South Thames Foundation School

Postgraduate Centre

The Postgraduate Centre is the hub of the hospital as far as the
Trainees are concerned and we pride ourselves in the way we look after our Trainees.

Library Facilities

There is a library at both Kent & Sussex and Pembury Hospitals, providing access to traditional services and resources (textbooks, journals, search skills training) and internet-based resources (e-journals, e-books, onexamination.com).

IT Facilities

Both libraries have PCs and internet access 24 hours a day.  The Trust is high on the national good practice and innovation agenda for Knowledge Management.

Other Facilities
(Recreational or otherwise)

Doctors’ Mess

The Junior Doctors Mess has two presidents and they delegate the important functions to the F1s (including the organisation of the Winter and Summer Balls, the Christmas Revue and the annual cricket match against the Consultants). There is a quarterly Junior Doctors Forum where issues affecting trainees are discussed with representatives from Estates and HR.

Local Amenities/ Attractions

Accommodation for all our F1 doctors is available on-site in Burslem House at a cost of £200 per month currently. 

Transport Links

The Kent & Sussex Hospital is situated in the heart of Kent in the middle of Royal Tunbridge Wells. It is an hour from the coast and 25 minutes from the M25, direct trains from London leave from Charing Cross and London Bridge stations and take less than 1 hour.

Parking Arrangements

Parking permits are available for on site parking.

Any Additional Information

The Kent & Sussex Hospital is part of the Maidstone & Tunbridge Wells NHS Trust, which includes the Kent & Sussex, Pembury and Maidstone Hospitals.

We believe that our Hospitals offer an extremely friendly learning environment which ensures that you are exposed to all aspects of Acute Medicine and that our rotas offer you a broad based learning experience. The fact that many students have returned to the Hospital is a testament to the way we treat junior staff here.

Accommodation

Accommodation for all our F1 doctors is available on-site in Burslem House at a cost of £200 per month currently. 

Shadowing

F1 trainees are encouraged to undertake a five day period of shadowing prior to starting.

Tasters

F2s are allocated 10 days to be used to gain experience in specialties not covered in their rotation.  Due to difficulty in arranging all of the 10 days during the F2 year, F1s are now able to take up to 5 of those allocated taster days.

Teaching Programme

We are a friendly DGH looking after 30 F1 and 27 F2 Trainees from South Thames Foundation School. We have an established Foundation Teaching programme as we were one of the pilot Trusts for both F1s and F2s. 

The Foundation Year 1 programme is directed by Dr Garth Sommerville.

At the Kent & Sussex we have:
- 10 posts in Surgery                           - 2 in Trauma & Orthopaedics
- 10 in Medicine                                  - 1 in Geriatrics
- 1 in Endocrinology & Diabetes         - 1 in Gastro
- 2 in Cardiology                                  - 2 in Anaesthetics

1 post in Psychiatry based at Maidstone and Pembury with the Kent & Medway NHS & Social Care Partnership Trust.

We will organise an Alert Course and a day out on the weekend before starting for the F1s. There is protected teaching time at lunchtime on Wednesdays and Fridays and Radiology teaching on Monday lunchtime. 

The Foundation Year 2 programme is directed by Dr Masud Haq.

At the Kent & Sussex we have:
- 4 posts in Medicine                           - 6 in Trauma & Orthopaedics
- 2 in Otolaryngology (ENT)               - 4 in Emergency Medicine.
At Pembury Hospital we have:
- 2 Obstetrics & Gynaecology            - 2 Paediatrics posts

5 posts in General Practice based in and around Tunbridge Wells
2 posts in Psychiatry based at Maidstone and Sevenoaks, seconded to the Kent & Medway NHS & Social Care Partnership Trust. 

Protected teaching occurs on Monday afternoons.    F2 trainees are welcome to attend the Radiology teaching at Monday lunchtime.

Other teaching opportunities are available in each of the departments and a list of these activities will be available on the intranet.  In addition to this, Grand Round occurs Thursday lunchtime and Clinical Governance sessions are arranged for each month.

Simulation

F1 doctors will be expected to attend one of the simulation training days organised at one of the Simulation Centres.

Social Activities

Outside of work there is a vibrant social life, including a Winter and Summer Ball, Christmas Revue, annual cricket match against the Consultants.  F1s have to date organised ‘Pay Day’ themed outings and other regular mess nights.