Hospital's inpatient service paused for a month

Faversham Cottage Hospital provides rehabilitation for patients

An NHS trust in Kent has paused the inpatient service at one of its hospitals for a month to maintain safe staffing levels.

Admissions to Kent Community Health NHS Foundation Trust's Faversham Cottage Hospital were paused on 27 June due to a rising number of nursing vacancies and sickness, particularly in critical leadership roles.

The trust later made the decision to not reopen to admissions and to temporarily stop the inpatient service while a full review of staffing was carried out.

Mairead McCormick, the trust's chief executive, said: "This is not a decision we have taken lightly. Our priority is, and always will be, the safety and wellbeing of our patients, staff and volunteers."

All other services at the hospital, which provides rehabilitation for patients, are unaffected.

Ms McCormick said: "During the past couple of months we have been working hard to bolster staffing; transferring colleagues from alternative hospitals, recruiting to vacant posts, supporting staff to return to work and using our bank and agency workforce.

"Despite these efforts, it is no longer sustainable to continue to use a temporary workforce and re-deploy staff from our other hospitals, placing other services at risk."

The trust says it will work with staff and partners to minimise disruption and offer alternative temporary roles to allow more people to receive care in their own homes or at other community hospitals.

'It must reopen'

Faversham and Mid Kent's Conservative MP Helen Whately says she is "deeply concerned" about the future of the hospital.

She added: "Of course the hospital needs to be safely staffed, but there should have been warnings to the community before now if it was at risk.

"The Cottage Hospital is an integral part of Faversham and it must reopen."

The trust, which has been contacted for more information, has committed to reviewing its decision within a month.