Five months ago, this paper took the bold decision to call for the resignation of the chief executive of Darent Valley Hospital.

It was done because of growing concern about the state of the new hospital.

Since then, there has been a Press Complaints Commission inquiry, which vindicated our campaign calling for Anne-Marie Dean's resignation, and a General Election.

But, sadly, the problems at Darent Valley continue.

Which is why this week we say again, if Darent Valley is to become the efficient, modern hospital Dartford and

Gravesham people hoped for and deserve, its management practices must change.

And we believe for that change to take place, Anne-Marie Dean must go.

Workers at the hospital are struggling with scarce

resources and lack of staff. They must feel the disappointment of local people with their new hospital more keenly than anyone.

But the longer the problems go on without any radical solution, the lower the morale of staff will sink, the number of people leaving the hospital will rise and patients will vote with their feet and choose to be treated at other local hospitals.

We cannot allow this to happen.

Mrs Dean blames the hospital's difficulties on "teething problems". We all accept with a new venture, there will be minor difficulties which will have to be sorted out.

But many of the complaints we received about Darent Valley from patients and staff alike were, and still are, due to lack of proper management control and not merely the settling-in of a new enterprise.

Before Darent Valley was built, similar serious complaints surfaced at Joyce Green Hospital. Hard-pressed staff there who complained were bullied and threatened in a bid to silence them.

It can be no coincidence the chief executive in charge of that hospital was also Anne-Marie Dean.

Some people have accused the News Shopper of waging a personal war against Mrs Dean. Nothing could be further from the truth.

The News Shopper's concern has always been to make sure the people of Dartford and Gravesham have the best NHS service they can get, and to give the staff at Darent Valley Hospital the chance they need to prove their hospital is up there with the best.

If Mrs Dean supports those aims, she should move aside and give Darent Valley the opportunity to flourish under a new chief executive.

Almost from the day Darent Valley openedits doors, calls began coming into the News Shopper about problems at the hospital.

In many cases they came from staff, terrified they might lose their jobs as a result of contacting the paper but brave enough to call because their fears for the hospital were greater than their personal ones. Patients and organisations, too, have contacted us. Many of them were also scared of the consequences if the management at the hospital should find out. We would like to thank all of you who have been brave enough to speak out despite, in some cases, the implied threat

of dire consequences. And we would appeal to those of you who have yet to speak, CALL US.

We will protect your anonymity.

We will support you.

We will use what you tell us to get Darent Valley a

fresh start. Call Emma Coutts-Wood on 01689 885728.

Emma Coutts-Wood