Work starts on new Maidstone NHS Treatment Centre

Health chiefs will be turning the first sod on Friday 21 October at 11.00am, with the help of a JCB, to celebrate the start of building work on the new NHS Treatment Centre at MaidstoneHospital.

The Treatment Centre is being developed as part of a joint venture between the  NHS and the Partnership Health Group (PHG), an independent sector health care provider.

Located next to the Eye, Ear and Mouth Unit, it will provide dedicated facilities for patients requiring a range of surgical, urological, gynaecological and orthopaedic day surgery, endoscopies and outpatient chemotherapy procedures, which are currently provided by MaidstoneHospital.  

Equipped with two operating theatres, endoscopy facilities, 20 day beds, three post-operative recovery beds and facilities for chemotherapy patients, it is expected that the unit will treat 10746 patients requiring elective day case procedures and scopes in the first year, and provide 8027 chemotherapy treatments.  

Patients will continue to receive their care from NHS staff currently working at the hospital, who will be seconded into this new state of the art facility, once it is completed in the Autumn 2006.

Maidstone Weald PCT’s Chief Executive, David Meikle said; “This new purpose built centre will be able to treat an additional 1546 patients requiring day surgery or outpatient chemotherapy within the first year alone.”

Rose Gibb, Chief Executive for Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells NHS Trust said; “The new unit will provide more state-of-the-art facilities for patients at MaidstoneHospital.”

Glen Merryweather, acting Managing Director of PHG said; “I am delighted that the building work is now underway.  We are looking forward to opening the new unit and providing patient centred services and facilities to complement existing NHS capacity.”

Note to Editors

• Maidstone Weald PCT is the lead sponsor for the development of the NHS Treatment Centre, as it is responsible for the commissioning of health services on behalf of its local residents.  Other NHS organisations involved in this scheme include Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells NHS Trust, South West Kent PCT and the Department of Health.
• Partnership Health Group is a joint venture between Care UK,  a leading British provider of health and social care service solutions; and Life Healthcare, one of Southern Africa’s leading private hospital operators.
• PHG currently operates independent sector treatment centres in Plymouth and Barlborough, South Yorkshire.