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Need to Cancel / Change an Appointment visit: Cancel or change your appointment? :: Dartford and Gravesham NHS Trust (dgt.nhs.uk)

Appointment text reminder service: Appointment text reminder service :: Dartford and Gravesham NHS Trust (dgt.nhs.uk) somewhere on here so people are directed to this page? Any suggestions of how this is possible are very welcome. 

 

 

Visiting Darent Valley Hospital

Finding Darent Valley Hospital

Contact Details

Our main switchboard uses an automated system. If you do not know which department or the number to ask for, one of our operators will be happy to help you.  

Address: Darent Valley Hospital, Darenth Wood Road, Dartford, Kent DA2 8DA
Switchboard: 01322 428100 

You can now compare the smartest and most sustainable ways to get to any of our hospital sites using the Kent Connected Interactive Map.

You can view the Darent Valley Hospital site map (this map is currently being updated) or details on wards.

Please note that Maternity visiting guidance are different from below, visit their website for further details: Maternity visiting protocol.

Visiting hours:

  • General adult ward visiting hours:: 11am to 1pm from 2pm to 4pm and from 6pm to 8pm

  • All adult inpatients can have visitors from the day of admission.

  • Maximum of 2 visitors at a bedside at a time.
  • Children are able to visit accompanied by an adult. Maximum one child and one adult at a bedside at a time.
  • Paediatric visiting hours:
    • Open visiting (parents only)
    • 2pm to 5pm and 6pm to 9pm (no under 16's unless patient's siblings)

  • Face masks are now optional to wear in any areas of the hospital. This protocol is subject to change at short notice in response to the clinical situation on individual wards.

  • We encourage you to regularly clean your hands when moving around the hospital and physically distance where possible.
  • Please do not visit if you have any Covid symptoms (or any other communicable disease - one that is spread from one person to another).

Please also view our Hospital Information for Patients Leaflet (HIP).

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:

 Shop details  Opening times
 WH Smiths, newsagent  8am to 8pm Mon-Fri
 9am to 7.30pm Saturday
 9am to 7.00pm Sunday
 Chopra's pharmacy

 01322 227240

  9am to 5.30pm Mon-Fri
 10am to 3pm Saturday
 Closed Sunday
 Ellenor Lions Hospice Special Treats Shop  9.15am to 8.15pm Mon-Fri
 1pm to 8.15pm Sat-Sun
 M&S Simply Food

7am - 9pm Weekdays

8am - 8pm Weekends
 Costa Coffee - coffee and sandwich bar

6.30am to 7pm Mon – Fri

8.30am to 5pm Sat-Sun

 (please note these may be subject to change)

 

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.

Virtual Visiting

We understand how important visiting is for our patients and their families and friends. While we can continue hospital visiting to help us keep our most vulnerable safe and allow extended family and friends to ‘visit,’ we recommend ‘virtual visiting’.

We are supporting telephone and video ‘virtual visiting’. Friends and family can speak to their loved ones via telephone or Zoom video. To use Zoom video call, you will need to have the Zoom app installed on your device.

How do I request a virtual visit for my loved one?

To request a Video or Telephone visit please email dgn-tr.DGTPatientExperienceCarers@nhs.net include the following information:

  • Email and telephone numbers of those wishing to participate in the call
  • The patient's name
  • The patient's date of birth
  • The ward that the patient in on
  • The preferred time and date to talk

What happens once I have made a request for a virtual visit?

Once a request is received, the team will discuss with the ward to ensure that the patient is fit and able to participate, and gain the patient’s consent. They will then contact the friends or family to determine when the conversation can take place. We aim to contact you within 24 hours of your request, although this may take longer during periods of high demand for the service or out of office working hours.  Please note the request service is not manned during the weekends or bank holidays. If you require an urgent virtual visit out of working hours, please contact the ward nurse in charge directly.

Once a time and date has been agreed, a team member will call the family or friends approximately 10 minutes before the meeting to ensure everyone is at home and knows when to expect.

Once the team open the meeting, the person at home will receive a message that the meeting is open. They then enter the meeting ID and Password (which will have been provided previously) at which time their image will appear on the screen at the hospital end and those at home should be able to see both the patient and all others in the Zoom meeting. Friends and family will then be able to have a multi-person chat with the patient and everyone else logged on.

A member of the team will be with the patient throughout the process to assist where necessary.

Compassionate Visiting

Visiting for vulnerable patients and their carers, will be more flexible and assessed on a case-by-case basis, such as patients with a learning disability, mental health disability, additional needs or where a visitor or carer not being present would cause the patient to be distressed. The same approach will be taken for patients that may require assistance with activities of daily living or communication due to language barriers.  

Below is some general practical advice and support for individuals visiting and accompanying patients at DGT:

  • Personal belongings - Bring as few personal belongings as possible with you, e.g. bags, handbags, electronic devices, gifts and only non-perishable food for the patient. Take the opportunity to take any valuables your loved one may have home for safe keeping.
  • Face coverings – Face masks are now optional to wear in any areas.
  • Gloves - Please do not wear plastic/surgical gloves, if you are wearing gloves you will be asked to remove them. Gloves can easily cross contaminate and hand hygiene is a much more effective method. There are hand gel stations available throughout your journey through the hospital, and at entry and exit points of wards and departments.
  • Arriving at the ward or department – sanitise with hand gel or wash your hands with soap and water on entering, staff will support you with any other instructions and guide you to your loved one. We recommend you use the hand gels provided, but if you have your own please ensure it is effective against bacteria and viruses.
  • Stay with your loved one - Another patient may ask you for help, it may be something simple such as passing something. If you or another patient needs assistance please call for help, or where appropriate ask your loved one, or another patient to press their call bell.

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Page last reviewed: 27 August 2024