Consultation launched on specialised vascular services in Kent and Medway

NHS England and Improvement South East and Kent and Medway CCG have today (1 February) launched a public consultation setting out proposals for the medium-term future of specialised vascular services in East Kent, Medway and the Maidstone catchment of West Kent and are asking patients and the public for their views. 

Vascular services reconstruct, unblock or bypass arteries and are often one-off specialist procedures to reduce the risk of sudden death or amputation and prevent stroke. 

Dr Chris Tibbs Medical Director Commissioning for NHS England and NHS Improvement in the South East said: “Under these proposals there will be no changes for the majority of patients who would continue to access vascular care where they currently receive it in local hospitals throughout Kent and Medway.

"Only the most complex patients who require an overnight stay in hospital after having vascular surgery or radiological vascular intervention would be affected, with these patients receiving treatment at the Kent and Canterbury Hospital in Canterbury.”

There are three main reasons for the recommended change to services set out as part of the consultation:

• Ensure the best outcomes and chances of survival for vascular patients based on best practice agreed by experts
• Ensure we have more specialists available 24/7 with the right specialist skills, equipment and infrastructure
• Meet national standards for vascular surgery.

Kent Vascular Clinical lead Jonathan Purday added: “After exploring the options, all NHS organisations and the clinicians involved in the delivery of acute hospital services in East Kent, Medway and the Maidstone catchment of West Kent accept the proposed recommendation that Kent and Canterbury Hospital should be the medium-term inpatient vascular centre in our region – and we want vascular and kidney patients and members of the public to feedback their views on this preferred option as part of the consultation.”

“Through this opportunity to change the current systems, our aims are to improve the overall sustainability of vascular service across the area, deliver excellent patient outcomes and ensure equality of care to all our patients.

"As well as delivering better access to care and patient choice, this proposal will significantly help with recruitment and retention of staff in this highly specialised service and enable us to invest in these services and our use of technology so that patients spend less time in hospital.”