Darent Valley Hospital
Darenth Wood Road, Dartford, Kent, DA2 8DAContact details and Patient Advice and Liaison Service (PALS)
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Reviews
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Review titled Outstanding service
Rated 5 stars out of 5
by Rachel Wood - Posted on 08 September 2023
my son was admitted to A&E he had a very large abscess and sepsis on his lower back and had emergency surgery to remove and treat the infection my son has severe autism and epilepsy and is non verbal the nursing staff who looked after my son were very understanding and knowledgeable and we were both treated with the upmost respect the nursing staff were very professional and caring after surgery my son was admitted to Juniper ward where he stayed for 5 months the ward sister in particular was professional very caring and kept me informed and updated in regards to my sons health and wellbeing needs thankyou all for the outstanding service and support you provided including hca a&e nursing staff doctors surgical Advance care team within the hospital rmn security porters cleaners kitchen and ather professionals
Visited Accident and emergency services on February 2023
Review titled Darent Valley Hospital
Replied on 22 September 2023
Dear Rachel Thank you for taking the time to write this wonderful review regarding your sons care and treatment. We have shared your kind words with our staff and do hope your son is feeling much better now. With our best wishes Dartford and Gravesham NHS Trust
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Review titled Long delays in being seen and admitted
by Jackwabbit56 - Posted on 02 January 2023
My wife has had to be taken to Darent Valley hospital 3 times in the last 3 months, with severe breathing problems. Our experience on all 3 occasions is the hospital needs to be a lot larger, and with a lot more staff to deal with the volumes of patients going or being sent there by the 111 service or GPs. 1st visit, sent by 111 service. Triage took about an hour to be seen and it took 8 hours waiting to see a doctor, only to be told she needed an x-ray (could this not have been decided at the time of triage?). Another 2 hours after the x-ray was spent sitting in the main waiting area to see the doctor again to tell her she has pneumonia and fluid on her lung. A total of 27 hours in A&E before a bed was found. 2 weeks were spent on Palm ward, staff very good but obviously rushed off their feet. 1 week Hospital at Home care, again the staff that came out were very good. This was followed by 2 visits to the Ambulatory care, where she was discharged on the 2nd visit, despite having a lot of chest pain and still having fluid on the lung. 2 weeks later, 2nd visit to A&E with the same problem. Once again 7 to 8 hours waiting to see a doctor and another 27 hours before a bed could be found. Once again the nursing staff were very good but some of the doctors could be a lot better! One came to my wife & said: "have you had cancer before?" When my wife said, "No, have I got it now?" his reply was "I can't discuss this now until you have a close member of your family with you." Once again she was discharged from the ward to the Ambulatory care who saw her one evening in December a couple of days later before discharging her, still with fluid on the lung and spreading into the abdomen. Late December, she was taken by ambulance to DVH A&E at 08:30 where bloods and x-rays were done by 09:30. By 12:30 ambulance crews were being told to take new patients back out to the ambulances to hold awaiting space in A&E. Staff were tripping over equipment, each other and patients just trying to treat people. As I have already said most of the staff were very good, but working under immense pressure. There have been thousands of new homes built in Dartford alone, let alone all the other development in the South East since this hospital was built. It just cannot cope with the volumes it is getting at the moment.
Visited January 2023
Provided by Care opinion
Review titled Darent Valley Hospital
Replied on 01 February 2023
Dear Jackwabbit56 Thank you for your feedback and comments on your wife's care. We are sorry that she had such a long wait within our Emergency Department (ED). Unfortunately the department is extremely busy with some very unwell patients, and attendees are triaged in priority order. Although we fully appreciate your worry and concern that your wife spent so long in the department. If you would like to discuss your wife's experience, why she had such a long wait and comments made by the staff to her, please do contact us directly so we can discuss the concerns you have raised. Contact details are: Patient Advice and Liaison Service (PALS), telephone: 01322 428382 or email: dgn-tr.PALS@nhs.net. With regards to the new homes being build in the area and the current size of the hospital, this is not something we can answer as we have no control over local developments. With our best wishes Darent Valley Hospital
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Review titled Saved my young sons life!
by Rebecca Wall - Posted on 06 November 2023
Amazing hospital. Diagnosed Sepsis on arrival with my poorly child. Admitted to willow ward with blood poisoning and bone infection which was promptly treated. I often wonder if I had visited another hospital would my son still be here today. Thank you A&E and Willow Ward.
Visited January 2023
Provided by Care opinion
Review titled Darent Valley Hospital
Replied on 07 November 2023
Dear RebeccX23 Thank you for this wonderful review of our A&E Department and Willow Ward. This must have been an extremely worrying time for you and all of your family and knowing that our staff did everything right is always so reassuring. We will ensure that our staff made aware of your kind words. Wishing your son a speedy recovery. With our best wishes
Provided by Care opinion
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Review titled Musical beds
by Jackwabbit56 - Posted on 11 January 2023
I don't know what the bed manager is doing at Darent Valley hospital. My wife has been moved 4 times in 8 days. Every day just before the day shift changes over it's a game of musical beds & wards, with queues of beds being moved in & out of the wards. As if this wasn't bad enough it goes on all through the night. Even the nursing staff wonder about the spread of viruses & infections, with the amount of moving patient's around. Some of the patient's on my wife's ward seem to have become confused about which ward they were on.
Visited January 2023
Provided by Care opinion
Review titled Darent Valley Hospital
Replied on 01 February 2023
Dear Jackwabbit56 Thank you for taking the time to write this review and we totally understand your frustration at your wife being moved so often. It is difficult to know why this occurred so many times however, please do contact our PALS if you wish to find out further information. Their contact details are: Patient Advice and Liaison Service (PALS), telephone: 01322 428382 or email: dgn-tr.PALS@nhs.net With our best wishes Darent Valley Hospital
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Review titled lack of care
Rated 1 star out of 5
by Anonymous - Posted on 17 January 2023
on arrival from the start of my partner being admitted into majors the staff yes maybe busy but there was no care no sympathy at all. I even asked if they wanted to be in nursing. One nurse the head one actually said to me its all been explained to me what was happening with my partner as its written in my note's when I asked I said I can guarantee you I've been sitting here the whole time and even though you may have it in your notes its not been explained to us we are just sitting here ? also he was in complete agony and crying in pain not one person helped I kept asking if someone could reassure him, nothing happened apart form one nurse saying think about a happy place ,,seriously, he was the most chronic pain you can imagine. We was in there for nearly 4 hours and no offer of a drink for him or food. I had to ask. This department needs to be more caring people who are in pain and need reassurance there was no care at all here .Very rude staff The ward however was lovely.
Visited Accident and emergency services on January 2023
Review titled Darent Valley Hospital
Replied on 01 February 2023
Thank you for your comments. We are sorry to learn that you were not happy with our Emergency Department staff. If you would like to discuss what happened to your partner and why he had such a long wait, please do contact us directly so we can discuss the concerns you have raised. Contact details are: Patient Advice and Liaison Service (PALS), telephone: 01322 428382 or email: dgn-tr.PALS@nhs.net.
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Review titled excellent care
Rated 5 stars out of 5
by Magdalena - Posted on 06 June 2023
great staff, very good support and help. doctors are easily accessible and answer every question according to the situation. the food is delicious, the ambulance staff does a great job, they are thorough, fast and take great care of the patient picked up from the scene of the accident.
Visited Intensive Care on January 2023
Review titled Darent Valley Hospital
Replied on 15 June 2023
Dear Magdalena Thank you for taking the time to write this glowing review which will share with our amazing staff. We do hope you are feeling much better now. Darent Valley Hospital
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Review titled NHS Teaching Syllabus
Rated 4 stars out of 5
by Anonymous - Posted on 22 December 2022
I visited hospital to have my prostate examined. (This is a review of NHS’s procedures. It has nothing to do with the nurse who conducted the examination.) I was asked a few life-style questions but was not asked the most important question: “Have you ever had this procedure before?” Had this question been asked, my answer would have been No”. The obvious response to a negative answer would be to proceed with caution; conducting gentleness and slowness. Having never experienced anything like this before, my reaction to a sensation never before felt, I recoiled. Much like any animal would. Consequently, the procedure was unsuccessful.
Visited Haematology on December 2022
Review titled Darent Valley Hospital
Replied on 01 February 2023
We are sorry that the procedure was not explained to you more fully, thus preparing you for what was going to happen. If the procedure was unsuccessful and you need it repeated please do let the staff member know of your apprehension. We will also pass your feedback onto the team. With our best wishes Darent Valley Hospital
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Review titled Such great care when I needed it
Rated 5 stars out of 5
by William Lines - Posted on 20 April 2023
I was taken into A&E with pneumonia just before Xmas 2022 and within a day I was transferred to Oak Ward. The treatment I was given was First Class, by the doctors, catering teams, ancillary staff but mostly by the nurses was excellent. Over the Christmas period (my birthday is Christmas Day) I was extremely poorly but everyone gave me so much time, gave me such excellent care, that I really felt that I was important and they all worked hard to make my stay as pleasant as possible, given the circumstances. I want to say a huge ‘Thank You’ to everyone I met whilst I was in hospital. I apologise for not saying this earlier, but all your efforts were so appreciated by me.
Visited Accident and emergency services on December 2022
Review titled Darent Valley Hospital
Replied on 28 April 2023
Dear Mr Lines Thank you for this glowing review of Oak Ward especially as you had to spend Christmas and your birthday in hospital. This certainly is not a time of year anyone wants to be in hospital! We will ensure your kind words are shared with the staff. With our best wishes Dartford and Gravesham NHS Trust
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Review titled Life saving care
Rated 5 stars out of 5
by Lynn D - Posted on 09 January 2023
Thank you to all the amazing staff on Juniper Ward. I was nursed by an amazing team and cannot thank them all enough. They were there for me without any question and have helped my early recovery above and beyond .
Visited Colorectal cancer services on December 2022
Review titled Darent Valley Hospital
Replied on 01 February 2023
Dear Lynn Thank you for these amazing words which will ensure are shared with Juniper Ward. With our best wishes Darent Valley Hospital
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Review titled Poor A&E services
Rated 1 star out of 5
by Anonymous - Posted on 28 December 2022
Arrived at A&E at 22:40 and was triaged an hour and 20 minutes later asked for pain relief and was told they would get it proscribed by the doctor, so I took a seat back in the waiting room and was still waiting for the pain relief 2.30 hours later. The department every time I come here the department is always understaffed and no seems too care about patient safety.
Visited Accident and emergency services on December 2022
Review titled Darent Valley Hospital
Replied on 01 February 2023
Thank you for taking the time to provide your feedback following your visit to our emergency department. We are sorry that you had to wait a while to be triaged and then another wait to be given pain relief. Please be assured that we take patient safety extremely seriously. We will pass on your comments to the emergency department Matron as patient feedback is very important to the Trust.
Information supplied by Dartford and Gravesham NHS Trust