麻豆约拍

A Kent GP claims he is being asked not to refer patients for hospital operations in order to save money.

Dr Philip Razzell, from Sevenoaks, says he and other GPs have been sent an email outlining 70 different treatments that are, at present, not seen as high priority. They range from hair transplants, to hip replacements to certain cancer treatments.

For the second year running some primary schools in the Medway Towns are among the worst performing in the country.

New figures show only 68% of Medway's 10 and 11-year-olds reached the standard expected in both English and Maths, compared to a national average of 74%.

In Kent the figure is also below average at 72% which is a slight improvement on last year. Five Kent schools and five from Medway were in the bottom 200 in the country.

The new midwife-led birthing centre at Maidstone Hospital will be officially opened today. It follows the controversial decision to move consultant-led maternity services in West Kent to the new Tunbridge Wells hospital.

Campaigners feared a lack of specialist care at Maidstone would put babies lives at risk, but the government backed the health trust's decision to downgrade the unit.