Inpatient ward at Faversham Cottage Hospital
Efforts are continuing to safely re-open the inpatient ward at Faversham Cottage Hospital.
The difficult decision to temporarily pause admissions was made on 1 July 2025, on grounds of patient safety due to staffing challenges, particularly in registered nursing and leadership roles.
Despite efforts to bolster staffing by transferring colleagues from alternative hospitals, recruiting to vacant posts, supporting staff to return to work and using a bank and agency workforce, the situation became unsustainable and was placing pressure on other services.
Chief Allied Health Professions Officer Rachel Dalton said: “This was not an easy decision, but the safety and wellbeing of our patients and staff must always come first.
“Thanks to the professionalism and dedication of our colleagues, most patients were safely discharged; with two being transferred to other community hospitals.
“Colleagues have been temporarily redeployed to other community hospitals or community-based roles and we are incredibly grateful for their flexibility, professionalism and commitment.”
Since the pause, recruitment efforts have been refreshed. Two nurses have been offered positions at Faversham, with further interviews and recruitment continuing to fill vacancies.
Colleagues who have been off sick are being supported with phased returns to work.
Rachel said: “Due to time needed for pre-employment checks and inductions, any of the first phase of new staff recruited are not expected to start until the end of September 2025 at the earliest.
“As a result, it is too early to consider reopening the ward. We will provide a further update in a month.
"We understand how valued Faversham Cottage Hospital is by the local community and our colleagues. We will only re-open to inpatients when it is safe and sustainable to do so.”
Other NHS services on the site, including the urgent treatment centre and GP services, are unaffected by the pause.
The trust confirmed that the impact of the pause on the wider healthcare system in east Kent has so far been minimal, with no reported issues around access to rehabilitation beds, acknowledging the short period of closure.
“We continue to monitor the situation closely,” said Rachel. “At the same time, we’re looking at how we can strengthen services that support recovery at home, where many people would prefer to be and where they can regain independence more quickly.”
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