Part 3: One A & E for East Kent?

Below are the average emergency response journey times by postcode, for taking patients to either the A & E at the William Harvey Hospital Ashford and the QEQM Margate in a SECAMb ambulance, for the period, Jan 1st – 31st Oct 2018. They cover only the Folkestone & Hythe District.

The FoI response from SECAMb shows nobody between Jan 1st to Oct 31st 2018 was taken directly to the A & E at the QEQM in Margate except those who live in CT4 which covers Elham and parts of the Canterbury district as well.

So patients it would appear have been transferred from the A & E at the William Harvey Hospital, Ashford to the A & E at the QEQM, Margate, or possibly gone directly to the QEQM under their own steam.

So the ambulance service have taken the vast majority of people to WHH in Ashford.

At the listening event put on by East Kent Hospital University Foundation Trust and the four CCG’s which cover East Kent, in Hythe on the 6th Nov 2018, much was made of the “Golden Hour“. So is it important?  In some cases it certainly would be, yes, but in the vast majority of cases, no it wouldn’t be.

That aside one has to consider the infrastructure – ie the roads to any potential super hospital, if it is built Canterbury. At present the roads are NOT adequate, so it is our opinion with the facts that we have presently that the wisest solution would be to close the QEQM at Margate and have the two A & E’s at Ashford and Canterbury.

However, at the listening event put on by East Kent Hospital University Foundation Trust and the four CCG’s which cover East Kent, in Hythe on the 6th Nov 2018, an A & E at Ashford and Canterbury is NOT an option presently. The Options as you can see from the image below is keep the WHH & the QEQM A & E’s or just have one A & E at the new hospital which MAY be built at Canterbury.

Perhaps the those responsible would/could and should consider changing the option. Or perhaps they could be even more radical and hold a local East Kent referendum. We hope they will, as it would demonstrate they are listening to the people, not just paying lip service.

The Shepwayvox Team – Journalism for the People NOT the Powerful