NHS staff warn closure of frailty ward at Maidstone Hospital could compromise patient safety

NHS staff and relatives of patients have raised concerns over plans to close a specialist ward for frail and older people at Maidstone Hospital, warning that the loss of beds could compromise patient safety across West Kent.

Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells NHS Trust is consulting on proposals to close Whatman Ward, a geriatric medicine ward providing 21 medical beds and a further nine assessment spaces. The ward is currently scheduled to close at the end of August.

The trust says the proposed changes form part of wider efforts to shift more care away from hospitals and into community settings, in line with the NHS 10 Year Health Plan. The national strategy includes an increased focus on treating and monitoring frail patients closer to or within their own homes.

However, members of staff have questioned whether sufficient community services are currently available to support patients who would otherwise have been admitted to Whatman Ward.

One staff member told ITV News that reductions in community rehabilitation beds, the availability of nursing home places and changes to community frailty services made it difficult to see how removing the hospital beds would not have a significant impact on older patients requiring acute care.

Staff have also raised concerns that vulnerable patients could face longer waits in emergency departments or spend more time being cared for on trolleys while waiting for an appropriate hospital bed.

This could be particularly difficult for patients living with dementia or frailty, who may require specialist support and can be adversely affected by lengthy stays in busy emergency departments.

Whatman Ward is currently supported by two geriatric consultants and specialist frailty nurses, alongside a discharge team which includes physiotherapists and occupational therapists. A specialist dementia key worker also supports patients with more complex needs.

Relatives of patients currently receiving care on the ward have joined staff in questioning the proposals. Concerns have also been raised about the consultation process and the amount of notice provided to patients, families and other stakeholders.

Kent County Council’s Health Overview and Scrutiny Committee was reportedly not informed about the plans before concerns became public. Staff have called for the committee to review the proposals and for NHS Kent and Medway Integrated Care Board to examine concerns surrounding consultation.

Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells NHS Trust said it is reviewing how services are delivered to ensure they remain safe, sustainable and capable of meeting patients’ future needs.

The trust said the work includes plans to shorten hospital stays, improve patient flow and reduce delays when people are medically ready to be discharged.

It added that teams may provide care in different settings as services develop, with the aim of expanding care both within the trust and through community partners and ensuring patients receive the right care in the right place.

The dispute highlights one of the challenges facing the NHS as it attempts to move more healthcare from hospitals into communities. While supporting older people at home can reduce unnecessary hospital stays and help people maintain their independence, staff at Maidstone are questioning whether the services needed to support that transition are sufficiently developed before existing hospital capacity is removed.

The consultation is due to run until the end of August.

Stay informed with the stories shaping health and social care.