The League of the Friends of Pembury Hospital

Welcome to the Sixteenth newsletter of The League of the Friends of Pembury Hospital. This is published twice a year to update our existing members and to attract new members. If you would like more information about the League or matters in this newsletter, please contact Alan Davis, Honorary Secretary, by email. An enrolment form can be found here if you wish to join the League.

Letter from the Chairman

Our Annual General Meeting takes place on 29 April 2002, and in my Annual Report, I highlighted another successful year with over £34,000 donated to the hospital during 2001, and additional funds committed of approximately £145,000 for much needed equipment.

For this, we are most grateful to members of the public for their generous support and to the huge number of volunteers who help us in our shop, with our annual fete, collections outside major stores, and our other fundraising activities.

In this issue we include an update on plans for the new hospital and look forward with eager anticipation to more specific and positive news over the next twelve months.

In the meantime, it is business as usual and I would be pleased to hear from anyone who can spare a few hours to assist us.

top

News of Fundraising Events

During December 2001 the Tonbridge Philharmonic Society held a concert, the proceeds of which were donated to the League.

A magnificent sum of £2,150 was raised, and the main beneficiaries will be the patients on Leedham Ward. The League is very grateful to the Tonbridge Philharmonic Society for supporting the patients and staff at Pembury Hospital in this way. Last year's fete raised a final total of £16,500, and it is to be hoped that we can do as well this year.

Looking to future events, the date of the Summer Fete 2002 has been announced as Saturday, 24 August. Plans are well under way, and we hope to announce the Fete project shortly. Last year's fete raised a final total of £16,500, and it is to be hoped that we can do as well this year.

top

Hospital News

The Trust has submitted an outline planning application to Tunbridge Wells Borough Council to build a new hospital in excess of £250 million on the Pembury site, and will be submitting its Outline Business Case (OBC) to ministers at the end of March. At this stage Pembury remains the preferred site on which to build because the Trust owns the site and it is identified in the Borough Council's local plan as the site for the new hospital. Currently there is no other land earmarked by the Council for a hospital Development.

Once the Trust has approval for its OBC from ministers it will advertise for its private partners through OJEC (the European journal through which all major schemes have to be advertised). The eventual chosen private partner may well suggest an alternative site. If this were the case they would need to demonstrate why such a site and scheme would be more affordable and provide a better location for services than Pembury Hospital site.

top

Award to EME Services Department

The Trust's EME (Electronic and Medical Engineering) Services Department has been awarded BS EN ISO 9002, the quality assurance standard, for managing the repair and maintenance of electronic and medical equipment. Ray Rodgers, Estates and Facilities Services Manager said everyone in his 14-strong team should be congratulated for their efforts, and indicated that they are determined to maintain the standards necessary to keep the award. Continuous assessment will now be in place to make sure the department maintains the high standards necessary, but with such an excellent team he is confident they will be able to do this.

The League congratulates the EME Services Department on this award. All equipment funded by the League, and used within the hospital, comes under the care of the EME Services Department, and we can, therefore, be confident that it is maintained to the highest standard.

top

Recognition for Cytology Labs

Quality assurance checks and balances in the Cytology lab at Pembury have been considered so good that they will be used to judge and benchmark the quality of work in other labs across the south east. That was the accolade awarded to Mrs Christine Tadd and her team in Cytology following an inspection by the Director of Quality Assurance for the SE Region (Kent, Surrey and Sussex) Cervical Screening Programme.

The League has been associated with Cytology services through donations of equipment, and we are pleased that the high standards of service provided by the labs have been recognised in this way. Congratulations are, therefore, extended by the League to Mrs Tadd and her team.

top