Visiting hours at Maidstone Hospital have been extended to give patients more time to spend with friends and loved ones.

Starting this week, visitors have been able to come onto the wards from 8am until 8pm every day, matching visiting times at the Tunbridge Wells Hospital.

Chief nurse for Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells NHS Trust, Avey Bhatia, said: “We have always been keen to formally extend the visiting hours on our wards.

“The new timings give visitors much more flexibility to arrange to come and see a friend or loved one while enabling our patients to spend more time with friends and relatives - something we know can make a positive contribution to many people’s recovery after an operation, injury or illness.”