Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells NHS Trust
Spotlight on
Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells NHS Trust
Due to its proximity to London, diverse staff base and reputation for supporting IMG Doctors, you may have already heard of the Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells NHS Trust. This Trust consists of Maidstone Hospital and Tunbridge Wells Hospital – two large, general hospitals serving the county of Kent in the South East of England.
A Brief Overview of
The Trust
Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells NHS Trust is an acute hospital trust that spans two hospitals in the county of Kent, serving the area of both Kent and Medway. It was first opened in 2000 and has grown to a staff base of over 7,000. Both hospitals cover general services and a range of specialist care, including dedicated cancer services at the Kent Oncology Centre.
In terms of values, Maidstone Tunbridge Wells NHS Trust follows the words “exceptional people, outstanding care.” They focus on patients, ensuring they receive the best possible healthcare in a safe and comfortable environment. The hospital is also focused on moving forward with the times through innovation to provide the best, most modern healthcare services, particularly when it comes to using the latest technologies. For example, the hospital is using advanced technology in the fluoroscopy interventional suite to make patients more comfortable during the process.
The Trust puts its PRIDE values at the heart of everything:
- Patient First
- Respect
- Innovation
- Delivery
- Excellence
Two outstanding
Locations
Both hospitals sit in the county of Kent, located in South East England. It borders London and includes a lot of beautiful UK coastlines. As a county, Kent is known for its rich history and exquisite greenery; you’ll find much beauty in this large county. Plus, it’s home to various towns, including Dover, Dartford, and – of course – Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells.
Maidstone
Maidstone is the largest town in the county of Kent, located around 38 miles out of London and home to Maidstone Hospital. It’s a stunning town with many historic sites and classic architecture; it almost looks like it stepped from a fairytale! Of course, there are plenty of modern touches, including restaurants, shops, parks, and more.
Tunbridge Wells
Tunbridge Wells is another town in Kent. Despite being slightly smaller than Maidstone, it still has much to offer. It’s a delightful town that welcomes tourists and newcomers alike and is home to an extensive range of people. Many people like to settle in this town thanks to its friendly nature and beautiful scenery.
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Proximity to London with greater
Affordability
The cost of living in London in expensive. That said, options like Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells offer quick and easy access to the city without the prohibitive costs. You'll enjoy an excellent standard of living in this affluent part of the country.
As a nice place to live in the South East of England, Maidstone is a great alternative to London. It’s more affordable than London but great transportation links means that you still have good access to London’s amenities. The average rental price in Maidstone is £903, with an average of £740 for a one-bed property and £1,174 for a three-bed property. With an average NHS wage, these prices will ensure you can afford to live comfortably.
The average rent for a property in Tunbridge Wells stands at £1,147. More specifically, the average is £815 for a one-bed property and £1,428 for a 3-bed property.
A focus on
Welcoming IMGs
The Trust employs an extensive internationally trained workforce to provide care in its hospitals. Having worked with them closely since 2019 we have seen first hand the level of care and support that goes in to onboarding and inducting international staff as well as the pride that the Trust takes in being pioneers in international recruitment. In 2022, nearly a quarter of employees at the Trust were non-UK nationals – 1,609 people. 7.2% were from the EU area and 16.6% were from the rest of the world. This is higher than in other NHS Trusts and shows what an inclusive place it is to work.
The Trust is dedicated to improving equality and diversity in both hospitals by investing in funding for minority staff members. Some of this funding goes towards places for minority staff members, which includes the Chronic Pain Support Group, Ethnic Minorities Network, LGBT+ Network, and Parents’ Network. These incredibly supportive networks help anyone (no matter their background) find their footing and feel comfortable working at the Trust.
Support for
Training and Learning
Working at MTW means gaining access to career development thanks to a dedicated education team, funding from Health Educated England, and two Education Centres. All of this will help you build clinical skills and reach career milestones. There is a particular emphasis on supporting international candidates and we have seen first hand the support given to those wishing to obtain competency sign off to apply for training as well as ongoing support for CESR level applications too.
Both hospitals also have dedicated libraries open 24/7, offering staff members and students various medical development and learning resources. Staff members can also use it as a quiet space to complete admin work; for example, you can use the library to read and reply to your daily emails in a calm environment away from the wards.
Access to
Places of Worship
In Maidstone, Christianity is the most popular religion, with around 49% of the population being Christians. However, the area is welcoming to all faiths and 1.9% of the Maidstone population are Muslims, 1.4% Hindus, and 0.8% Buddhists.
As such, you’ll find plenty of Christian churches throughout the town, but there are also four mosques, including Jumu’ah Salaah of Maidstone Community and Islamic Centre. This centre is open for educational classes and language classes, and often welcomes visitors of all faiths. There’s also the synagogue Haus of Geld outside Maidstone town centre.
The religious demographic in Tunbridge shows that 49.7% practice Christianity, 0.4% practice Buddhism, 1.7% practice Islam, and 1% practice Hinduism. You’ll find a range of Christian Churches in Tunbridge Wells; many focused on different types of Christianity (including Catholicism, Protestantism, Anglicanism, and more). The town centre also has the Mosque “Masjid Al-Noor,” a place for Muslims to worship. For other places of worship, such as Temples and Synagogues, you may have to travel further out of the town centre.
Accommodation
Close proximity to London without the price tag. MTW offers the best of both worlds.
Transport Links
Be in central London by train in half an hour and travel between hospitals using the dedicated shuttle service.
Diversity
Nearly a quarter of the Trusts employees are non-UK nationals. That's more than 1500 people.
Hospital
Work in an environment that rewards its staff with regular benefits and recognition among a supportive culture.
Education Support
Two education departments mean that you'll be supported to complete CESR or sign off competencies for further training.
Relocation
MTW have built a reputation for excellence in international recruitment with an outstanding onboarding and induction for IMGs.
Excellent local
Schools
Maidstone has plenty of excellent schools, so you can be sure your children have an excellent education. For primary school-aged kids, you have Allington Primary School, Bearsted Primary Academy, Jubilee Primary School, and Five Acre Wood School – all of which have been given “Outstanding” as their Ofsted inspection rating.
For “Outstanding” rated secondary schools (kids aged 11 up to 16/18), you have Bower Grove School, Invicta Grammar School, and Maidstone Grammar School for Girls.
There is also the Darul Uloom London School which is an Islamic Faith School. It is a private boarding school which takes in boys aged 11-19. Although not based in Maidstone, it isn’t too far away in Chislehurst. You will also find schools like the Sevenoaks Islamic School in Kent which does weekend classes.
Tunbridge Wells also has excellent schools to educate your little ones. For primary school-aged children (generally aged 4-11), you have St James’ Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School, St Peter’s Church of England Primary School, and Speldhurst Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School – all rated Outstanding by Ofsted. The best secondary schools for older children include St Gregory’s Catholic School, Bennett Memorial Diocesan School, and Tunbridge Wells Girls’ Grammar School.
700
Bed Hospital Trust
7000
Staff Members
25%
International Employees
Travel and
Transport
As the biggest town in Kent, Maidstone naturally has a lot of excellent transport links to travel within and outside of the town. Bramble Close, a train station in Maidstone, is just an eight-minute walk from the hospital. There are regular buses and the Trust operates the 6X shuttle bus for patients and staff to travel between the two sites.
If you want to travel to the centre of London from Maidstone, it will take around an hour on the train from Maidstone East. To get to the coast, you can travel straight to Cooden Beach in just under two hours to see the beautiful coastline.
Tunbridge Wells has plenty of buses and trains for public transport. The main bus operator in the town is Arriva South East, which has buses running through the town and out of it. You’ll also find plenty of trains running to and from London, with the main railway line being the Southeastern line. Overall, it’s a well-connected town.
About the
Hospital Sites
Maidstone Hospital
Maidstone Hospital is a general hospital near Maidstone town centre. The hospital provides patients with a range of services, including haematology, general surgery, cardiology, and accident and emergency. It’s also home to Kent Oncology Centre. As such, working at the hospital will expose you to a wide range of specialities and departments. Much like Tunbridge Wells Hospital, you’ll also find a range of opportunities for education, allowing you to develop your clinical skills and progress as a doctor.
Tunbridge Wells Hospital
Tunbridge Wells Hospital is located in Pembury. It’s a general hospital mainly used for emergency medical services and is home to a dedicated Trauma Unit.
Tunbridge Wells was the first hospital in England to offer single en-suite rooms to every hospital inpatient, proving its dedication to comfortable and respectful patient care. The hospital also includes state-of-the-art medical facilities that boost patient care while making their staff’s work much easier.
While working at Tunbridge Wells, you’ll benefit from excellent clinical training thanks to its supportive network and dedicated Education Centre (which includes a resuscitation simulation). It’s even in the process of building a medical student accommodation and teaching building set to be opened in 2024.
Working here also means being around a supportive, friendly team that encourages learning. As Miles Scott, Chief Executive of the Trust, points out,
“MTW is a stand out Trust, a friendly organisation, which is reflected in a great patient experience. Our staff are amazing.”
Recognition and
Staff Benefits
When you work for the NHS, you automatically receive benefits that you wouldn’t often find elsewhere. For example, you automatically get put in the NHS Pension Scheme, which involves the NHS placing percentage contributions into your pension fund for when you retire. On top of that, the NHS offers benefits for maternity, sickness pay, adoption pay, and more. You also become a member of the Blue Light Card scheme, which gives generous discounts across a range of restaurants, shops and theatre or concert tickets.
Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells offer everything the NHS delivers and more. The Trust has invested extensively in the hospitals, ensuring staff can work flexibly and feel supported at all times. For example, if you have to work around a family, the Trust will come up with a work arrangement that suits you. You can also get reduced rates at the Busy Bees Nursery, which is on-site. There’s also a cycle-to-work scheme, free occupational health services, and even fast tracks for certain healthcare services.
Each year, the Trust puts on an annual awards ceremony, ensuring that the staff members who have put in the most work receive recognition. There’s also an employee and team of the month award, so you have the chance to receive recognition on a more regular basis.
How to
Apply
If you want to apply for a position at Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells NHS Trust, we at BDI Resourcing have simplified the process. Not only will we help you find the best role at the Trust, but we will also help you get the job by helping you write an excellent CV and prepare you for the interview.
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