16 November 2001
The Kent trust, one of the so-called 'Dirty Dozen' given no stars by the Commission for Health Improvement, announced that Anne-Marie Dean, chief executive for the past six years, was taking voluntary early retirement.
She was one of the five trust bosses given three months to make improvements or face the sack following the publication of the star ratings for acute trusts in September.
Successful trust management teams can bid to take over the running of failing trusts but it is understood that these franchise arrangements are not being considered at Dartford.
In a further shake-up of its top team, Sarah Dunnett has been appointed as the trust's new chair. Dunnett, who has an oil industry background and has held a number of NHS non-executive posts, has been acting chair since September following the departure of Alex King.
The trust is now in discussions with the NHS south-east regional office as it searches for a successor to Dean, who led the implementation of the first large Private Finance Initiative project in the English NHS. The £177m Darent Valley Hospital was opened in September 2000.
Trust spokesman Glyn Oakley said the former chief executive had not discussed her reasons for taking early retirement.
But, in a statement, Dean, who has been on sick leave since the beginning of October, said: 'After 24 years at this trust and having completed the new hospital building project and established the organisation in the new environment, this is a natural time to think about moving on to the next challenge.'
Dunnett acknowledged she was taking over the chair at a difficult time. 'It is a challenge I relish. With the help of staff and the support of local people, I am confident the Darent Valley Hospital can take up its rightful place as one of the best in the country,' she said.
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