Seeking views on vascular service

I are writing to draw attention to a public consultation the NHS is carrying out on a proposed change to vascular services in hospitals in the east Kent, Medway and Maidstone areas. Vascular services include treatment to blood vessels to restore blood flow around our bodies.

Part of this highly specialist care involves surgery that requires patients to stay in hospital overnight. Currently, this surgery takes place at two hospitals – in Canterbury and Medway – neither of which consistently meet national best practice standards.

The proposal is that all vascular surgery that requires patients to stay in hospital overnight takes place at only Kent and Canterbury Hospital in future. The majority of a patient’s vascular care, such as appointments, tests and scans, would continue unchanged at patients’ local hospitals in Ashford, Canterbury, Margate, Maidstone and Medway.

Day surgery would also continue unchanged at Canterbury and Medway hospitals.

This proposal aims to deliver the very best outcomes for all patients and meet national standards for vascular surgery by ensuring that we have more specialists available 24/7 with the right skills, equipment and infrastructure.

We would like to invite readers to attend an online community event, from 11am to 1pm on Tuesday, March 8.

To book a place, and read more about the proposal, visit jointheconversation.scwcsu.nhs. uk/vascular-services.

A copy of the consultation document can also be sent to people by emailing england. seconsultation@nhs.net or calling 01634 974040.

The consultation closes on Tuesday, March 15. Dr Rebecca Martin

Chief Medical Officer, East Kent Hospitals