Treatment Centre Delivers Value for Money in First Year

Patients are benefiting from a speedy and effective service delivered by the Mid Kent NHS Treatment Centre, run by Partnership Health Group at Maidstone Hospital.

The purpose built centre, which was developed in partnership with West Kent Primary Care Trust and Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells NHS Trust, has delivered value for money for the NHS in its first year of operation.
Since it opened to patients on 5 November 2006 it has achieved above its initial targets with 101 per cent of contract utilisation.
The centre houses a dedicated surgical facility, and a purpose-built endoscopy unit, which carries out more than 100 procedures each week. In addition, it delivers up to 160 chemotherapy treatments to Kent patients each week. In all, the centre provides more than 11,000 episodes of patient care each year.

Centre Manager, Jane Higgins said: “I am delighted that we have been seen to have delivered such good value for money for the NHS in our first year. This is an excellent example of how the NHS and private sector can work well together. It is also a great credit to the staff here, who have given their utmost to deliver a first class service to patients.”

Bob Deans, Director of Commissioning of West Kent Primary Care Trust, said: “Patients are benefiting from our investment in a speedy and effective service from the Treatment Centre which is cutting waiting times for people from West Kent. Across the NHS we are moving to a target waiting time of no longer than 18 weeks from GP referral to specialist treatment or operation, and the Treatment Centre is making a real contribution in helping us to achieve this.”