Maidstone Hospital
Encyclopedia
Maidstone Hospital is a hospital
in Barming
, Maidstone
, England
. It is managed by the Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells NHS Trust
.
site adjacent to the now defunct Oakwood Hospital
with the intention of replacing the general and accident and emergency services of the ageing West Kent hospital in Marsham Street Maidstone. The development includes a landing pad for the Kent Air Ambulance
.
Extra wings have been added since the hospital opened, including a self-contained orthopaedic unit and new Eye, Ear and Mouth Unit in 2003 (replacing the Ear, Nose and Throat clinic that was based at Maidstone Ophthalmic Hospital (now closed) in Maidstone town centre) and the Peggy Wood Breast Care Centre in 2004.
The Kent Oncology
Centre is partly housed on this site. The specialist centre provides cancer
services for the whole of Kent
and also Hastings
and Rother
. The hospital also has a £2m Emergency Care Centre, which was one of the first of its kind in the country to offer full A&E services, a GP
out-of-hours service and a walk-in centre under one roof.
The hospital has appeared in the nationally recognised 40 Top Hospitals programme for four years running for its high standards of clinical care.
in an outbreak that began in 2006. A subsequent investigation found these infections to be the result of dirty and overcrowded conditions at the hospital.
The report also revealed that the outbreak contributed to a further 240 deaths and more than 1,150 people were ultimately infected.
As a result of this, the chief executive of the NHS trust, Rose Gibb, left her post by “mutual agreement” prior to publication of the investigation's findings. Further controversy arose when the Department of Health subsequently blocked a £175,000 severance payment to Ms Gibb after a public outcry.
Following a protracted legal wrangle, the High Court
upheld the Department of Health's decision and denied the payment.
However this decision was later overturned by the Court of Appeal
which re-awarded the payment.
Hospital
A hospital is a health care institution providing patient treatment by specialized staff and equipment. Hospitals often, but not always, provide for inpatient care or longer-term patient stays....
in Barming
Barming
Barming is a civil parish in the Maidstone District of Kent, England. It lies to the west of Maidstone, the county town, and had a population of 2234 persons . The eastern end of the parish is part of the built-up area of Maidstone, although the remainder is much more rural...
, Maidstone
Maidstone
Maidstone is the county town of Kent, England, south-east of London. The River Medway runs through the centre of the town linking Maidstone to Rochester and the Thames Estuary. Historically, the river was a source and route for much of the town's trade. Maidstone was the centre of the agricultural...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. It is managed by the Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells NHS Trust
Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells NHS Trust
Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells NHS Trust is a large NHS Trust in the British National Health Service that manages hospitals in the Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells region in Kent....
.
History
The hospital opened in 1983 on a greenfieldGreenfield land
Greenfield land is a term used to describe undeveloped land in a city or rural area either used for agriculture, landscape design, or left to naturally evolve...
site adjacent to the now defunct Oakwood Hospital
Oakwood Hospital
Oakwood Hospital in Barming Heath near Maidstone, England was a psychiatric hospital founded in 1833 as the Kent County Lunatic Asylum to an Early Corridor design by the Surveyor to the County of Kent, John Whichcord Snr...
with the intention of replacing the general and accident and emergency services of the ageing West Kent hospital in Marsham Street Maidstone. The development includes a landing pad for the Kent Air Ambulance
Kent Air Ambulance
The Kent Air Ambulance is an organisation providing emergency medical services through the provision of a helicopter air ambulance covering the county of Kent in the South East of England, United Kingdom...
.
Extra wings have been added since the hospital opened, including a self-contained orthopaedic unit and new Eye, Ear and Mouth Unit in 2003 (replacing the Ear, Nose and Throat clinic that was based at Maidstone Ophthalmic Hospital (now closed) in Maidstone town centre) and the Peggy Wood Breast Care Centre in 2004.
The Kent Oncology
Oncology
Oncology is a branch of medicine that deals with cancer...
Centre is partly housed on this site. The specialist centre provides cancer
Cancer
Cancer , known medically as a malignant neoplasm, is a large group of different diseases, all involving unregulated cell growth. In cancer, cells divide and grow uncontrollably, forming malignant tumors, and invade nearby parts of the body. The cancer may also spread to more distant parts of the...
services for the whole of Kent
Kent
Kent is a county in southeast England, and is one of the home counties. It borders East Sussex, Surrey and Greater London and has a defined boundary with Essex in the middle of the Thames Estuary. The ceremonial county boundaries of Kent include the shire county of Kent and the unitary borough of...
and also Hastings
Hastings
Hastings is a town and borough in the county of East Sussex on the south coast of England. The town is located east of the county town of Lewes and south east of London, and has an estimated population of 86,900....
and Rother
Rother
Rother is a local government district in East Sussex, England. The district is named after the River Rother which flows within its boundaries.-History:...
. The hospital also has a £2m Emergency Care Centre, which was one of the first of its kind in the country to offer full A&E services, a GP
General practitioner
A general practitioner is a medical practitioner who treats acute and chronic illnesses and provides preventive care and health education for all ages and both sexes. They have particular skills in treating people with multiple health issues and comorbidities...
out-of-hours service and a walk-in centre under one roof.
The hospital has appeared in the nationally recognised 40 Top Hospitals programme for four years running for its high standards of clinical care.
Superbug Outbreak
In 2007, the local NHS trust and Maidstone Hospital were involved in a scandal when 90 patients at the hospital died as a direct result of contracting the superbug c-diffClostridium difficile
Clostridium difficile , also known as "CDF/cdf", or "C...
in an outbreak that began in 2006. A subsequent investigation found these infections to be the result of dirty and overcrowded conditions at the hospital.
The report also revealed that the outbreak contributed to a further 240 deaths and more than 1,150 people were ultimately infected.
As a result of this, the chief executive of the NHS trust, Rose Gibb, left her post by “mutual agreement” prior to publication of the investigation's findings. Further controversy arose when the Department of Health subsequently blocked a £175,000 severance payment to Ms Gibb after a public outcry.
Following a protracted legal wrangle, the High Court
High Court of Justice
The High Court of Justice is, together with the Court of Appeal and the Crown Court, one of the Senior Courts of England and Wales...
upheld the Department of Health's decision and denied the payment.
However this decision was later overturned by the Court of Appeal
Court of Appeal of England and Wales
The Court of Appeal of England and Wales is the second most senior court in the English legal system, with only the Supreme Court of the United Kingdom above it...
which re-awarded the payment.