A 40-bed specialist nursing home for adults with complex dementia and mental health needs in Gillingham has been closed to new admissions since July 2026 following safeguarding and safety concerns, and responsibility for it transferred to a new NHS trust on 1 October as part of a wider community health merger.
Darland House, a 40-bed specialist continuing healthcare nursing home in Gillingham for adults with complex dementia and mental health needs, has been closed to new admissions since 23 July 2026 following quality concerns. The Health and Adult Social Care Overview and Scrutiny Committee received an update on the situation at its meeting on 13 October 2026.
Concerns and safeguarding referral
Papers submitted by Kent Community Health NHS Foundation Trust (KCHFT) and the ICB stated that Medway Community Healthcare (MCH) temporarily closed Darland House to new admissions on 23 July 2026 following quality concerns relating to workforce, safeguarding and safety. A safeguarding referral was made, the Care Quality Commission was notified, and a Section 42 enquiry is under way with the local authority. The papers stated that admissions remain paused while a full review and improvement work continue.
Transfer of responsibility
From 1 October 2026, as part of the broader transfer of MCH services into KCHFT, Kent Community Health NHS Foundation Trust assumed responsibility for Darland House. The papers said both organisations worked jointly in advance of the transfer, and that additional leadership and clinical support had been put in place at the home. Oversight arrangements described in the papers include monitoring resident safety, supporting staff, coordinating placement planning and maintaining communication with residents, families, health and care partners and regulatory bodies.
Wider integration
The transfer of Darland House formed part of a larger integration completed on 1 October 2026, in which 1,250 MCH colleagues transferred to KCHFT to form a single provider of community health services across Kent and Medway. The papers stated that early implementation had been stable, with no material disruption to patient care identified through established oversight arrangements. The Urgent Treatment Centre service and the Intermediate Care and Reablement Service did not form part of the integration, having transferred separately.
The council had not published the minutes of the meeting at the time of writing, so the committee’s decision is not yet on the public record.
Sources
- Medway Council — Health and Adult Social Care Overview and Scrutiny Committee, 13 October 2026 (agenda and papers)
- Kent Community Health and Medway Community Healthcare Integration Update — report to Health and Adult Social Care Overview and Scrutiny Committee (Medway Council, 13 October 2026)
- Appendix 1: Submission from ICB and KCHFT — Integration Update (Medway Council, 13 October 2026)
Top image: illustrative, computer-generated. Illustrative AI-generated image of a care home exterior. This is not a photograph of Darland House or any real building.