"Foundation Trust" Status for East Kent Hospitals - Public Meeting

The East Kent Hospitals Trust have announced that they will be applying for Foundation Trust Status in 2008. East Kent Hospitals Trust is one of the largest hospital Trusts in the country, providing services from five hospitals and several outpatient settings. There will be a public meeting in Folkestone to discuss the proposals on 25th February.

The Trust has over 6,000 staff service a population of 700,000. In addition it provides specialist services for patients who live outside the East Kent area, such as renal services.

The Trust is eight years old, formed in 1999 when three hospital Trusts merged.

The five hospitals within the Trust are:

• Buckland Hospital , Dover
• Royal Victoria Hospital, Folkestone
• Kent & Canterbury Hospital, Canterbury
• Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother Hospital, Margate
• William Harvey Hospital, Ashford

A series of public meetings about the proposals have been announced:

• Folkestone: 25th February from 5.30 pm - 7.30 pm at the Day Hospital, Royal Victoria Hospital Folkestone (next to Walk-In Centre)
• Ashford: 3rd March from 5 pm - 7 pm at the Meeting Room, Stour Centre, Ashford
• Canterbury: 7th March from 3.30 pm - 5.30 pm at Harvey Hall KCH
• Dover: 10th March from 5 pm - 7 pm at Dover Town Hall
• Margate: 18th March from 3 pm - 5 pm at the Lecture Theatre, Queens Centre for Clinical Studies

In addition, there will also be a presentation by the East Kent Hospitals Trust at the 28 April Folkestone Town Meeting which is open to all Folkestone residents. Details of this meeting will be announced by Folkestone Town Council in the near future.