The Tunbridge Wells Hospital
Trust: Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells NHS Foundation Trust
Tunbridge Wells
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Acute services and admissions are based at Tunbridge Wells Hospital in Pembury
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This hospital is often called Pembury Hospital, as this acute hospital has been built on the site of the old non-acute Pembury Hospital (replacing the Kent and Sussex Hospital that existed in Tunbridge Wells town centre).
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The ENT department at Tunbridge Wells hospital acts as a hub also covering Maidstone acute hospital, and providing outreach clinics in Queen Victoria Hospital, East Grinstead, Sevenoaks, Crowborough and Edenbridge Hospitals.
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Royal Tunbridge Wells is one of only three towns with an official Royal title, given to it by King Edward VII. The stereotype of "disgusted, from Tunbridge Wells," continues on today with the local population being considered fairly affluent and educated, with plentiful private practice.
The Tunbridge Wells team
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As of May 2022, there are 6 substantive consultants.
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West Kent Head and Neck cancer services are run through Tunbridge Wells, with joint head and neck and thyroid MDTs, with Medway, held in Maidstone.
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Allied services:
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Audiology: Balance testing, tinnitus/hyperacusis therapy
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John Shotton
Consultant Head & Neck Surgeon
Departmental role:
Special Interest: head and neck oncology, thyroid/parathyroid
Iain McKay-Davies
Consultant Otologist
Departmental role:
Special Interest: head and neck oncology, thyroid/parathyroid
Scott Maskell
Consultant Otologist & Paediatric ENT
Departmental role:
Special Interest: complex ear and hearing disorders, balance, children's ENT problems
Julian Hamann
Consultant
Departmental role: Clinical Lead
Special Interest: complex nose and sinus disease, benign and malignant thyroid disorders, allergy, voice and Children's ENT
Pei-Pei Cheang
Consultant Rhinologist
Departmental role:
Special Interest: nose and sinus disorders, rhinoplasty, facial plastic surgery
Nadine Caton
Consultant Head & Neck Surgeon
Departmental role:
Special Interest:
Mauricio Kulka
Consultant ENT Surgeon
Departmental role:
Special Interest:
The training jobs at Tunbridge Wells
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Currently there are 2 trainee registrars who have a rota covering general ENT.
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On-call:
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Weekdays:
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8am - 5pm there is no formal on-call registrar
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Weeknights: Starting from 5pm until 8am the next day, as non-resident on-call (1st on-call is an ENT or general surgical SHO)
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Covers Basingstoke, Frimley, ​Guildford, Ashford & St Peters' Hospitals
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Weekends: 5pm Friday - 8am Monday. Non-resident on-call registrar as 2nd on-call
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On-call room? If you live too far to do non-resident on-call at home, on-call room is available:
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On call rooms are available off site in the doctor's accommodation down the road at 32 High Street, Pembury. These need to be booked in advance via the line manager, Andrew Elsing (Andrew.Esling@nhs.net)
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Rota/Timetable:
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BMA Contract compliance:
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Work no more than 8 days in a row - Before or after weekend, 2 days are given as "off" - these days are different dependent on rota
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JCST compliance: All job timetables are JCST compliant as stand alone jobs
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Sample timetables:
All the essentials for Tunbridge Wells
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Bleeping:
To bleep: dial 70 [bleep no] [ext no]
Day ENT SHO is bleep 2159; Night ENT SHO is blp 2159; ENT Registrar is on their mobile (contacted via switchboard)
ENT ward:
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Adults admitted to ward 10
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Paediatric admitted to: Hedgehog (admissions) or Woodland unit/Treetops (pre-op/day case)
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Treatment room: In A&E Minors
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Ward round: 8am starting in ward 10 office
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SHOs:
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5 posts (2FY2s, 2GPST2s & 1 core trainee grade)
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ENT experience: They usually have no ENT experience
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Shift patterns:
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Day on-cal: 8am til 9pm
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Night on-call: 9pm til 8am
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Emergency clinic called "Hot clinic/treatment room?"
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Booked via: SHO on-call and appointments registered electronically
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Runs daily in SAU and lead by SHOs
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If SHO needs advice, they will ask the registrar on call/whoever is available in clinic.
Theatre:
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All elective cases should have discharge letters completed at the end of the case
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Elective cases:
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Tunbridge Wells: inpatient cases
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Maidstone: daycase procedures
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CEPOD cases in main/emergency theatre 7/8
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Book cases using a CEPOD booking form, details on the board and on-call anaesthetics​
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Pre-op Patients:
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Short Stay Surgical Unit (Admissions lounge) - Level -1, Orange zone
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Sick notes:
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Availabe on SSSU/ pre-op ward
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Clinics:
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Tunbridge Wells: Level 0, outpatient zone 1, Orange zone​​
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Maidstone: Level 0, ENT and Audiology area, Brown zone
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Start times: 0900 and 1400
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Additional clinics held at Crowborough, Edenbridge and Sevenoaks - not usually attended by StRs
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Common investigations/referrals:
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Vestibular function tests: run in-house, referred via dictated letter
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BAHA assessments: Not offered in trust, refer to alternative trust via dictated letter (TBC: which trust, MTW has agreement with to refer to)
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Sleep studies:
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Adults: Referral via dictated letter _TBC: who runs these - ?Respiratory______
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Paeds: Referral via dictated letter _TBC: who to address this to______
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Allergy skin prick tests: Not provided by MTW
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Allergy RAST testing: Request electronically (Sunrise) & allergen request paper form, given to patient. If you request, be clear on form what allergens should be tested
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Outpatient blood tests
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Adults: Weekday walk-in phlebotomy service 0845-1615 TBC: Where?
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Paeds: Booked in with phlebotomy service
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Skull Base referrals: To local tertiay centre: Kings College Hospital (online referral form)
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Local Cochlear implant centre for referrals: Guy's Hospital
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Local Paediatric Tertiary Centre for referrals: The Evelina
Rotas & leave
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Updated versions sent out regularly by ENT manager (currently awaiting replacement Oct 2021)
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Annual leave - request via eHealth roster and email Salvatore
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Study leave
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request via eHealth roster and email Salvatore
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Also complete paper form, get it signed and submit to PGME if intend to claim reimbursement
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