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Nurses nominated for national awards
 Our nurses play a vital role in delivering outstanding care to our patients, so we are delighted that a number of our team have been shortlisted in this year's Nursing Times Awards. The awards provide an opportunity to recognise the excellent dedication, inspiration and hard work nurses across the country provide every day.
Vicky Williams, Stroke Clinical Lead and Lead Stroke Specialist Nurse, has been shortlisted as Nurse Leader of the Year. Vicky’s nomination praised her approach to pioneering innovative solutions to improve the Trust’s Stroke Service, which includes the development of the Stroke Assessment Bay, one of the first of its kind in the UK.
Learning Disability Liaison Nurse, Becky Hankin, and Mental Capacity Act Clinical Nurse Specialist, Philippa Routs, have been shortlisted for their work in developing pathways to support patients with learning disabilities and making sure their experience is as positive as possible.
The Infection Prevention and Control team have also been shortlisted for their quality improvement project to prevent bloodstream infections by improving the care and management of peripheral cannulas.
The winners will be announced at an awards ceremony in October.
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Pathology consultant lends expertise overseas
 Dr Michael Coutts, Consultant Gynaecological Pathologist at MTW, has been involved in a project to develop a cervical screening service in Moldova. With a population of 2.8 million, Moldova’s cervical cancer survival rate was approximately 50% in 2016, with the country seeing some 500 cases a year and 250 deaths. By comparison, the UK sees 3,300 cases of cervical cancer per year with 850 deaths, despite a population 24 times larger, and this is largely due to an effective screening programme.
Dr Coutts has been supporting the project for the past eight years as part of a large team of pathology professionals from the UK. MTW previously welcomed pathologists from Moldova on training placements to shadow Dr Coutts, where they gained valuable insights which they then fed back to their colleagues in Moldova. Thanks to the project, Moldova now has a cervical screening programme up and running, similar to that of the UK, which should enable earlier diagnosis of cervical cancer and higher survival rates.
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Abseil challenge set to reach new heights |
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As you may remember, over 100 brave staff, patients and members of the community were scheduled to abseil down Tunbridge Wells Hospital last month, in aid of the MTW Hospitals Charity. Unfortunately, blustering winds and heavy rain on the day meant that the event had to be re-scheduled, so our intrepid abseilers will now be scaling down the 100ft building on 19 October.
Over £31,400 (including Gift Aid) has been raised for the charity so far, which supports our services and makes a real difference to the lives of patients, visitors and staff. There’s still plenty of time to be part of this incredible challenge, either by donating or signing-up for the abseil – what are you waiting for?
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Supporting our armed forces community
 The Trust has officially been honoured with ‘Veteran Aware’ status, in recognition of the support we provide to veterans, reservists, members of the armed forces and their families.
The accreditation has been awarded by the Veterans Covenant Healthcare Alliance (VCHA), a group of NHS healthcare providers in England committed to providing the best standards of care for the armed forces community, based on the principles of the Armed Forces Covenant. The Armed Forces Covenant is a promise by the nation to ensure those who serve or have served in the Armed Forces, and their families, are treated fairly.
In addition, MTW has also achieved a silver award for the Defence Employer Recognition Scheme. This is given to employers who have pledged to support the Armed Forces, signed the Armed Forces Covenant, promoted being Armed Forces-friendly and are open to employing reservists, veterans, cadet instructors and their partners.
News of these achievements was announced during our recent celebrations of Armed Forces Week, which began with a special flag-raising ceremony at Tunbridge Wells Hospital.
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Recruitment event draws in a crowd |
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We recently welcomed prospective consultants at a recruitment event for our Medicine and Emergency Care Division.
Our Chief Executive, Miles Scott was joined by medical and clinical directors from the division, to discuss the range of consultant career opportunities at MTW. Attendees were also able to find out more about research and teaching opportunities.
Consultants are our most senior doctors, who have completed full medical training in a specialised area of medicine and are responsible for leading a team to deliver care for patients. Many will have spent part of their training at the Trust and we were pleased to see some familiar faces at the event!
With over 350 different careers available in the NHS, there is a huge range of exciting opportunities for anyone who is passionate about making a difference in healthcare. Visit our website to find your next role with us at Team MTW.
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Happy Birthday, NHS!
 On 5 July, we celebrated the NHS’ 76th birthday and gave thanks to our amazing colleagues at MTW and across the NHS, past and present.
From surgeons to sonographers, and midwives to microbiologists; from porters to physios, and anaesthetists to administrators; every single person plays a vital role in enabling us to care for patients in our local communities, and all are a part of the NHS' lasting legacy.
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Is it a bird? Is it a plane?...
 …no, it’s an MRI scanner! We’re used to helicopters landing at Tunbridge Wells Hospital, but it’s less often that we see an MRI scanner flying over site.
We recently welcomed the arrival of our brand new MRI scanner as part of the redevelopment of the MRI department at Tunbridge Wells Hospital, which will improve patient experience and provide a more efficient service.
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