Helen Grant MP was delighted to meet Miles Scott on Friday within his role as the new Chief Executive of Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells Trust, in just his first week on the job.
Mrs Grant was keen to meet Mr Scott to discuss how Maidstone Hospital has been managing an increased workload inevitably brought by the cold months.
Just prior to Christmas, the Government announced further investment in hospitals to help cope with winter pressures. It emerged that Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells NHS Trust were in line to receive an allocation of up to over £2 million in additional funding.
In her meeting with Mr Scott, Helen was informed that the Trust and the wider health system has prepared earlier and more extensively than ever before for Winter this year, with a focus on securing the right numbers of doctors and nurses, increasing bed availability, and making sure there is strong social care and community care support available to help discharge patients from hospital quickly.
The extra funding granted to Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells NHS Trust is the equivalent of up to 50 annual nurse salaries, and was announced as part of a £337m immediate funding boost for NHS hospitals this winter in the recent Budget, in addition to an extra £2.8bn investment over the next two years.
Commenting, Helen Grant MP said: 'I was very pleased to meet with Miles and welcome him in his new role, so early in his time here. It's extremely important that as the local MP, I have a strong line of communication with those at the head of our local health services so I can support them in their work.
I was delighted to learn before Christmas that the Trust was receiving extra funds to prepare for the winter period. This is great news for my constituents and I was interested to hear from Miles about how this money will be used locally which I understand will include 20 additional community places for patients. I look forward to continuing to work closely with our new Chief Executive and I wish him all the best in his new role.'
Miles Scott said, "Our staff are working incredibly hard, keeping thousands of patients safe and well this winter. It was a pleasure to meet Mrs Grant and to pass on her thanks to our dedicated teams."