PLANS to merge two NHS trusts could mean better care for patients in north Kent, a patient pressure group has said.

NHS Dartford and Gravesham has announced proposals to merge with Medway NHS Foundation Trust in a bid to reduce management costs. The trusts say they will then use the savings to provide better frontline patient care.

Graham Hills, operational director at Kent Link, which campaigns for patient needs, said: “Looking at the positives, if they are going to make savings on the management side and put funds back into patient care it means more frontline care for less cost.

“But the downside does that mean Darent Valley Hospital will do one service and people have to travel to Medway for others? Generally people don’t really mind travelling if it means they will get a better outcome.”

The plans, which could be fully approved by April next year, could see backroom job losses in a move to recover from £2million worth of central funding cuts to Darent Valley Hospital.

Susan Acott, chief executive of the Dartford and Gravesham NHS Trust, said: "We expect there will be the same services you would expect on both sites. We can be fairly confident about that.

"Most patients are worried about can they be seen quickly enough, not with who is managing the place. Most patients won't see any change.

"I won't suggest there's not a huge financial point around this there is - the amount of money we have been allocated has been reduced which requires some significant thinking about how we tackle that."Mr Hills said he was “disappointed” that Kent Link were not informed of the proposals until a news release came out on the Darent Valley Hospital website.

He added: “We urge people interested in this to become part of Link and have their views represented.”

For more information visit thekentlink.co.uk.