Planning permission has been granted for a new Maggie’s cancer support centre at Maidstone Hospital, marking a major milestone in the expansion of support services for patients across Kent and East Sussex.

This exciting development announces the beginning of a new partnership between Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells NHS Trust (MTW) and Maggie’s. The centre is expected to open in 2028, providing free, expert support to people living with cancer, as well as their family members and friends.

The new building will be based at the rear of Maidstone Hospital and a short walk from the Kent Oncology Centre.

Maggie’s centres are renowned for offering a warm and welcoming environment, staffed by specialist teams including psychologists, cancer support experts, and benefits advisors.

By partnering with Maggie’s, MTW is committed to enhancing holistic care beyond medical treatment – helping patients navigate the emotional, practical, and psychological challenges of a cancer diagnosis.

This development is the latest in a long line of investments in enhanced support and care services for MTW patients, including funding for improved radiotherapy technology, additional treatments and increased outpatient capacity. The Trust provides some of the fastest access to cancer care in the country, currently meeting all three national cancer standards and consistently achieving the 62-day cancer standard for more than six years.

The new centre, designed by Assemble Studio, will feature comfortable spaces for one-to-one consultations, group activities, exercise classes, and a calming garden area, and patients and families can drop in without booking an appointment. More than 11,000 people are diagnosed with cancer annually in Kent, this centre is expected to support patients over 20,000 times each year.

Now planning approval is in place, Maggie’s will continue with a £7 million fundraising campaign, which will enable this vital facility to become a lasting service for generations of patients and their families.

Miles Scott, Chief Executive for MTW, said: “This exciting partnership with Maggie’s represents an important step in how we care for people – not just by delivering world-class medical treatment, but by recognising and responding to the emotional and practical toll cancer takes.

“This new centre – just a short walk away from the Kent Oncology Centre – will offer patients and their families a sense of community, guidance and strength at a time when they need it most. We are looking forward to seeing the project develop and the positive difference it will make for our communities over the coming years.”

Chief of Cancer Services for MTW, Philippa Moth, said: “Cancer care is about so much more than procedures and treatments – it’s about helping people feel safe, supported and understood. The Maggie’s centre will be a transformative space where patients can talk, learn, and take a breath, supported by experts who know what they’re going through, working hand-in-hand with the specialists in the Kent Oncology Centre.

“At MTW, we are proud of the developments to our services which enable us to provide better outcomes for patients. This partnership will make a real and lasting difference to how we support every person facing cancer.”

Maggie’s Chief Executive Dame Laura Lee DBE said: “We are delighted to have planning permission to build our new Maggie’s in Kent.

“We have been working closely with Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells NHS Trust to bring our free expert support to the people of the Kent, so it is wonderful we are now a step nearer.

“This incredible milestone comes as we mark 30 years of providing trailblazing expert support across the UK and look towards the next three decades of Maggie’s.  Excitingly our Kent centre will help us realise our ambition to have 60 centres across the UK so no one faces cancer alone.”

To find out more about the project, MTW and Maggie’s are hosting an online public Q&A session, on 28 April from 6pm to 6.45pm where representatives will provide a short presentation and answer any questions. To join the session, please contact mtw-tr.communications@nhs.net

If you can’t attend, questions can be sent to mtw-tr.communications@nhs.net.

To find out more about Maggie’s please visit www.maggies.org