Darent Valley Hospital Maternity

07/05/2026

To mark World Maternal Mental Health Awareness Week and World Maternal Mental Health Day, colleagues came together in the Foyer to raise awareness of perinatal mental health.

Staff spoke with colleagues and members of the public about the importance of listening, understanding and providing support for those experiencing perinatal mental illness. A range of healthy and sweet treats were shared, helping to encourage conversation and meaningful engagement.

Thank you to everyone who stopped by and helped continue the conversation, ensuring maternal mental health remains seen, heard and supported.

05/05/2026

Today, we are celebrating International Day of the Midwife - a chance to recognise those who provide essential sexual, reproductive, maternal, newborn and adolescent health services worldwide. They support women and gender diverse people before, during and after birth.

Huge thank you to the incredible midwives at Dartford and Gravesham NHS Trust for your unwavering care, compassion, and dedication. 💙

02/05/2026

We would like to extend our heartfelt thanks to Bethany and Sean Mercer for their incredibly thoughtful donations of 4 Louis memory boxes and a 4 Louis privacy pram, given in loving memory of their baby boy, Louis.

Memory boxes can provide a special way for bereaved families to store meaningful items and remember their baby.

Privacy prams provide a safe, dignified, and discreet way for babies to be transported within the hospital setting—whether that is from the Delivery Suite to the mortuary, or for precious moments spent on walks in the hospital gardens.

These meaningful gifts will help support families during some of the most difficult times, offering comfort, respect, and privacy when it is needed most. Thank you, Bethany and Sean, for your kindness and for honouring Louis in such a special and lasting way. 🤍

14/04/2026

March maternity/obstetric activity...

14/04/2026

From today, the majority of paper maternity documentation at Dartford and Gravesham NHS Trust will be replaced with digital records.

This means that from this date, maternity service users will be able to record and access their maternity information via the digital patient portal, My Pregnancy Notes. This will reduce sole reliance on handheld paper notes and promote greater accessibility.

Please note: existing maternity service users with paper notes will need to continue to bring these with them to appointments.

More information and some frequently asked questions can be accessed here: https://www.dgt.nhs.uk/maternity/more-information/digital-maternity-records

11/04/2026

As of 14 April 2026, the majority of paper maternity documentation at Dartford and Gravesham NHS Trust will be replaced with digital records.

This means that from this date, maternity service users will be able to record and access their maternity information via the digital patient portal, My Pregnancy Notes. This will reduce sole reliance on handheld paper notes and promote greater accessibility.

Please note: existing maternity service users with paper notes will need to continue to bring these with them to appointments.

More information and some frequently asked questions can be accessed here: https://www.dgt.nhs.uk/maternity/more-information/digital-maternity-records

27/03/2026

✨ Huge congratulations to our Neonatal Sister, Emma Banks, on recently winning a GOLD STAR Award! ✨

Emma, who works on Walnut Ward, was nominated by her colleagues, Karen Smith and Claire Taylor, who said:

"Emma is one of the Sisters on SCBU, and has held this post for 2-3 years. Every Christmas and throughout the year, she goes above and beyond for the babies in the SCBU. She liaises with local companies for donations for our special care babies, and she has created a special rapport with Primark Bluewater, who very generously donate gifts for the babies on Special Care and children on the paediatric ward.

Staff wellbeing is high on Emma's agenda, and she regularly arranges a lot of events outside of work for staff and their families.

Emma is excelling at the Trust's value of Working Together."

Well done, Emma - this award is truly well-deserved. Keep up the fantastic work!

23/03/2026

🌼 Parent Education Update 🌼

We wanted to let you know that we have suspended our face‑to‑face Parent Education classes for the foreseeable future. We’re really sorry for any disappointment this may cause.

Our Online Parent Education course will continue as normal, and you can still book these sessions through Eventbrite via our Parent Education webpage. Parent Education Classes: https://maternity.dgt.nhs.uk/antenatal-care/parent-education/parent-education-classes

✨ Where to find resources
Please continue to use our Parent Education Padlet, where we’ve gathered the majority of our course materials, videos, and helpful links. The Padlet can be found on our Parent Education webpage.

✨ Multilingual antenatal education
For families who would like online antenatal education in English, Polish, Arabic, or Urdu, we also offer access to the Solihull Online Antenatal Course, which is free for Darent Valley service users. The link can be found on our Parent Education webpage.

Our webpage has been updated to reflect these changes, but if you have any questions or need support, please feel free to get in touch with us through the Parent Education email address listed on our webpage.

Thank you for your understanding, and we look forward to supporting you through our virtual sessions. 💛

- The Darent Valley Parent Education Team

We are very sorry to share that our face‑to‑face parent education class, which is offered as an optional add‑on to our virtual course, is currently suspended. Due to unforeseen resourcing challenges, there are no plans to reschedule these in‑person sessions at this time.

20/03/2026

We are currently recruiting for a Band 6 Midwife - Antenatal & Screening. The successful applicant will join our team of specialist midwives to ensure that the National Antenatal and Newborn Screening Programmes are delivered safely and efficiently within DGT services.

More information: https://www.dgt.nhs.uk/jobs #!/job/UK/Kent/Dartford/Dartford_Gravesham_NHS_Trust/Midwife/Midwife-v7824294?_ts=143856

13/03/2026

We are currently recruiting into our Midwifery Antenatal and Newborn Screening Team!
We are looking for a motivated, enthusiastic and compassionate Midwife to join our fabulous DGT working family.
CURRENT VACANCY:
Band 6 Midwife - Antenatal & Newborn Screening
CLOSING DATE 26/03/2026 @ 16:00
https://www.dgt.nhs.uk/jobs #!/job/UK/Kent/Dartford/Dartford_Gravesham_NHS_Trust/Midwife/Midwife-v7824294?_ts=143856
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