Patients receiving care at the Kent Oncology Centre at Maidstone Hospital are now using streamlined ‘super clinic’ services after Helen Grant, MP for Maidstone and The Weald, officially opened the Oncology Outpatients Suite on Thursday 26 May.

The new building is next to the current oncology outpatient space at the Kent Oncology Centre. It has nine new clinic rooms and means patients can see consultants, registrars, cancer nurse specialists and radiographers in a ‘super clinic’ where multi-disciplinary teams work together to provide smooth and quick care.

Tracey Crouch, MP for Chatham and Aylesford, who has received care from staff within the Kent Oncology Centre, was also at the opening of the new facility which features two specialist clinic rooms meaning patients can quickly have blood tests, with the suite also able to host additional face-to-face consultations.

Both MPs alongside the Mayor of Maidstone, Derek Mortimer, were able to receive a tour of the new suite before the official unveiling of a commemorative plaque which will soon be displayed within the new facility.

The new suite is the latest in a number of developments in cancer care at the Trust, which provides some of the fastest access to treatment in the country with the Trust also delivering all cancer treatments throughout the COVID-19 pandemic.

Recent developments include multi-million-pound investments in improving diagnostic equipment and facilities, recruiting more clinical staff and upskilling nurses who can deliver chemotherapy treatment.

MTW’s Chief of Cancer Services, Philippa Moth, said: “Being diagnosed with cancer has an incredible impact on the lives of patients and their families and our teams across MTW are working together to ensure we can provide the very best care to everyone.

“The new oncology suite will give even better access to our expert teams within a face-to-face environment and help reduce waiting times so that our patients are continuing to be seen as quickly as possible.”

MP for Maidstone and The Weald, Helen Grant, added: “My husband was diagnosed with prostate cancer 6 years ago and we entered a process that took about four years to complete, in multiple locations. Navigating that journey was a challenge whilst also having to deal with the mental stress of the disease and its treatment.

“Here at Maidstone Hospital, we are extremely fortunate to have the Kent Oncology Centre – the fourth largest provider of cancer care in the country, with many services all co-located – making the process far easier. And now, with the addition of this brilliant new Outpatients Suite the patient experience is again being transformed to the next level. I congratulate the team at Maidstone hospital for creating this new facility and I thank them for all they do for thousands of patients every year.”