We are committed to ensuring the local community has a voice in the long-term future of east Kent’s NHS. On Friday 16 June, we are joining Concern for Health in East Kent (CHEK) at its public meeting to listen to the public and answer questions about Kent and Canterbury Hospital and longer term plans to improve health and social care in east Kent.
As local NHS leaders were unable to attend CHEK's meeting in April due to the restrictions placed on all public bodies in the pre-election period, we promised to answer questions raised at the meeting. You can read these here.
The reason we are making some temporary changes to some services at Kent and Canterbury Hospital is because patient safety and quality of care is our utmost priority.
We need patients to be seen in the place they will get the most appropriate treatment which means, for the moment, some patients being treated at Ashford and Margate for the initial stages of their care. More information is available here.
Any permanent changes would not be made without public consultation.
Our longer-term strategy is based on making the best use of all three hospitals in Canterbury, Margate and Ashford, with local care in the community or at home for people who are in hospital but no longer need to be there, and this will be fully consulted on.
