Infection prevention & control excellence awards are presented to teams showing exemplary practice. The winners for March: ✨ Hedgehog Ward and Woodlands at Tunbridge Wells Hospital ✨ Maidstone Hospital Emergency Department, who achieved a 100% score on IPC audits this month. Well done teams! 👏

#HospitalPharmacyDay recognises the expertise of our pharmacy teams! They play a crucial role in patient care and medication safety, and their expertise is essential, making sure every prescription is safe, effective & tailored to each patient. Last year they dispensed 725,000 prescriptions!

📲 Parents and guardians can now access their child’s health records securely through our patient portal. ✉️ Get email updates on letters, and complete questionnaires to support your child’s care. Request access and read our ‘how to’ guide: mtw.nhs.uk/portal

Thank you to all the teams and partners who have worked tirelessly to respond to the meningitis B outbreak – and continue to do so. From delivering vaccinations and preventative antibiotics to supporting those affected, staff have worked quickly and with real care during a very challenging time.

"The artwork really helped us during a stressful day". 🐠 Support from the Maidstone Hospital League of Friends has transformed Maidstone Hospital’s Short Stay Surgery Unit to make it less daunting for our youngest patients. Read more: ow.ly/VIaS50YxE1c

Maidstone A&E are our Chief Nurse’s Team of the Month for February! 🏆 The award was in recognition of their work managing a number of complex patients during an already very busy time for the department. They were presented with their certificate yesterday by Deputy Chief Nurse, Richard Gatune.

Eid Mubarak to all our colleagues, patients, friends and local communities celebrating #EidAlFitr. 🌙 We hope you have a blessed and joyous time! Please look after your health and wellbeing while enjoying the festivities, and a special thank you to those working during Eid caring for others. 💙

Lung Cancer Advanced Nurse Practitioner, Sandra Wakelin has gained national recognition after becoming @btog.bsky.social Nurse of the Year! 🎉 Sandra received her award in recognition of her outstanding contribution to lung cancer care, including developing nurse-led immunotherapy clinics.

Following the meningitis outbreak in east Kent, a @ukhsa.bsky.social patient helpline is open for patients with no symptoms but who are concerned they have been in contact with a confirmed case, & for general enquiries. 📞 03442253861, 9am to 5pm. More information: www.kmhealthandcare.uk

Congratulations to Consultant Orthopaedic Surgeon, Mr Guy Slater on receiving a @facs.org award recognising his work developing the ATLS course, which is delivered by @collegeofsurgeons.bsky.social & teaches clinicians to care for patients with life-threatening injuries. Read more ow.ly/5I1p50Yv9Yo

The Dementia and Delirium team visited our wards on World Delirium Day last week to raise awareness and give advice on how best to care for someone experiencing delirium: ensuring their safety, speaking clearly and maintaining a calm environment.

Congratulations to Chief Pharmacist and Clinical Director of Pharmacy & Medicines Optimisation, Mildred Johnson, who has been elected as a Member of the English Pharmacy Advisory Council of the Royal Pharmaceutical Society. 👏 The new councils will help shape future pharmacy policy and practice.

“My nursing journey has always been driven by a passion to support patients through some of the most uncertain and life-changing moments of their lives." It's Cancer Clinical Nurse Specialist (CNS) Day and a chance to celebrate our incredible cancer nursing workforce. Read more: ow.ly/Tji450YuGZc

Tristan Barnden and Luisa Roldao Pereira, advanced practitioners nationally-recognised in nuclear medicine presented at @myesr.bsky.social congress in Austria. Tristan presented on advanced practice in cardiac nuclear medicine and Luisa spoke about delivering molecular therapies and theranostics.

Happy Mother’s Day to all the mums, grandmothers and the mother figures in our lives! 💐 To everyone who might find today hard, for whatever reason, we are thinking of you. 💙 Finally, a huge thank you to all the #NHS mums working today, caring for others in our hospitals and in the community.

Donated medical supplies are making a difference to wounded soldiers and civilians at Ternopil Regional Clinical Hospital in Ukraine. 🇺🇦 The hospital cares for wounded soldiers as well as local people. It’s so busy that many surgeons and doctors sleep there and go home just one day a week.

We're springing into this month's Patient First newsletter! 💐 💙 Planning permission for a new Maggie's Centre 🩸 Trialling a blood test which could help detect pancreatic cancer sooner 🏆 Healthwatch award for the West Kent Single Point of Access ...and more! www.mtw.nhs.uk/patient-first

🗨️ “Sharing knowledge and ensuring patients feel supported is incredibly important." Endometriosis Specialist, Mr Ahmed El Gohari took part in a webinar and Q&A with the West Kent Endometriosis UK support group. Read more: ow.ly/sVWm50YsXBO

Colleagues came together in support of our MTW Hospitals Charity at the Paddock Wood Half Marathon. They've raised nearly £2,000 which will help purchase specialist equipment, enhance patient care & contribute to service improvements across our hospitals. Donate now: ow.ly/m6yM50YsiT8

Your sexual health is as important as your physical health. Our sexual health clinics offer a free and confidential service to everyone, regardless of your age, gender or sexual orientation. Find expert advice on your sexual health at kent.gov.uk/sexualhealth

Planning permission has been granted for a @maggiescentres.bsky.social Cancer Centre at Maidstone Hospital. 🎉 Funded by Maggie's, the centre will provide free, expert emotional, psychological and practical support to people with cancer and their families. Read more: ow.ly/zAJe50YraQg

76% of the NHS workforce are women, and on International Women’s Day we celebrate the women who define our trust and our NHS, from patient care to pioneering research, and from early‑career professionals to inspiring leaders. To the amazing women who inspire us, lead us and care for us: thank you.💙

Congratulations to Radiology Receptionist, Karen Smith, our January Employee of the Month! 👏 She treats everyone with dignity, respect and understanding, creating a calm & welcoming environment for everyone coming through our doors. Nominate a person or team: www.mtw.nhs.uk/employee-of-the-month

There will be a crane outside Maidstone Hospital main entrance 8.30am - 3pm today. The drop-off area is closed but pedestrian access will be maintained when the crane is not in operation, with staff available to guide you.

We are #TeamMTW because of the exceptional people who choose to work here, wherever in the world their journey began. 🌏 Today is #OverseasNHSWorkersDay and Staff Appreciation Day, and a chance to say how proud we are of our exceptional people, and everything they do. Thank you. 💙

🚘 Our Patient Transport team step in when patients need to be moved quickly. Transporting nearly 3,000 patients in the past year, they take on journeys that are time‑critical, complex or otherwise at risk of delay. Find out more about their amazing work: ow.ly/MNav50Yo7es 👏

Congratulations to our healthcare support workers who completed their Care Certificates in February! 👏 The Care Certificate gives support workers the knowledge and skills to provide safe and compassionate care, covering duty of care, working in a patient-centred way, and communication.

Mr Ahmed El Gohari is a consultant gynaecologist and a specialist in endometriosis. On Sunday 8 March, 12 to 2pm he will be speaking at the West Kent Endometriosis UK support group on ‘A Journey Through Endometriosis and Pelvic Pain’. Email [email protected] to get the Teams link.

The West Kent Single Point of Access was celebrated at last month’s Healthwatch Kent Awards. Hospital, community and ambulance teams work together to make joint decisions on the best treatment service for patients, helping them be treated sooner and avoid A&E where appropriate. Well done, team! 👏

A very happy Holi to our colleagues, patients and members of our local communities celebrating! Holi is a Hindu festival celebrating love, friendship, and new beginnings. It's also known as the "Festival of Colours" given the tradition of throwing coloured powder paint and water.

Our bariatric weight loss surgery service launched in 2022 and provides the tier 4 bariatric service for Kent, Medway and parts of Sussex. To mark #WorldObesityDay the team are challenging stigma, supporting prevention, and advocating for healthier environments & equitable care.

The Jewish festival of Purim starts this evening, celebrating the survival of the Jewish people who were spared from massacre in ancient Persia by Queen Esther. Chag Purim Sameach to our patients, colleagues and the wider Jewish community celebrating! 💙

“We are thankful to the apprenticeship programme for giving us this opportunity to progress in our careers.” Congratulations to Chamara and Sonia - our third cohort of apprentice operating department practitioners - who have passed with flying colours and graduated in Rochester Cathedral! 🎓

Clinical skills facilitators, Theresa Adeyemi and Doyin Olagbuyiro met health and science students preparing to take their first steps into professional practice at a @uniofgreenwich.bsky.social careers event, helping support the next generation of NHS professionals.

Love at first sight ❤️👶🏻 Baby Ralph was one of 10 babies born on Valentine's Day at Tunbridge Wells Hospital. He arrived a little early so needed to stay with us for a few days but we were very happy to see him go home with his parents, Rhiannon and Owen, yesterday!

Our next Board meeting takes place on Thursday 26 February at 9.15am. Members of the public and staff are welcome to join the meeting in person at the Academic Centre at Maidstone Hospital, or on Teams. More information, and the link to join the online meeting, is on our website: ow.ly/F7q450YhYvA

Today is Ash Wednesday, marking the start of Lent in the Christian calendar. Lent lasts 40 days (not including Sundays) and is a time to reflect and prepare to celebrate Easter. To our patients, colleagues and community observing Lent, we hope you have a reflective time as we approach Easter. ✝️

Ramadan, the holiest month in the Islamic calendar, begins this evening. 🌙 We will have additional dedicated space for Muslim prayer in the multi-faith centres at our hospitals. #RamadanMubarak to all our colleagues. patients and friends observing this important month.

Happy Lunar New Year! As we say goodbye to the year of the snake and welcome the year of the horse, we wish prosperity and good health to our patients, staff, and communities celebrating. 🐎 A special thank you to those working during the festivities. Kung Hei Fat Choy! 🧧

Wishing our colleagues, patients, friends & those in our local communities celebrating, a peaceful Maha Shivaratri today and this evening. Observed with fasting, prayer and vigils, #MahaShivaratri is a Hindu festival dedicated to Lord Shiva, symbolising self-discipline, renewal and inner awakening.

Show our NHS some love this Valentine's Day! ❤️ A special thank you to all those working today caring for patients & keeping our hospitals running smoothly. You can show your NHS some love every day, by choosing the right service for your needs, and saving A&E for life-threatening emergencies.

Today may be unlucky for some but not if you're subscribed to our Patient First newsletter! ☢️ first patient receives advanced new liver radiotherapy 🏥 our surgical teams perform 40% more gallbladder operations in a day 💜 taking action to reduce the risk of stroke mtw.nhs.uk/patient-first

Congratulations to the Nursing & Midwifery Education team who won the Chief Nurse’s Team of the Month award for January! The award was in recognition of the support they've given to our clinical teams during recent winter pressures. They were presented with their award by Chief Nurse, Jo Haworth.

Blood tests reveal a lot about a patient’s health, are crucial in diagnosing many conditions and are often the last tests patients need before they can be discharged from hospital. Celebrating the work of phlebotomy and phlebotomists from the wards to the community, today is Phlebotomy Day! 🎉

Today is International Day of Women and Girls in Science! 🧪🫀👩🏾‍🔬 Thank you to the thousands of amazing women on our wards, in our laboratories, in our operating theatres, in our clinics and pharmacies, and working across our hospitals to help us provide outstanding care.

💬 "By sharing their lived experience or taking part in trials, stroke survivors can make a huge difference to how we deliver services now and in the future.” Our Stroke Research team visited a local @thestrokeassoc.bsky.social support group to encourage stroke survivors to get involved in research.

Park and ride is a free, more sustainable way to visit our hospitals. ✅ Park your car at the free car park ✅ Jump on the free shuttle bus ✅ Get the bus back to your car. More information, including bus timetables and maps of the free car parks: www.mtw.nhs.uk/park-and-ride

New, focused learning sessions are giving our teams insights into different aspects of paediatric nursing care. The sessions are led by specialist nurses and are an opportunity for our teams to enhance their knowledge & ensure we can continue delivering high-quality care to our paediatric patients.

Help our hospitals by choosing the best service for you and your family, and saving A&E for emergencies. If it’s urgent but not life-threatening, you can get fast, expert advice from: 💊 Your pharmacy 💻 111.nhs.uk 🤕 A minor injury unit Find out more at www.stopthinkchoose.co.uk

The Kent Oncology Centre cares for around 600 patients a day and provides some of the fastest access to cancer treatment in the country. Thank you to our incredible teams who give expert, compassionate care and put patients at the heart of everything they do. #WorldCancerDay