Kent and Medway health services officially merge

More than 100 health services with 6,500 staff members in Kent and Medway are now part of one organisation.

Kent Community Health NHS Foundation Trust and Medway Community Healthcare announced on Friday that they had officially merged.

Concerns were raised previously that the merger would result in resources being withdrawn from Medway.

But the trusts said at the time the proposals would ensure money is spent more efficiently and provide greater resilience to financial pressures.

Plans for the merger were already decided in March.

The now single organisation - still called the Kent Community Health NHS Foundation Trust - said the merger had created new opportunities to improve care, strengthen services and provide more support closer to home.

Chief executive Mairead McCormick said: "For patients and local people, our priority remains unchanged.

"Services continue to operate as normal and people should continue to access care in exactly the same way."

The trust says the integration "comes at a time of increasing pressure on health and care services, with rising demand, an ageing population and growing numbers of people living with complex health needs".

The plans had been put out for staff consultation, with 88% supporting the move, the trust said.

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