Maidstone Hospital A&E

Independant Review Panel (IRP) begins review in West Kent

Press Release 12.9.07 more information from http://www.irpanel.org.uk/

The IRP, the independent expert on NHS service change, has announced the start of a review into contested health service changes in West Kent. The review is taking place at the request of the Secretary of State for Health, Rt Hon Alan Johnson MP. The IRP will consider existing proposals put forward by the local NHS to change emergency and general orthopaedic and surgical services at Maidstone Hospital and the Kent and Sussex Hospital in Tunbridge Wells.

A report with the IRP’s recommendations will be sent to the Secretary of State following a thorough review process. The IRP includes members with clinical and management expertise, as well as lay people. During the review IRP members will make a number of visits to West Kent specifically to meet with patients, clinicians and other staff. These visits will also provide an opportunity for the IRP to meet with a range of other interested parties, including local authority representatives, interest groups and individuals living and working in the area.

Dr Peter Barrett, Chair of the IRP, said: “Our job is to provide recommendations to the Secretary of State that offer local people high quality, safe, sustainable and accessible healthcare services. Our key focus throughout the review will be on the patient and the quality of care, and we will be hearing evidence from all sides of the debate. We will also look at how any proposals for changes to orthopaedic and surgical services may impact on other clinical services.”
The Secretary of State’s request follows a referral from Kent County Council Health Overview and Scrutiny Committee. The referral relates to the decision by West Kent Primary Care Trust - following a three-month consultation[1] undertaken jointly with Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells NHS Trust - to relocate emergency and general orthopaedic services and surgical services between Maidstone and Kent and Sussex Hospitals.

Orthopaedic and surgical services are currently provided from both hospitals. Under the proposals, each hospital would become a specialist centre – Kent and Sussex Hospital in Tunbridge Wells for emergency surgery and emergency orthopaedic care; Maidstone Hospital for planned (elective) surgical and orthopaedic care. Both hospitals would retain A&E services.The IRP’s final report with its recommendations will be forwarded to the Secretary of State by the end of November 2007. The final decision on changes to services in the area will be made by the Secretary of State for Health.

[1] Consultation: A new direction for orthopaedic and surgical care

Of concern here is the statement that both hospitals retain A&E services. Under the proposed reconfiguration, Maidstone will only retain elements of an A&E service.