Swale Borough Council - Plans Approved to Give Communities Greater Involvement in Local Decisions

Councillors have approved plans to give local communities a greater involvement in council decisions affecting them.

Last week’s virtual full council meeting agreed to set up four area committees to spread power into local communities and give people a greater say on council matters.

Cllr Mike Baldock, deputy leader of the council, said:

“Area committees give local councillors a chance to reconnect with the public, help develop area-focussed strategies and bring valuable local insight to council decision-making.

Each committee will have a budget and a mandate to monitor core services in their area. Members working together will be able to make suggestions and vote on how to spend money in their area, giving us a much-improved local focus.

They will also be a valuable source of information for cabinet and services, and members of the public and local parish and town councils will be able to ask questions and comment on relevant subjects.

This is a fantastic way to involve more councillors in the decisions that affect their areas and will improve the quality and quantity of engagement in the decisions affecting local communities.

We now need to work out how we can get these committees up and running with the current public health restrictions in place. We would like to see them operational as soon as possible.”

The leader of the council, Roger Truelove, said:

“This is the first major step towards bringing Council decisions closer to the public and in redressing the balance between the Executive responsibilities of the Cabinet and the involvement of all members.”

The four committees will be made up of:

• Eastern

Abbey, Boughton and Courtney, East Downs, Priory, St Ann’s, Teynham and Lynsted and Watling wards.

• Sheppey

Minster Cliffs, Queenborough and Halfway, Sheerness, Sheppey Central and Sheppey East.

• Sittingbourne

Chalkwell, Homewood, Kemsley, Milton Regis, Murston and Roman.

• Western

Bobbing, Iwade and Lower Halstow, Borden and Grove Park, Hartlip Newington and Upchurch, the Meads, Woodstock and West Downs.

The full report that was agreed at the full council meeting on Wednesday 17th June is available on the council website

Swale Borough Council

Cascading Planter

The cascading planter brightening up the corner of Horsham Lane and The Street is beginning to look lovely again this year.

Last seasons planter gave the village weeks of beautiful colour.

Upchurch Parish Council secured a two-year grant from Swale Borough Council last year towards funding both planters.

🌷🌸🌼🌺🌸🌼🌺

Upchurch Matters
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Downsizing

Upchurch resident Elizabeth Shorthouse would like to downsize from her 4 bedroom home of the last 40 years to a 3 bedroom semi in the village.

Interested in either buying or selling?

Contact her on: elizabeth.shorthouse26@gmail.com

Thank you 

Elizabeth Shorthouse

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Changes to the North Kent Dermatology Service

Introduction

NHS Kent and Medway Clinical Commissioning Group has suspended DMC Healthcare’s contract to provide dermatology services in Medway, Swale, Dartford, Gravesham and Swanley.

This briefing note outlines the current situation.

Background

On 1 April 2019, the North Kent Dermatology Service, run by provider DMC Healthcare, went live offering patients across Medway, Swale, Dartford, Gravesham and Swanley.

The procurement process for the new service, which was led by Medway CCG, followed a period of engagement which included patient, staff and clinician involvement.

DMC Healthcare was chosen as the provider following a full procurement and due diligence process, allowing the CCG the opportunity to scrutinise providers to ensure the service on offer was safe, efficient and could be delivered for the duration of the contract. The selection process, which involved dermatology patients, was made on an anonymised basis which offers assurance that decisions are based on merit.

Why has DMC’s contract been suspended?

The CCG has recently had concerns about whether the way the service is managed is in the best interest of patients, the clinical assurances around the service as well as DMC’s ability to meet NHS standard contract requirements.

Recently DMC provided new data that indicated a significant number of patients could be at risk. The data is now being clinically analysed but we believe around 1,000 patients need to be seen urgently.

What action has the CCG taken?

Upon receipt of the new data, the CCG verbally suspended DMC’s contract to provide dermatology services on Friday 19 June. We also requested all clinics be cancelled due to patient safety concerns. This was followed up with written confirmation on Monday 22 June.

Prior to this, we had been working with DMC for some time holding weekly contract meetings to support safe delivery of the service. Unfortunately insufficient improvements were made and we suspended the contract to ensure patient safety. 

What happens to patients now?

In the short term, patients who need urgent investigation following review by their GPs will be referred to Sussex Community Dermatology Service. They are already an alternative provider delivering dermatology care in the area through patient choice and have the has capacity to provide additional support until longer term solutions are established.

We have also made arrangements for the most at risk patients to be seen as soon as possible. The CCG has rapidly sourced another provider known as the 18 Week Support team, which has worked in partnership with the NHS since 2014, specialising in reducing waiting lists and getting patients referred for treatment.

The team has an agreement in principle to see patients who are most at risk within six weeks at Rainham Healthy Living Centre in clinical rooms that have not treated patients with Covid symptoms. The recovery will be clinically led by the founder of the 18 Week Support team Dr Conal Perrett; he is a Consultant Dermatologist and Dermatological Surgeon at University College London Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust where he leads the skin cancer service.

How will this affect other services?

DMC is also a primary care provider. The decision to suspend DMC’s contract will not currently affect primary care, but as with all providers we are closely monitoring the services provided.

DMC also runs a much smaller dermatology service in East Kent but cancer patients and more serious cases are seen by East Kent University Hospitals University NHS Foundation Trust.

What happens next? 

The CCG is now working with DMC Healthcare, NHS England and the Care Quality Commission to review the dermatology service, as well as the primary care services that DMC provides in Medway, Swale and Maidstone.

This is a developing situation and we will endeavour to keep you up-to-date as and when it is appropriate.

NHS Kent and Medway Clinical Commissioning Group

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Temporary Road Closure - Bull Lane, Newington

Kent County Council has made an order to temporarily prohibit through traffic on Bull Lane, Newington from Wednesday 22nd July 2020, between the hours of 09:30 and 17:00, with estimated completion by 4th August 2020.

The road will be closed between the junctions with Old House Lane and Wormdale Hill, to the extent indicated by signs and barriers on site.

The alternative route for any through traffic is via Old House Lane, Lower Hartlip Road, A2 London Road, High Street, Bull Lane and vice versa.

Access for emergency service vehicles and pedestrians will be maintained at all times during the closure.

The closure is required for the safety of the public and workforce while trees surgery works to hang overhead fibre are undertaken by BT.

For information regarding the closure please contact BT on: 0800 800150, who will be able to assist with the scope of the works.

The KCC Highways 24hr Contact Centre helpline is: 03000 418181

For details of roadworks see: https://one.network

Kent County Council - Highways, Transportation & Waste
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Extra £1million for KCC Community Warden Service

KCC commits extra £1million to community warden service

Kent County Council has confirmed an additional £1 million investment for its frontline Kent Community Warden Service over the next two years.

For 18 years the Kent community warden service (KCWS) has served local communities by preventing crime, supporting vulnerable residents and tackling social isolation. It is a proactive and visible presence promoting stronger and safer communities.

KCC’s Community Wardens are hard at work every day, and since the end of March they have been helping residents cope with the impact of the Coronavirus pandemic. Among many other activities, the 70-strong force are delivering essential medical prescriptions, food parcels and hot and cold meals to vulnerable isolated residents and working with shops, food producers, restaurants, food banks, Age UK, Community Cupboards and many other partners to maintain supplies. (Some examples are included below). 

Before the pandemic, the demand for the community-based warden scheme was already high, with wardens currently working across 128 Kent communities. The public health crisis has not only added to this demand but highlighted just how valuable the service is to our communities.

KCC has prioritised investing in the enhancement and expansion of the service. This investment will enable service improvements and an increase in warden numbers, enabling more of Kent’s communities and residents to benefit as the service becomes more accessible.

We will be recruiting new staff and expanding into new areas, during the latter part of 2020, and into early 2021.

Mike Hill, KCC’s Cabinet Member for Community and Regulatory Services, said:

“I am extremely proud of the Kent Community Warden Service. Wardens have provided invaluable support for communities all over Kent for many years.

“Their work was championed during the County Council’s Select Committee for Loneliness and Social Isolation last year and this year has seen the service adapt and work to deliver vital support during this time of crisis. I am delighted that we are able to invest in the service and make it available to more of our communities in Kent.” 

Here are just a few examples of the work they are doing across the county:

After warden Susan Beeney dropped a leaflet into Ossies Fish Bar in Canterbury, the owner contacted her with an offer of free fish and chips for the elderly and vulnerable. Susan collected order of 45 fish and chips and distributed them to sheltered accommodation Franklyn House in Sturry, to isolated residents in the area and to Paffard Court sheltered accommodation, where the elderly residents were grateful that the community was looking out for them.

Wardens are continually delivering prescriptions to self-isolated vulnerable residents, including a delivery by David Harmes to a boat on the River Stour! They are also working with GPs and Parish Councillors to ensure protocols are put in place to minimise the risk of the spread of the virus.

Warden Gordon Guillou-King had been working to support an ex-army serviceman, living with mental health/PTSD issues and a suffering alcoholic. After several months of working with partners including the Forward Trust, Porchlight and the Royal British Legion real progress was being made with the alcoholism - and then came COVID-19!

Unable to travel and isolated from the built-up support network, it was more important than ever to maintain that support, which has been achieved through regular direct phone calls, emails and indirect messages of support from the team.

Richard Sinden, the Community Warden in Wye, has been working with a small group of volunteer residents on a phone buddy scheme. Volunteers provide a regular friendly phone call to help reduce the feelings of isolation. An appeal was put out on the village Facebook page and more than 20 volunteers came forward to help.

Murray Evans

Kent County Council

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