Two NHS hospital trusts in Kent and Medway are joining forces to improve patient care and strengthen services by forming the county’s first hospital group.
Dartford and Gravesham NHS Trust and Medway NHS Foundation Trust will establish a shared Board, starting with the appointment of a Group Chief Executive and Group Chair. While the trusts will remain independent organisations, they will work under shared leadership to deliver better outcomes for the 800,000 people they serve across North Kent and Medway.
Together, the trusts employ around 10,500 staff and operate Darent Valley Hospital in Dartford and Medway Maritime Hospital in Gillingham, which will continue to have senior local leadership.
The decision follows an independent review commissioned by NHS Kent and Medway Integrated Care Board, which identified significant opportunities to improve patient care through closer collaboration. The review ruled out merging the trusts or maintaining the status quo, concluding that forming a group was the best way forward.
Chief Executive of Dartford and Gravesham NHS Trust, Jonathan Wade, said:
“Dartford and Medway are natural partners. Both organisations have great strengths and expertise, and we already work together in some clinical and support services.
“By working together as a group, we can better learn from each other, build on what we each do well, and drive innovation that improves patient care and strengthens our services for the future.”
Once appointed, the new leadership team will agree how the group will operate, set shared priorities, and develop a future leadership structure.
John Goulston, Medway NHS Foundation Trust’s Chair, also commented:
“Our priority is to develop ways of working that will help us better address our shared challenges so that we can provide all our patients with the high-quality services they need and deserve.
“Working as a group can help us to make better decisions that focus our efforts on improving patient care while making best use of limited NHS resources.”
Group working is increasingly common across the NHS, enabling trusts to share expertise and resources while remaining separate organisations. This approach is already delivering benefits in hospitals, ambulances, communities, and mental health services nationwide.
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