Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to the ONS publication entitled How the population changed in Dartford: Census 2021, published on 28 June 2022, if he will review the capacity of Darent Valley Hospital in the context of an above national average population increase in the local area in the period 2011 to 2021.

The Health and Care Act 2022 established 42 Integrated Care Boards (ICBs) in England. ICBs empower local health and care leaders to integrate planning and provision of services and will produce five-year joint forward plans with partner National Health Service trusts and foundation trusts to respond to local health needs. This may include consideration of the needs of a changing population.

There are no current plans to review the capacity of Darent Valley Hospital. Kent and Medway ICB are responsible for planning and commissioning healthcare services, including inpatient acute and emergency and urgent care services.