Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells NHS Trust is seeking views on its proposals to improve cardiology (heart) care.

Currently cardiology services for people with heart conditions needing an inpatient stay and/or a specialist procedure, are split across the two main hospital sites. Some specialist heart services are delivered from Maidstone Hospital, others from Tunbridge Wells Hospital. This often leads to patients being transferred from one site to another during a hospital stay. It also means the specialist heart doctors and nurses are spread across two sites and it is not possible to consistently provide a seven-day service at either site. Nor can all heart patients always be cared for on a dedicated, specialist cardiology ward. While cared for by specialist heart doctors, some patients remain on a general ward. Looking at how and where we deliver these services will enable us to improve services for patients.

After careful consideration, Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells NHS Trust’s heart specialists have put forward three potential ways to improve care. This would mean making changes to how services are organised and delivered, including a proposal to bring very specialist inpatient cardiology services together on one site. These proposals will not change how or where cardiology outpatient clinics and outpatient cardiology diagnostic services are delivered.

The Trust is seeking views on the proposals over a 12-week period running from today (Friday 22 October 2021) until midnight on Friday 14 January 2022.

Dr Laurence Nunn, Consultant Cardiologist at the Trust, said: “We are determined to provide the very best care for our heart patients. These proposals would allow us to do this. I would like to encourage people from Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells and surrounding areas to tell us what they think of our proposals, which will help us to shape and firm up our plans.”

After the engagement period ends, an independent agency will compile and review the feedback. This will be presented to the hospital Trust’s board to inform its decision making. The final decision about the proposals is expected later in 2022.
ENDS

For more information contact Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells NHS Trust’s Communications Team on 01622 228658 or email mtw-tr.communications@nhs.net

Notes to editors:
Further information about the proposals can be found here.

Members of the public can view information here or further information can be requested in hard copy by calling 01622 225771 or emailing mtw-tr.cardioreconfig@nhs.net.

There are several opportunities for patients, the public, staff, and stakeholders to get involved over the next 12-weeks, including some virtual public listening events.

Members of the public can find further details of how to get involved here where there will also be a short survey for people to give their views. In addition, the Trust will also be carrying out some telephone polling and targeted focus group discussions to ensure a wide range of views are captured.