Space for a little one?
There were cosmic cuddles and out of this world songs for tots at a free storytime session. Parents and youngsters gathered at The Coffee Beam in East Farleigh for the event, run by the Maidstone branch of new parents’ charity, National
Childbirth Trust.
It featured stories around exploring outer space before everyone was able to tuck into a snack and a glass of squash.
The free sessions run every Wednesday from 10.30am and everyone is welcome.
More than 300 extra patients were admitted to hospitals in Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells every week last year compared to five years ago, figures reveal. Health experts say there is an “urgent need” for more staff to address a surge in demand in the NHS, driven in part by the increasing number of people living with complex long-term conditions.
NHS Digital data shows 121,295 patients were admitted to hospitals run by the Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells NHS Trust in 2018-19.
That was 17,569 more than during 2014-15 – the equivalent of 338 extra patients every week. Across England, hospitals had to deal with almost 24,000 additional admissions every week last year compared to 2014-15.
Richard Murray, chief executive of health think tank the King’s Fund, said the evidence suggested a decades-old policy of reducing the number of hospital beds had “gone too far”, with more funding and capacity now needed.
He said: “Critically, if the NHS is to open more hospital beds it will need more people to staff them, but the NHS is already in the grips of a major workforce crisis.
“A credible plan to increase staff numbers is urgently needed. Even then, it will take time to stabilise services and in the meantime patients will