Fordcombe Hospital has opened for business with the arrival of its first patients after the Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells NHS Trust (MTW) purchased the facility.
The trust claims that by taking on a sizable portion of the patients with the greatest wait times, the purchase of the former private hospital close to Tunbridge Wells will allow it to serve the NHS throughout Kent and Medway.
Almost 1,600 patients have already been transferred to MTW for treatment and the trust will see a total of 2,500 patients by the end of March, the trust said.
“To treat those patients who have been waiting the longest” is the goal of MTW, according to CEO Miles Scott.
After a six-month transition phase, the trust took over ownership of the hospital from Spire Healthcare in March 2024. On Monday, the first patients came.
The Fordcombe Hospital, which has undergone a name change, will offer scheduled services in the areas of gastrointestinal, endoscopy, trauma and orthopaedics, and ear, nose, and throat.
MTW has also been able to expand capacity at the trust’s hospitals in Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells thanks to the extra amenities the location offers.
170 employees from the old Spire Healthcare location have moved to MTW.
“The trust is collaborating with our NHS partners to treat those patients who have been waiting the longest,” Mr. Scott stated.
Being a part of this makes us very happy, and we can already see how the increased capacity is improving patient care and experience.
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Emmanulla Jacob