MORE than 1,000 tickets are now available for people wanting to have their say on health services at a public rally.

A thousand free tickets for the rally at Maidstone Leisure Centre in Mote Park, Maidstone, on Monday, November 12, are available from the Town Hall, Maidstone.

A further 200 are available at the Kent Messenger's office in Middle Row, Maidstone, for relatives of those affected by the Clostridium Difficile outbreaks investigated by the Healthcare Commission.

The event is being organised by the Downs Mail and the Kent Messenger, and is an opportunity for people to give their views and tell the Government and the NHS trusts what can be done to improve hospital services in West Kent.

During the evening, a series of resolutions will be made, including a proposal that the Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells NHS Trust must provide the highest hygiene standards to help regain public confidence, proposed by Maidstone council leader Cllr Fran Wilson, and seconded by MP for Maidstone and the Weald, Ann Widdecombe.

There will also be a resolution by leader of Kent County Council, Cllr Paul Carter, to set up a Maidstone area health watch group to independently look at Maidstone health services, and a proposal to dissolve the Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells NHS Trust, proposed by Mid Kent MP Hugh Robertson.

There will also be a proposal to ensure that a full A&E unit at Maidstone Hospital must be retained, led by consultant Akbar Soorma and seconded by consultant surgeon Marie South.

Also present will be members of the Maidstone division of the BMA, and topics to also be debated include plans to move maternity services for women with complicated deliveries to Pembury to be abandoned and a reinstatement of pledges to have a specialist stroke unit at Maidstone.

Health Secretary Alan Johnson has also been invited. The meeting will start at 7.30pm.