West Kent Local News
The main entrance at Maidstone Hospital, which runs Whatman Ward (file photo). Image: WW Martin.
Whatman Ward at Maidstone Hospital to Close in Phases From 12 October
Whatman Ward, a 21-bed geriatric and acute frailty ward at Maidstone Hospital, will close in stages from next week, Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells NHS Trust has confirmed in a report to Kent County Council's Health Overview and Scrutiny Committee - the first official, on-the-record timeline since the closure proposal emerged over the summer.
The timeline
According to the Trust's report, the first bay will close at the end of the week commencing 12 October, with one further bay closing each week after that. Full closure of the ward is planned for Friday 6 November. The Trust says the schedule has already been pushed back by two weeks from the original plan, and that it will keep reviewing the impact as each bay closes - meaning the dates remain "subject to change to ensure we maintain safety and quality of service provision."
Why the Trust says it's doing this
The Trust frames the closure as part of a shift away from treating frail, older patients in acute hospital beds and towards community-based care, in line with the national NHS 10-Year Plan. It says between 120 and 150 patients across its hospitals are medically fit to leave on any given day but remain stuck in a hospital bed waiting for the next stage of their care - and points to a West Kent community-based frailty service, a virtual ward and primary-care-led neighbourhood teams as the alternative capacity meant to absorb the patients Whatman Ward would otherwise have treated.
What happens to staff
A 30-day formal consultation with affected staff ran from 24 July to 22 August, later extended by two weeks to allow time to review their feedback - which the Trust says is the reason the bed closures were delayed from their original start date. Staff were asked to submit an expression of interest detailing their ward and site preferences, and the formal outcome of the consultation was communicated to them on 14 September. The Trust says all affected staff will be offered redeployment, with the primary goal of accommodating their preferred option.
The closure has been reported on since August, including claims that the ward had already shut by the end of that month, but this is the first time either the Trust or Kent County Council has put an official timeline on the record. Source: Kent County Council Health Overview and Scrutiny Committee, 7 October 2026
