Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells NHS Trust
Foundation Programme Maidstone Prospectus
Trust Contact Details
Maidstone Hospital
Hermitage Lane, Maidstone, Kent, ME16 9QQ
Trust switchboard:
01622 729000
Trust website:
Foundation Training Programme Directors
Dr Bet Mishra
Dr Amit Saha
Director of Medical Education
Dr Derek Harrington
Head of Medical Education
Chris White
Medical Education Manager
Anita Mann
Medical Staffing Manager
Andrea Stephens
Foundation Programme Manager
Eve Roberts
Foundation Programme Administrator
Abby Cheetham
Facilities - Postgraduate Centre (Location and resources)
The Academic Centre is situated at the front of the Hospital. The Centre is the hub of the Hospital as far as the doctors in training are concerned and we pride ourselves in the way we look after our Resident Doctors. The Academic Centre has a 180 seated auditorium, training rooms with audio visual equipment, dedicated Simulation and Clinical Skills rooms, a Library and a dining area.
It also has state of the art Simulation facilities – Sim man 3G, Sim man 3G+, 2 Paediatric Sims, 2 ‘Nursing Ann’s’, 2 Babies, ‘2 Premature Ann’s’ and a ‘Sim Mum’. Clinical skills rooms are available for use in training. There is a Laparoscopic training Centre located within the Maidstone Academic Centre.
We believe it to be one of the best designed and equipped Education Centres in the region.
Facilities - Accommodation (Info about pricing, location etc)
Single modern accommodation, just a 7-minute walk from the hospital, is available for all our F1 doctors. Communal living creates a great atmosphere among fellow F1s who often make friends for life.
Social activities
We have an active Doctors’ Mess Committee that arrange several social events throughout the year, as well as the Winter and Summer Ball. These are activities specifically for all doctors. There is also an Annual Cricket Match against the Consultants.
Doctors’ Mess
The Doctors’ Mess has four F1 presidents and they arrange social events taking place throughout the year. The Doctors’ Mess, located in the Blue Zone, Level 2, just next to ICU, has a sitting room, a quiet room, a games room and a kitchen.
Library Facilities
There is 24/7 access to the Library, situated in the Academic Centre providing access to traditional (textbooks, journals, search skills training) and internet-based resources (e-journals, e-books, Dynamed, Netvibes, Clinical Key and Anatomy TV). Doctors in training are actively involved in all decision making on resources. Friendly staff provide tailored Knowledge Services and are highly responsive to Resident Doctor needs.
Medical Humanities: Foundation Doctors can attend a bi-monthly virtual Book Club and a Film Club held in the spacious auditorium within the Maidstone Academic Centre.
I.T Facilities
There are modern I.T facilities and 24/7 Wi-Fi access available throughout the Hospital and the Academic Centre.
Transport Links
Maidstone Hospital is situated in Kent, 3 miles from Maidstone town centre. The Hospital has excellent transport links and is located 1 mile from the M20 junction 5. Barming train station is less than 1 mile away from the hospital. Maidstone has good train links into London.
Local Amenities/Attractions
There are several take-away food outlets and a Tesco Express immediately adjacent to the hospital, in addition to the Costa Coffee and M&S located within the hospital. There are also other shops, restaurants, pubs, gyms and leisure centres within easy reach.
Maidstone has its own shopping complex, many restaurants, bars, a cinema and theatre with easy access from the hospital.
Leeds Castle, Mote Park, the Hop Farm and Bluewater are local attractions open all year round.
Parking Arrangements
Parking permits are available for on-site parking, which can be paid for on a monthly basis or ‘pay as you go’ daily.
Accolades/Achievements of the Trust
National Quality Accreditation awarded to MTW, following an assessment by a team of external senior healthcare professionals, Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells NHS Trust’s Cancer and Haematology Directorate, based at the Kent Oncology Centre at Maidstone Hospital, has been accredited by CHKS. Providing specialist cancer services to around 2 million people across Kent and East Sussex, the Centre is the fourth largest oncology service in the country. The Trust offers PET CT services in a new, dedicated building.
The Kent and Medway Orthopaedic Centre is a newly built theatre complex at Maidstone Hospital. The theatres will expand planned orthopaedic surgery capacity at MTW and across Kent.
The site also has a state of art Birth Centre, a £3 million dedicated ward for respiratory services, a Paediatric Assessment Unit and a dedicated Centre for Trauma and Orthopaedic Surgery.
Any additional information
Our hospitals offer an extremely friendly learning environment which ensures that you are exposed to all aspects of Acute Medicine and Acute Surgery. Our rotas are designed to offer you a broad-based learning experience. The fact that many medical students and Resident Doctors have returned to the hospital as part of their further training is a testament to the way we treat staff here.
Foundation specific - Induction/shadowing arrangements
F1 Doctors join the Trust for a week of Induction and shadowing prior to joining the wards on the first Wednesday in August, with a social event on the weekend before starting.
We have a comprehensive Trust Induction day for F2 Doctors followed by an orientation, before their Departmental Induction the following day.
Foundation specific – Tasters
We offer a number of Taster Week timetables in various specialties throughout the Trust.
Foundation specific – Simulation
Simulation has a high profile with in the Trust and has had a significant investment. There is a dedicated Simulation Faculty responsible for running compulsory training sessions for all Foundation Doctors. We have received excellent feedback from current Resident Doctors and the training has proven to be very popular. There are clinical skills labs and a dedicated Simulation training room.
Foundation Doctor Forums
There are regular Resident Doctor Voice events for doctors in training to raise any issues or concerns in an informal setting.
Foundation specific - educational and clinical supervision
Every doctor in training has an educational supervisor, who oversees their progression through their rotations and a clinical supervisor in each attachment. Every doctor in training is formerly assessed through the Faculty Meetings that occur three times a year with formal or informal feedback as appropriate.
Foundation specific - teaching programme
As a Trust we look after 83 F1 and 69 F2 doctors, we also have established Foundation Teaching programmes which are lead by experienced Consultants and Registrars
The Foundation Year 1 programme in Maidstone is directed by Dr Bet Mishra, with Dr Amit Saha directing the F2 programme.
The Foundation Year 1 programme in Tunbridge Wells is directed by Dr James Ironside, with Dr Emma Townsend directing the F2 programme.
We are a friendly general hospital offering a variety of posts, these include: - Acute Medicine, Anaesthetics, Cardiology, Diabetes & Endocrinology, Emergency Medicine, Geriatric Medicine, GP,
Haematology, Medicine, Pathology, Genito-urinary Medicine, Public Health Medicine, Orthogeriatrics, Paediatrics, Psychiatry, Respiratory, Stroke Medicine, Trauma & Orthopaedics and Urology. We are also very pleased to be able to offer Specialist Foundation Programmes (SFP) where you will be engaged in advancing research projects within either Cardiovascular Medicine or Oncology working on and developing research projects. Please see individual job descriptions for full details.
The following specialties are based at the Tunbridge Wells Hospital in Pembury, and therefore if you chose a programme that includes one of these you will be based on the Tunbridge Wells site for the duration of that rotation; Gastroenterology, General Surgery, Orthogeriatrics, Paediatrics, Trauma & Orthopaedics.
Doctors in training completing a Psychiatry placement will be working at a Kent and Medway Partnership Trust site.
A free shuttle bus services operates for staff to travel between sites.
Protected teaching for F1s takes place at lunchtime on Tuesdays and Thursdays, and for F2 Doctors teaching occurs on Thursday afternoons.
Two hours per week Self Development Time (SDT) is mandatory for Foundation Doctors and is allocated within the rota. Some Departments have amalgamated this time into a day off per month.
Other teaching opportunities are available in each of the departments and a list of these activities will be available on the intranet. In addition to this, Medical Grand Round occurs weekly on Monday lunchtime and Clinical Governance sessions are arranged for each month.
Foundation specific - any additional information
Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells Trust is a great place to work and learn. The Trust believes in giving 100% to our doctors in training, because these are our future Consultants.
Our aim is to inspire excellence in Medical Education across the Trust and this is at the heart of all we do.
We pride ourselves on helping our doctors in training throughout their time with us. Whether you require support with your portfolio, Study Leave, Simulation training, admin etc. we are here to assist in any way we can.
What our Foundation Doctors say:
“There is a balanced level of independence and support in clinical decision making. The working atmosphere is incredibly friendly, making it an enjoyable place to kick off F1 year!”
“The Education Centre have state of the art facilities and an enthusiastic and knowledgeable team that is ready to support you in any way possible.”