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Kent Oncology Centre recognised for excellence in brain tumour care
 The Kent Oncology Centre’s Neuro-oncology service has once again been recognised as a national leader in brain tumour care, earning the prestigious Tessa Jowell Centre of Excellence award for the second time running.
Each year, over 12,000 adults in the UK are diagnosed with a brain tumour. Initiatives like the Tessa Jowell Centre of Excellence programme aim to make sure every patient has access to the highest standard of care and support.
To receive the award, the Kent Oncology Centre went through a detailed review led by experts, including NHS professionals, researchers and patients. The review looked at everything from the quality of treatment and care to patient feedback collected by the Brain Tumour Charity.
Being named a Centre of Excellence means patients in the Neuro-oncology service can feel confident they are receiving some of the best care available in the NHS.
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Trust launches innovative obesity treatment
 Tunbridge Wells Hospital has become one of only a few centres in the country offering three advanced treatment options for weight loss surgery.
In addition to delivering laparoscopic (key hole) and robotic procedures, the Bariatric service completed their first endoscopic sleeve gastroplasty last week.
Endoscopic sleeve gastroplasty is a minimally invasive procedure which makes the size of the stomach smaller, and is done by passing an endoscope (a flexible tube with a camera) into your mouth and down to your stomach.
The surgeon uses a tiny suturing device to stitch together parts of the stomach, changing it into a sleeve shape and reducing its size. This creates a sense of fullness and reduces the amount of food that can be eaten at one time.
The procedure is designed to be a day-case, which can mean quicker recovery times for patients and could also help improve waiting times in the future.
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Supporting people with a learning disability |
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 The Trust recently welcomed a group of people with learning disabilities to Tunbridge Wells Hospital, giving them an insight into what might happen when visiting a hospital.
Many of the guests had previous negative experiences in hospital, or were anxious about needing to attend one. Hosted alongside local learning disability charity, Aspens, the event gave the visitors the opportunity to enjoy a positive experience of attending hospital, and provide reassurance should they need to attend one in the future.
The group met with a number of teams including physiotherapists, radiologists and Emergency Department staff. They learned all about the different aspects of each role, including what all the different uniforms mean, and were also able to see the X-ray machine and CT scanner, try therapy equipment and do a swallowing test.
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 Recognising research
Research in the NHS is crucial for improving patient care, enhancing services and driving innovation in healthcare.
Departments across the Trust are regularly involved in research and clinical trials. Over the last month, a number of our teams have presented their research nationally and internationally, sharing their findings to improve the care provided to patients in the future.
Corinne Selsby, an advanced clinical practitioner (ACP) in the Emergency Department at Maidstone Hospital, recently won first place for her research presentation at the Royal College of Emergency Medicine’s ACP conference. Corinne’s study aimed to identify whether different methods of managing wrist fractures may help reduce the need for surgery.
Mr Douglas Donnachie, a resident doctor in orthopaedics, won top prize at a major international orthopaedic meeting in France. Mr Donnachie’s research looked at the benefits of hand x-rays in evaluating bone health and fracture risk in patients with clinical risk factors.
The Intensive Care Unit at Tunbridge Wells Hospital recently presented at the Intensive Care Society Congress, one of the largest multi-professional meetings in Europe. The team shared the work they undertook to receive HU-CI Certification of Good Practices in the Humanisation of Intensive Care, with a rating of ‘Excellent’.
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Virtual Ward shortlisted for prestigious prize |
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The Virtual Ward service has been shortlisted in this year’s Nursing Times Awards for their work in helping reduce hospital admissions.
The service, which provides nurse-led virtual care to patients at home, has cared for more than 2,000 people since it launched in 2022, saving over 7,000 hospital bed days.
On the Virtual Ward, patients who cannot be discharged as they need monitoring but do not need to stay in hospital, are given wearable devices so that they can be continually monitored. A team of clinicians then supports them with twice-daily clinical reviews, virtual assessments and home-based treatments.
The technology used captures real-time patient data, picking up if their condition changes and helping avoid hospital stays. This is particularly beneficial to frail elderly patients, who recover quicker in the comfort of their own home.
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Get muddy for MTW!
Last year’s abseil challenge at Tunbridge Wells Hospital saw over 100 brave people raise an incredible £43,000 for the MTW Hospitals Charity, helping to fund a range of initiatives benefiting both patients and staff.
This year, the Charity team are looking for adventurous fundraisers to get muddy for MTW!
Held at the award-winning Nuclear Races, the ‘Get Muddy’ challenge involves obstacles, water, climbing, sliding – and lots of mud.
Suitable for all abilities and open to ages 13+, this is your chance to take on 90 minutes of muddy fun to make a real difference to patients and staff at the Trust.
Help us make this year’s challenge just as successful as last year’s abseil - sign up to enjoy a fantastic experience doing something extraordinary for your local hospitals.
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Join MTW's upcoming Board meeting
 Our next Trust Board meeting takes place on Wednesday 30 July at 9.45am.
Members of the public and staff are welcome to join the meeting in person at the Education Centre in Tunbridge Wells Hospital, or online via Teams. The meeting link will be available on the Trust’s website from the start of that week.
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