MAIDSTONE Hospital’s accident and emergency department may close its doors to ambulances on 999 calls under shock plans unveiled this week.

Proposals announced by the Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells NHS Trust would radically shake up hospital services in Maidstone, Pembury and Tunbridge Wells.

They include plans to reduce emergency services at A & E in Maidstone.

Ambulances carrying emergency cases, which currently head for Maidstone, would have to go to A & E units at Medway, Ashford, Tunbridge Wells or Dartford instead.

The proposals, which the trust says are part of steps to make services fit for the future, also include moving maternity services out of Maidstone to Pembury and establishing a specialist orthopaedic trauma centre at Tunbridge Wells.

Trust bosses say the proposals, which are at an early stage, were put together with clinical staff and PCT colleagues.

More modern ways of working would also include GPs referring patients direct to specialist units, bypassing four-hour waits at A & E.

Day surgery and outpatients services would still be carried out at Maidstone, and there will still be a 24-hour A & E service, bosses say.

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