Visiting Darent Valley Hospital

Our teams are working closely with other organisations, including Kent Fire and Rescue, to ensure we have measures in place to reduce the risk of fire on the Darent Valley site. Our top priority is always the safety of all patients, staff, and visitors in our busy hospital. We greatly appreciate your cooperation, and you can assist us with some key safety actions:

• Please do not smoke on the hospital premises. Support our security officers in enforcing this policy.
• Please only park in allocated bays. The bays by the main entrance are for picking up or dropping off passengers only.
• Do not bring e-scooters or e-bikes into the hospital and please do not them leave them near the hospital walls. There are bicycle racks by the main entrance.
• Listen to our staff and fire wardens if they offer safety advice or ask you to take specific actions.
• Do not leave litter. If you see litter or other obstructions within the hospital grounds or building, please report it to a member of staff.
• If you see anything that concerns you, immediately alert a member of staff or, in the event of a fire, activate the nearest fire alarm.

Your help is vital in ensuring a safe environment for everyone. Thank you for your support.

The hospital opened in September 2000, has approximately 463 inpatient beds, serves a growing population of around 500,000 and specialties that include day-care surgery, general surgery, trauma, orthopaedics, cardiology, maternity and general medicine. The hospital provide patients with the latest technology for their treatment in safe, comfortable and clean surroundings. 

Car parking spaces at Darent Valley Hospital are limited. To avoid waiting for a space to become available, we recommend that you consider visiting the hospital via public transport or taxi whenever possible. Drop off areas are available at the front of the hospital if someone is able to bring you in.  

Darent Valley Hospital is located close to Bluewater shopping centre, the Fastrack bus service to Dartford and Gravesend, and 10 minutes from Ebbsfleet International.  

Resturant 

The restaurant is located on Level 1, open 7 days a week, at the following times:

• Monday - Friday: 07.15 – 19.15  (supper served from 16.30 – 18.00)

• Saturday - Sunday: 08.00 – 17.00 (light snacks available from 15.00 – 16.30)

There is a call order menu available all day.

Shops

In the hospital main entrance there are the following commercial premises:

Also available are:  public wheelchairs (£1 returnable deposit), a public telephone, a Royal Mail postbox, a cash machine and an TV card vending machine.

Parking spaces at the hospital are extremly limited. To avoid waiting for a space to become available, we recommend that you consider visiting the hospital via public transport or taxi whenever possible. Peak hours to avoid are from 9am - 3pm.

Fees - 0-1 hour = £1.50, 1-2 hours = £2.50, 2-3 hours = £3, 3-4 hours = £4, 4-6 hours = £8, 6-24 hours = £10, weekly £32.

Collect ticket at entry barrier and keep with you. Before leaving take ticket to payment machine located near the main entrance. 

Parking is FREE for blue badge holders. There is a dedicated car park for Blue Badge holders although this gets extremely busy. Please avoid queueing for this car park and use one of the other car parks. You then just need to take your Blue Badge to the parking office who will validate your ticket.

The buses that stop in the hospital grounds are as follows:

• Route 96 runs between Woolwich and Bluewater shopping centre via Plumstead, Welling, Bexleyheath, Crayford and Dartford. Between Dartford, East Hill and Bluewater, buses will run via Park Road, Princes Road, the Fastrack system, Darent Valley Hospital (serving the bus stops near the hospital entrance) and then back on to the Fastrack system.
• Fastrack ‘B’, running from Temple Hill to Gravesend - for more details (including bus times) please see Fastrack. 
• 422 from East Hill to Gravesend.  For times visit 422 bus route (Thursdays only)

• 423, running from Swanley to New Ash Green, via Dartford; For information and bus times visit 423.

• 428, running from Erith to Bluewater, via Dartford;  For times visit 428.

• 429, running from Swanley to Bluewater, via Joyden's Wood, Keyton Cross, Wilmington and Dartford (NB The 429 only stops at the hospital on Sundays. This service is operated by Go-Coach - see www.go-coach.co.uk)

• 433, running from New Ash Green to Bluewater;

• 477, running from Orpington to Bluewater via Swanley and Dartford; For information and bus times, visit 477.

• 228, running from Tonbridge Station to Bluewater via Shipbourne, Ightham, Borough Green, Wrotham, West Kingsdown, Farningham, Sutton at Hone, and Darenth (N.B. The 228 only operates on Tuesdays in school term time. This service is operated by Red Route Buses Ltd – see www.redroutebuses.co.uk).

There is a frequent bus services that runs from Bluewater to the hospital and takes just 7 minutes.

The majority of the buses are managed by Arriva For information please go to www.arrivabus.co.uk. Alternatively, go to www.travelinesoutheast.org.uk or call 0871 200 22 33.

Cycle racks are available outside the main hospital entrance and the front of the Philip Farrant Education Centre.

From the M25 northbound you must exit at junction 2 (Darenth Interchange) and follow the signs to Dartford, take the A225 (Princes Road) towards Gravesend (Bluewater/Bean). There is no exit from the M25 at junction 1b unless travelling southbound. Go straight over the roundabout onto B2200 (Watling Street) signposted Bluewater/Bean. At the next roundabout take the third exit onto Darenth Wood Road. On site car parking and disabled parking is available. You can plan the best route for you using the AA route planner.

The nearest train station is Dartford. All the buses services listed stop at either the station or Holmes Garden - just a short walk from the station. Taxis are available from Dartford Train Station and for return jouneys payphones in the hospital foyer have a button that links free to a local taxi firm. Greenhithe station is nearby and a Fastrack bus service is available. For further rail information contact National Rail Enquiries on 08457 484950 or visit their website at http://www.nationalrail.co.uk.

Darent Valley Hospital is a SMOKE / VAPE FREE site. Smoking and vaping is not permitted anywhere on the hospital grounds. 

If a patient wishes to leave a clinical area to smoke

If a patient wishes to smoke but needs to be accompanied, they will be advised that staff are unable to accompany them offsite to smoke.

For free support and advice on how to quit smoking call: 0300 123 1220; Text QUIT to 87023 or visit www.oneyoukent.org.uk.