The US-based owners of an award-winning healthcare firm have confirmed that up to 56 jobs are going in a Kent town.

Cardinal Health, which acquired Micro Medical - based at Chatham Maritime - when it bought Viasys, also a US company, is trimming the workforce at the grown-in-Medway business by more than a half.

Just 40 people will be left in the impressive waterside building.

Micro Medical was founded in Chatham and won the Medway Small Business of the Year Award in the 1990s. It became one of the most successful winners of that prestigious award.

It grew rapidly on the back of a successful range of medical equipment into a highly successful medium sized company with sales of around £8million.

The latest job moves follow a restructuring exercise which has now been completed.

A Cardinal spokesman said: "At present, we anticipate that there will be up to 56 job losses. Some people have already left - but the majority will leave towards the end of this year."