East Kent Rapid Transfer Dementia Service

The East Kent Rapid Transfer Dementia Service (EKRTDS) launched in 2020 and is a specialist dementia service based at Eastern and Coastal offices, St Martin’s hospital Canterbury.

The service offers specialist mental health and dementia care assessment for people with a diagnosis or probable diagnosis of dementia with complex needs. The team work with people across all three general hospital sites, Kent and Canterbury Hospital at Canterbury, William Harvey Hospital at Ashford and the Queen Elizabeth Queen Mother Hospital at Margate.

We see a number of people with cognitive impairment or a dementia diagnosis at all three general hospital sites whose discharge can be delayed due to a variety of reasons.

Our involvement can last up to four-six weeks or longer if required, and we will follow the person’s discharge from hospital into their chosen care home placement for specialist follow up input.

The service consists of a Senior clinical lead, community psychiatric nurses, general nurses and support worker.