Wednesday November 28 | 2018
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OF TUNBRIDGE WELLS
TAKING STOCK: Nourish Foodbank launches its Christmas appeal to help feed hungry families in and around Tunbridge Wells. Find out how you can help on Page 5
Hospitals rated poorly on cancer treatment but are getting better By William Mata and Adam Hignett THE NHS trust that manages the hospital at Pembury has been ranked almost last in a nationwide list showing early treatment for cancer patients. The listing comes as it has emerged that Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells NHS Trust [MTW] has reduced its financial deficit by around £15million since being put on a budgetary regime in August 2016. After saving money by ‘negotiating better deals’, the hospital’s management will now turn its attention to
meeting targets for patient service shaving failed to hit, in all, three vital targets.
‘More than 100 additional patients a week are now being seen’ The latest data gathered by BBC research shows the following about MTW, which also manages Maidstone Hospital:
n Is ranked 129 out of 131 NHS trusts in the UK for starting cancer treatment within 62 days of urgent GP referral. n Has missed the NHS target of 95 per cent of patients treated or admitted within four hours of arrival at A&E. MTW recorded 90.3 per cent. n Stands at 111 out of 126 NHS trusts for patients having planned operations and care within 18 weeks of referral. The target was last hit in February 2016. In January, the Times reported for the cancer care target that MTW ranked 127 out of 134.
However, the results also showed NHS West Kent, a separate entity, hit the NHS target of 75 per cent of patients starting mental health therapy within six weeks of referral. A Trust spokesperson said: “It is our absolute priority that MTW delivers the national standards on waiting times.” The Trust has not commented on which of the missed targets is their priority. But the management has spoken about how they plan to improve performance of individual departments.
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