An investment of £150,000 has been poured into Deal's hospital, with the installation of 284 solar panels.

The panels on the roof of the London Road building will reduce the amount of carbon dioxide produced to run the hospital by 40% (30,000 kilos) - the equivalent of travelling from Deal to London, a distance of 83 miles, 682 times a year.

It comes as the Kent Community Health NHS Foundation Trust (KCHFT) aims to develop Victoria Hospital as a hub of community care by extending the use of the site to other healthcare providers, including social prescribing.

Discussions are also underway with the voluntary sector in Deal to make sure support groups have a space at the heart of hospital.

Three new recruits from Nigeria have also joined the nursing team at the site, after a successful international recruitment campaign which has seen 19 new nurses join the trust.

Dr Mercia Spare, chief nurse at KCHFT said: “Our community hospitals are at the heart of healthcare, providing a range of services from dementia care to urgent treatment centres.

"The site was transferred to KCHFT ownership in 2021 and we are committed to making sure the hospital is a focus of community care in Deal now and in the future.

"Recruiting high calibre nurses and improvements to the hospital for patients and staff are just the beginning.”

Trained nurses Damilola Adesina, Temitope Adewunmi and Yetunde (Yetty) Alao have been through an additional six weeks of training and a practical exam since touching down in Kent.

Talking about her new role, Yetty said: “I had a vision to go to England where I could practice nursing and learn from the best international standards.

"I saw the information about KCHFT online and I was attracted to the community side of the job.

"Everyone at the hospital is lovely and I have already gained so much knowledge. The patients are also lovely, we have been listened to and treated with respect by everyone.”

It comes as phlebotomy clinics at the hospital were scrapped in October last year, with all blood tests now being carried out at GP surgeries across town.

The move sparked fears of longer wait times for patients.

MP for Deal Natalie Elphicke has now launched a consultation about the loss of the service.

At the hospital, work has also been carried out to revamp a garden area which can be used by patients, visitors and staff.

Kerry Lee, health care assistant and Sue Turner, named nurse for safeguarding children, saw the potential in the unloved garden and gathered a team of volunteers together to help clear the grounds creating a peaceful space.

If you would like to volunteer at the garden, email Sue on sueturner1@nhs.net.