Local News

The Health Secretary, Jeremy Hunt, has announced in Parliament today that the Medway NHS Foundation Trust has been placed in special measures following "fundamental breaches of care".

Medway is one of eleven out of the fourteen trusts that have been put under further investigation by NHS Medical Director Sir Bruce Keogh. Mr Hunt announced that the standard of care at the trust, which runs the Medway Maritime Hospital in Gillingham, were put under the spotlight following the recent inquiry into care at the Mid-Staffordshire NHS Trust. An investigation of the mortality rates at Medway revealed that the hospital had 1,745 deaths in a year (210/2011) - 238 more than expected.

The Medway NHS Foundation Trust came in the bottom 12 of all 145 English hospital trusts for the end of last year and the recent investigation uncovered "more worrying findings".

Referring specifically to Medway, Mr Hunt told the Commons "A public consultation heard stories of poor communication with patients, poor management of deteriorating patients, inappropriate referrals and medical interventions, delayed discharges and long A&E waiting times."

Under the special measures introduced the trust will have to implement recommendations from the Keogh Review. This will include regular visits from external teams; health care regulators will assess the quality of leadership at the hospital/s and the removal of any senior managers unable to lead the improvements required; and the hospital/s will be partnered with high-performing NHS organisations from other area.

Two men have been charged in connection with a rape in Sittingbourne in the early hours of Sunday (14th July) morning.

Kent Police have confirmed that they were called at just before 3.40am on Sunday to reports of a rape of a 36-year-old local woman in Dover Street.

Maksim Volkon, aged 32 and of Merleburgh Drive and Vitalijs Alehovics, aged 26, of Periwinkle Close, both in Sittingbourne, have been jointly charged with rape.

They appeared before Maidstone Crown Court yesterday and were remanded in custody.

The pair are due to appear before the court again on Friday 2nd August.

Kent Fire & Rescue Service (KFRS) have been tackling a huge blaze at the Sweeep Kuusakoski building on Gas Road in Milton Regis.

It is believed that the fire broke out just after 8.00am this morning and 10 fire engines were sent to the scene. Two men, in their 20's and workers at the plant, suffered smoke inhalation and were taken to hospital. Local residents in the Milton Regis area were advised to keep their windows and doors shut as a precaution and a large exclusion zone was set up around the scene with the B2005 Mill Way being closed.

An investigation in to the cause of the fire will be instigated by the KFRS later today.

Kent County Council (KCC) are planning to change the way they deliver Children's Centre services throughout the county and have begun a consultation on the possible closure of the Woodgrove Children's Centre on Johnson Road here in Sittingbourne

A Press Release from the KCC states that "in the current economic climate efficiency savings must be made, so it is vital that the council sets out a new model for its Children's Centres which is sustainable for the long-term future". 

The Council says that it has identified 16 lead centres which are bigger buildings in communities where more families need early support services. They are proposing that "in future these will become 'Children's Centre Plus' and will co-ordinate services across smaller, linked centres in the area. This will mean that they will work more closely with local GPs, schools, health visitors, child minders, nurseries, social services, health specialists, Job Centre Plus and the voluntary sector to offer better access to vital services".

The Council believe at this new model will allow for them "to focus spending on services to children, while reducing costs for buildings, management, and other overheads. It will deliver savings of at least £1.5m while maintaining wide coverage across the county and continued access to a nearby service for those who need it most".

KCC has launched a 12-week consultation from today (Thursday 3rd July) to get the views of local parents and carers and the wider community who use the centres now or will use them in the future.

Jenny Whittle, KCC cabinet member for specialist children's services, told SFM News that "KCC is committed to continuing to provide the services we currently offer through our Children's Centres and continuing to make a difference to the futures of families we help through those centres. We need to make efficiency savings and will seek to do this by minimising property and management costs. We are committed to seeking the views of those families for whom Children's Centres provide important services. We will be conducting a full public consultation over the summer to gather views on our proposals. We recognise how important these services are to many families and we are looking at new and different ways to deliver them to the people who need them most. This includes working together with clinical commissioning groups to host services for families and working with the expanded Kent health visitor workforce to support first time families and vulnerable parents and children in our communities."

Children's Centres provide early childhood services such as nursery provision, social services, health services, training and employment services for parents and prospective parents and information and advice. The Council believes that "parents will still be able to use services at another Children's Centre or community venue, such as a library or GP surgery. If the proposal is implemented in full, accessibility to a Children's Centre will remain the same for more than 99% of families. Services which improve health, education and social care outcomes for children and families will be protected and focussed on the needs of the local population. Earlier support will also be targeted towards the families that need it".

To find out more about the proposals and take part in the consultation, visit www.kent.gov.uk/childrenscentres. The consultation runs from 4th July - 4th October 2013.