Doctors and health and social care leaders from the NHS in Kent and Medway, Kent County Council and Medway Council, has published a compelling ‘case for change’ which sets out why services need to change to meet the needs of local people.

Dr Peter Maskell, Consultant Geriatrician and one of the Co-Chairs of the Kent and Medway Clinical Board leading the process said:

"As our population grows, and people live longer, the demands on our services are changing and increasing. We can’t carry on having an average of 1000 people in a hospital bed each day who could be more appropriately cared for elsewhere if the right services were available to look after them. In my experience, people would rather be at home, or closer to home, with the right care in place, as soon as they are well enough. What’s more those 1000 beds aren’t available for their intended purpose, leading to cancelled operations and long waits for admissions via accident and emergency departments. I and colleagues from health and social care services, believe the answer is to grow services to meet the needs of this group of patients in our local communities, closer to where people live.”

You can download a PDF copy of the 'case for change' document here, and visit the www.kentandmedway.nhs.uk website to sign up for a regular newsletter about the future plans for health and social care in Kent and Medway, and to find out how and where you can get involved. Over the coming weeks and months there will be opportunities for staff and local people to share their views and contribute to the development of these plans.

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