** About Us **
Darent Valley Hospital is a modern hospital in Kent offering professional care, exceptional quality offering patients the latest technology for their treatment in safe, comfortable and clean surroundings. The hospital's team of around 2300 professional and friendly staff provide care for patients across a full range range of day-patient, in-patient and out-patient care.
Dartford and Gravesham NHS Trust (the Trust) was legally established on 1st November 1993, and is based at Darent Valley Hospital, in Dartford, Kent. It offers a comprehensive range of acute hospital based services to around 270,000 people in Dartford, Gravesham, Swanley and Bexley. The hospital opened in September 2000 and now has around 478 inpatient beds and specialties that include day-care surgery, general surgery, trauma, orthopaedics, cardiology, maternity and general medicine.
The hospital building is run as part of a Private Finance Initiative (PFI). This means the building is owned by The Hospital Company (Dartford) Limited, a private sector company, and the Trust leases the building. Darent Valley Hospital is located on the eastern outskirts of Dartford, and has excellent road and rail links to Kent, South East London and the rest of the South East of England. The Fastrack bus service provides a swift and accessible bus route between Dartford and Gravesend.
The Trust works in partnership with the NHS South East Coast (Strategic Health Authority), NHS West Kent (Primary Care Trust/PCT), NHS Medway (PCT), Bexley Care Trust (PCT), Kent County Council, Social Services and its (PFI) Partners to ensure that the best possible care is provided, not just in hospital but also throughout the local health economy.
Dartford and Gravesham has been assessed as one of the better performing NHS Trusts in the country by the Care Quality Commission by achieving the rating of "Good" for its quality of service. It has been rated as "Excellent" for its financial management. Year on year the Trust strives to improve its performance in respect of the quality of service on offer to patients.
Dartford and Gravesham has also been named consistently over the last five years as one of the best performing Trusts in the United Kingdom in the CHKS (Comparative Healthcare Knowledge Systems) Top Hospital Awards. This accolade is testament to its dedication and efforts to improve performance and provide the best possible service for its patients.
