,000 patients a year.
BBC South East News interviewed our fantastic Stroke team - watch the report and find out what a difference the facilities are making to our patients.
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Star Awards shortlist announced
 At the beginning of the year we asked for your help in recognising the fantastic work of staff and volunteers as part of our Exceptional people, outstanding care Star Awards. A huge thank you to everyone who sent in a nomination, we received over 560!
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 24 May, 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.
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Chief pharmacist appointed to national advisory board |
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Mildred Johnson, Chief Pharmacist at the Trust, has been appointed to the UK Pharmacy Professional Leadership Advisory Board.
One of nine independent expert members, Mildred will play a pivotal role in shaping and supporting the work of the Board, which was established by the Department of Health and Social Care.
The Board enables greater collaboration across the UK pharmacy professional leadership bodies and specialist professional groups. Its objectives include the development of independent prescribing as part of the initial training for pharmacists, and expanding on the role of pharmacy technicians.
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Crowborough Breastfeeding Café celebrates first birthday
 The Crowborough Breastfeeding Café is celebrating its first full year of providing much-needed local infant feeding support for parents and caregivers. Over 800 people and their babies from Sussex, Kent and Surrey have attended, with many returning regularly for skilled and compassionate feeding support, and the opportunity to meet other parents.
Run by staff from MTW who manage the birthing centre, the café has become a valued source of support for the local community. Parents have shared how the café has helped them to make improvements to their feeding technique and routine, and how people can support their partners with feeding. One mum said her breastfeeding may not have continued without the café.
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Taking fundraising to new heights |
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A hospital volunteer who had a life-changing brain haemorrhage which left her in a coma is one of over 100 brave people taking on the MTW Hospitals Charity’s 100ft Abseil Challenge this June.
Kate Hart Dyke suffered a brain haemorrhage in 2018 that left her in a coma for 16 days. She was taken from Tunbridge Wells Hospital to King’s College Hospital, where she later underwent 16 hours of brain surgery. After her operation, Kate was referred back to MTW for her rehabilitation, where she was treated by our Physiotherapy and Occupational Therapy teams.
Three months of hard work with our expert teams led to Kate’s recovery. Now back up and walking, she will be abseiling down the side of Tunbridge Wells Hospital to raise money for the teams that cared for her.
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New life-saving equipment in tribute to colleague
 A new emergency defibrillator will help save lives at Maidstone Hospital. Chief Executive at MTW, Miles Scott, recently unveiled the new cabinet at a ribbon-cutting event. The new defibrillator has been named ‘Jez’ in memory of Trust gardener Jez Clark, who sadly passed away in the hospital’s staff car park two years ago following a cardiac arrest. Mr Scott was joined at the unveiling by Jez’s family, and his friends and colleagues.
A defibrillator is a device used to deliver high energy shocks to someone’s heart when they are in cardiac arrest, and can be used by members of the public until a medical team arrives.
Hospital grounds like MTW's are often vast, and can include a number of non-medical buildings located close to other community amenities. Having emergency defibrillators in these locations means that anyone who is in the area can easily access them if needed, and provide a lifeline to anyone in cardiac arrest. Four more cabinets will be fitted at Tunbridge Wells Hospital
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Gender inequality and end of life care recognised at regional awards
 Our Breast Radiology and Voluntary Services teams have been celebrated at the recent Healthwatch Kent and Medway Awards.
The Breast Radiology team won a recognition award for their gender inequality research, which found that a gap exists in breast screening for transgender men and non-binary people registered female at birth. The team designed a new breast screening pathway for eligible patients to ensure the service is accessible to all.
The End of Life (SWAN) Volunteer Service were recognised at the awards for their work in ensuring no one has to die alone, and patients and their families get the support they need when someone is dying. As part of the service, volunteers spend time with patients and their families in their final days and hours of life; this can include having conversations with them, reading to them or simply holding their hand. Introduced in early 2023, the service has provided more than 345 visits to patients so far, and volunteers have given over 600 hours of support.
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