Major donation boosts support for cancer patients

A generous donation to the MTW Hospitals Charity is supporting cancer patients in reducing chemotherapy-related hair loss during treatment.

The Peggy Wood Foundation generously donated £93,000 for the Kent Oncology Centre, which has enabled the purchase of five double scalp coolers in the Charles Dickens Unit.

This vital equipment allows up to ten chemotherapy patients to use the scalp cooling system at the same time, giving many more people the option to reduce hair loss during chemotherapy treatment.

A long-standing supporter of the Trust, the Peggy Wood Foundation has also previously funded a cutting-edge lymph node detection system, now routinely used to treat patients with gynaecological cancers.

We recently welcomed the Chair of the Foundation, Bryn Annis (pictured), to Maidstone Hospital for the unveiling of a commemorative plaque, recognising the Peggy Wood Foundation’s outstanding generosity and ongoing support for the Kent Oncology Centre.

Community Diagnostic Centre features in the media

The work of the top-performing West Kent Community Diagnostic Centre (CDC) was recently recognised on ITV Meridian News.

The report celebrated the service provided by the CDC, which is located near Maidstone Hospital. The centre has delivered over 230,000 tests since it opened in 2023, helping to shorten waiting times, reduce pressure on hospital services and transform patients’ experience of care.

The special news feature included interviews with our clinicians and several patients, one of whom described the service provided at the CDC as “the NHS at its very, very best.”

Training helps save a life

Resuscitation training is mandatory for our clinical staff and for Dr Chloe Robson, who attended training as part of her induction in the summer, it made a life-saving difference.

Lead Resuscitation Officer, Paul Abdey demonstrated someone having a cardiac arrest on stage and just four days later, as Chloe made her way home from completing a local 10k, she encountered a runner who had fallen and hit his head.

Chloe said: “They’d provided immediate first aid to his head injury and called 999 saying he was unconscious but breathing.

"As an ophthalmology doctor I don’t often experience cardiac arrests, but I instantly recognised his breath sounds from Paul’s demonstration, so I rolled him out of the recovery position, confirmed he was actually in cardiac arrest and began CPR [cardiopulmonary resuscitation].”

Volunteers and paramedics were able to stabilise Deane Gaunt before he was transferred to hospital, where he was found to have a hereditary heart condition.

Chloe recently met with Deane and others involved in saving his life that day.
Deane said: "I still find it hard to believe what happened, and how lucky I am to be here, which is all because of you guys on the day. I am forever grateful."

Paul said: "Chloe and Deane’s story is testament to why it’s so important to be trained in the fundamentals of basic life support, as it can significantly increase someone’s chances of survival."

Sprinkling festive magic on Hedgehog Ward

Father Christmas took time out of his busy schedule to wish merry Christmas to young patients on Hedgehog Ward at Tunbridge Wells Hospital last week.

Thanks to technology provider Cisco, the children enjoyed a video call with Father Christmas from his armchair in the North Pole, while a team of elves handed out gifts in rooms decked with festive decorations by nursing staff and play specialists.

As each child was waiting to meet the man in red, they chatted with a team of elves who found out their name, age, hobbies and what they’d asked for Christmas this year. This meant Father Christmas could greet every child by name and have a meaningful and personalised conversation with them.

Speaking after the event, Paediatric Inpatient Ward Manager, Michelle Turton, said: “It was a truly memorable experience for the children and for the Trust’s teams as well. The atmosphere created by everyone, along with the joy on the children’s faces, was simply wonderful. A huge thank you to everyone who gave up their time and contributed to such a lovely event.”

Advanced technology for patients with eye conditions

Ophthalmology patients are benefiting from new advanced equipment thanks to a donation from the Maidstone Hospital League of Friends.

The Department of Ophthalmology is the largest specialised eye unit in the south east, treating over 65,000 patients a year.  

The new equipment provides the most advanced technology available for analysing the front portion of the eye, helping the team diagnose and manage a range of conditions including keratoconus, where the cornea bulges outwards into a cone shape and causes blurred vision.

The machine will also support the monitoring of patients who have had procedures including corneal transplants and cataract surgery.

Private care boosts investment in NHS services

Private services offered by the Trust are generating vital income that goes straight back into improving care for everyone.  Unlike many private providers, every penny earned through Wells Health, the Trust’s private service, stays within the NHS. This income is reinvested into frontline care – funding new equipment, improving facilities and helping reduce waiting times for patients. In the last financial year (2024/25) Wells Health treated more than 11,000 private patients, generating £6.4million for the Trust. Dr David Golden, Chief of Service for Wells Health and Consultant Anaesthetist at MTW, said: “Our private services are not about profit—they are about reinvestment. By keeping private care within the NHS, we ensure the highest standards of safety and quality while creating resources that benefit everyone.”

Thank you to our volunteers

With the festive season upon us, we recently hosted Christmas lunches for our volunteers at Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells hospitals to thank them for the invaluable work they do.

Volunteers are a vital part of life in our hospitals, helping people find their way around, keeping patients company and sitting with them during treatments, supporting hospital radio and our chaplaincy teams, and also working with the League of Friends at Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells hospitals. They also support staff by acting as an extra pair of hands and freeing them up to prioritise clinical care.

Our volunteers are a friendly face at a stressful time for patients and families, and together they've given over 30,000 hours of their time this year!

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