Darent Valley Hospital removed 31,000 patients from IT system in error

The hospital has blamed an IT system for the problem

Tens of thousands of hospital patients have had their cases reviewed after they were wrongly 'discharged'.

Dartford and Gravesham NHS Trust said its IT system had automatically removed 31,000 people who had not had a follow-up appointment within six months at Darent Valley Hospital.

The system then dropped patients from the waiting lists altogether.

The trust said it examined all cases and no patients had come to harm, and they don't need to take further action.

It said that increased waiting times after the Coronavirus pandemic had led to follow-up appointments not being booked by the hospital.

Six months later, patients were removed from the hospital's waiting lists automatically by the IT system.

The trust has accepted internally that their actions in dropping patients from waiting lists was not "best practice".

The issue was first raised by the haematology department which had 1,211 patients who had been affected.

A spokeswoman for Dartford and Gravesham NHS Trust said: "We have meticulously examined all aspects of our follow up appointment process, resulting in a comprehensive understanding of all patients awaiting a follow-up appointment.

"Our review is now concluded, and are happy to confirm there has been no harm caused to any of our patients.

"None of our patients need to take any further action."

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