Dartford and Gravesham goes live with digital maternity system

Dartford and Gravesham NHS Trust has gone live with the K2 Maternity Information System, delivered by Harris Health Alliance.

The trust is the first of four in the Kent and Medway programme to implement the clinically led maternity system, which is designed to replace paper records with an integrated, real-time digital solution.

It is intended to enable maternity teams to access a single, shared view of each woman’s maternity journey from antenatal to postnatal care.

The trust worked closely with Harris Health Alliance to deliver the first go-live at Dartford in April 2026.

Hannah Woolger, vice president of professional services at Harris Health Alliance, told Digital Health News: “Delivering this go-live at Dartford and Gravesham highlights what’s possible when clinical, operational and digital teams come together with a shared goal.

“Moving to a fully integrated maternity system empowers clinicians with real-time insights while giving women greater visibility and control over their care.

“We’re incredibly proud to support the trust on this journey and to see the positive impact already being made for both staff and patients.”

The digital maternity records are intended to support safer, more coordinated care by enabling instant information sharing, improved continuity, and faster clinical decision-making for mothers and babies.

In a LinkedIn post on 15 April, Dartford and Gravesham posted on LinkedIn: “With fully digital maternity notes, the service user is placed at the centre of their care during pregnancy, birth and beyond.

“Safe, high quality maternity care requires a multi-professional team working together. The new system enables our teams to share relevant information at the touch of a button.

“Ultimately, digital transformation supports day-to-day work, allowing the team to focus on providing the highest standards of care.

“Our maternity teams now have a single, real-time view of each patient’s journey, from antenatal through to postnatal care. That means clearer information, better coordination, and ultimately safer, faster decisions for mums and babies.

“Moving from paper to a fully integrated system is a big change, and while there have been some challenges along the way, the team has delivered something genuinely impactful, across a complex multi-trust programme.”

Enovation, Safe Hands and Magentus helped deliver the first deployment, which is hoped to las the foundation a digitally enabled future for maternity care across the region.

Midwifery leaders have outlined the numerous technical challenges facing maternity care as the NHS implements its 10 year health plan for England.

Wes Streeting, health secretary, launched a “rapid national investigation of maternity and neonatal services” in June 2025, following a series of high-profile failures in care across several NHS trusts.

Meanwhile, in October 2025, Barts Health NHS Trust announced it would launch System C’s BadgerNet digital maternity solution in 2026 as part of a five-year partnership.

Other trusts to have implemented Badgernet include Great Western Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Royal United Hospitals Bath NHS Foundation Trust and Salisbury NHS Foundation Trust.

Digital Health’s on-demand webinar ‘Midwifery and the Digital Ambitions of the 10 Year Plan’ explores safety issues caused by interoperability issues between systems, digital skills gap, and the implementation of AI.