Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells NHS Trust

Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells NHS Trust is a large NHS Trust in the English National Health Service that manages hospitals in the Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells region in Kent, primarily managing Maidstone Hospital and Tunbridge Wells Hospital at Pembury.

It was heavily criticized in 2007 by the Healthcare Commission regarding its handling of a major outbreak of Clostridium difficile in its hospitals from April 2004 to September 2006. In its report, the Commission estimated that about 90 patients "definitely or probably" died as a result of the infection.

The Secretary of State for Health, Alan Johnson, described the 90 patients' deaths as "scandalous".

In a subsequent investigation by the Healthcare Commission the outbreak was connected to the financial reorganisations that the hospital trust was undergoing, such as its private finance initiative. In this regard, Richard James, Professor of Microbiology at Nottingham University noted striking parallels with Stoke Mandeville hospital, which experienced a severe C. difficile outbreak in 2003-5.[1]

The Trust, with East Kent Hospitals University NHS Foundation Trust is jointly procuring an electronic patient record system in a contract worth £10m - £40m in December 2013.[2]

During 2014 the Trust paid Ian Miller more than £250,000 for five months’ work as an interim finance director. The funds were paid to The Maxentius Partnership, his own consultancy business. The Trust justified the expense by saying “The independent financial expertise was essential in helping the Trust achieve £23.5 million in efficiency savings last year without impacting on patient care.”[3]

In April 2015 the Trust was the first NHS trust to be charged with corporate manslaughter under the Corporate Manslaughter and Corporate Homicide Act 2007 after 30-year-old Frances Cappuccini died after giving birth by emergency caesarean section in October 2012 at Pembury Hospital. Two doctors involved were charged with gross negligence manslaughter.[4]

See also

References

  1. ↑ Timmins, Nicholas (October 13, 2007), "Hospitals overlook infection guidelines", Financial Times
  2. ↑ "Kent trusts issue £40m EPR tender". E Health Insider. 24 December 2013. Retrieved 12 January 2014.
  3. ↑ "NHS hospital pays finance chief rates of £600,000 a year". Daily Telegraph. 2 June 2014. Retrieved 2 June 2014.
  4. ↑ Lintern, Shaun (21 April 2015). "First NHS trust charged with corporate manslaughter". Health Service Journal. Retrieved 21 April 2015.

External links

Healthcare Commission report:

News reports: