East Kent Hospitals University NHS Foundation Trust

What East Kent Hospitals University NHS Foundation Trust does

East Kent Hospitals University NHS Foundation Trust (EKHUFT) is a publicly funded NHS Foundation Trust in England, operating as one of the largest hospital trusts in the country. It runs five hospitals — William Harvey Hospital (Ashford), Kent and Canterbury Hospital (Canterbury), Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother Hospital (Margate), Buckland Hospital (Dover) and Royal Victoria Hospital (Folkestone) — together with community clinics, delivering emergency, maternity, outpatient, diagnostic, surgical and community healthcare services to a defined population of approximately 700,000 people across East Kent. The Trust also operates specialist units including the Kent Haemophilia and Thrombosis Centre (serving Kent and East Sussex) and a Women's Health Counselling Service offering Talking Therapy and EMDR.

The Trust's digital product surface centres on the Patient Portal ecosystem — comprising an Appointments Portal for managing appointments, a Booking Portal for services such as X-ray and blood tests, and a Patient Preferencing module for communication and accessibility preferences. These integrate with NHS Login and the NHS App for secure identity verification, and the Trust participates in regional data initiatives including the Kent and Medway Care Record (KMCR), NHS England Federated Data Platform (FDP), Kent and Medway Pathology Network, and the Kent and Medway Data Warehouse. AI capability is limited to clinician-supporting tools (text/documentation/decision support) and the OncoLLAMA cancer research collaboration; the Trust explicitly states AI does not replace clinical decisions.

EKHUFT is funded entirely through the National Health Service — National Insurance contributions and general taxation channelled via NHS England and the Kent and Medway Integrated Care System — with services provided free at the point of use. It holds UK GDPR/ICO compliance (registration Z9093025) and partial WCAG 2.1 AA conformance, and is governed by a Board of Directors and Council of Governors without external shareholders. Following prior regulatory scrutiny, maternity services at William Harvey Hospital and QEQM were upgraded to 'Good' by the CQC in December 2024, and the Trust has since implemented Martha's Rule and the Patient Safety Incident Response Framework (PSIRF).

Name

East Kent Hospitals University NHS Foundation Trust

Legal name

East Kent Hospitals University NHS Foundation Trust

Website

https://ekhuft.nhs.uk

Company type

Public

Founded year

1999

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

5,001–10,000 employees

Short description

East Kent Hospitals University NHS Foundation Trust is one of England's largest NHS Foundation Trusts, operating five hospitals and community clinics that deliver publicly funded acute, maternity, outpatient and community healthcare to approximately 700,000 people in East Kent.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Public Hospital Services

NAICS

General Medical and Surgical Hospitals (6221), General Medical and Surgical Hospitals (622110)

SIC

Services-Hospitals (8060), Services-General Medical & Surgical Hospitals, Nec (8062)

akta.pro primary industry

Safety-Net & Public Hospitals (HLAFAAAD)

akta.pro secondary industry

Hospital-Based Emergency Departments (EDs) (HLAFADAA)

Keywords

• NHS hospital services
• Public healthcare
• Emergency and maternity care
• Specialist clinical services
• Digital patient portal

Headquarters

HQ city

Canterbury

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices6 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Supply Chain, Others

Revenue model

1. NHS Funded Healthcare Services: Publicly funded healthcare services provided free at point of use, financed through National Insurance contributions and general taxation. The Trust receives funding from NHS England and NHS Integrated Care Systems for commissioned healthcare services.

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

East Kent Hospitals University NHS Foundation Trust operates as one of the largest NHS hospital trusts in England, running five hospitals and community clinics across East Kent. It delivers comprehensive NHS-funded hospital and community healthcare services including emergency care, maternity and neonatal services, outpatient appointments, diagnostic tests, surgical procedures, and specialist services such as haemophilia and thrombosis care to a local population of approximately 700,000 people. The Trust also operates a Patient Portal with NHS App integration for digital appointment management and communication preferences.

Product overview

East Kent Hospitals University NHS Foundation Trust operates as one of the largest hospital trusts in England, providing clinical services through five hospitals and community clinics serving approximately 700,000 people in east Kent. The Trust's digital product portfolio centres on the Patient Portal ecosystem, which includes the Appointments Portal for managing appointments, the Booking Portal for scheduling services such as X-ray and blood tests, and Patient Preferencing for communication and accessibility preferences. These digital services integrate with NHS Login and the NHS App for secure identity verification. The Trust also provides specialist services including the Kent Haemophilia and Thrombosis Centre and Women's Health Counselling Service, and participates in regional data initiatives including the Kent and Medway Care Record and NHS England Federated Data Platform. The Trust has begun implementing AI tools that support clinicians, including participation in the OncoLLAMA cancer research project.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Patient Portal Digital platform enabling patients to manage upcoming appointments, view letters, and set communication preferences, including accessible format options. Integrates with NHS Login and the NHS App for secure identity verification and access to digital healthcare services.
• Maternity Services Comprehensive maternity and neonatal care services including antenatal, intrapartum, and postnatal care across multiple hospital sites. Maternity services at William Harvey Hospital and Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother Hospital were upgraded to 'good' by the CQC in December 2024.
• Kent Haemophilia and Thrombosis Centre Specialist centre diagnosing and treating patients in Kent and East Sussex with haemophilia, thrombosis, and other bleeding disorders. Provides comprehensive care including consultation rooms, physiotherapy, laboratory testing, and home delivery services.
• Women's Health Counselling Service Counselling service for women, birthing people and their families offering Talking Therapy and EMDR for issues including pregnancy loss, trauma, body image, fertility, and mental wellbeing.
• Maternity Triage Service Telephone triage service for pregnant women and birthing people to assess and prioritise clinical needs, with the aim of assessment within 15 minutes of arrival.
• Emergency Department and Urgent Care Services Emergency departments and walk-in urgent care centres across the Trust's five hospital sites, complemented by NHS 111 telephone triage for non-emergency medical advice across East Kent.

Quantifiable outcome

• Maternity services upgraded to 'good' CQC rating following December 2024 inspection
• +1 more outcomes

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration8 records

AI capability2 records

Feature6 records

Partnerships

Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered core and strategic.

• NHS England National Maternity Investigation (Baroness Valerie Amos)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 September 2025Trust selected to participate in national investigation of maternity and newborn baby care across England led by Baroness Valerie Amos. One of three Trusts where previous investigations have taken place, with learnings to be incorporated in national recommendations.
• Kent and Medway Care Record (KMCR)coreTechnology or IntegrationShared health and social care record system enabling joined-up care across Kent and Medway. Allows healthcare providers to access patient information to deliver coordinated treatment.
• Kent and Medway Shared Health and Care Analytics Board (SHcAB)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSenior governance group for the analyst community across Kent and Medway overseeing data analytics and health intelligence.
• NHS England Federated Data Platform (FDP)coreTechnology or IntegrationNational NHS data platform initiative supporting improved patient care and service planning. Trust participates in data sharing for population health management.
• OncoLLAMA Project (AI Centre)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNational UK research project using AI to help researchers understand cancer better and improve NHS services. Uses anonymised data for research purposes only, not patient care.
• Kent and Medway Pathology Network (KMPN)coreTechnology or IntegrationManages laboratory samples and results across the Kent and Medway region, providing coordinated pathology services.
• Kent and Medway Data WarehousecoreTechnology or IntegrationSecure data system used for planning health services across Kent and Medway, enabling population health analytics.
• Secure Data Environments (SDE)coreTechnology or IntegrationProtected research spaces with strong access controls for approved health research and data analysis.
• Saving Babies Lives charity (SANDS)strategicStrategic or Co-development PartnerCharity partnership to improve and increase emotional and practical support for families who have experienced baby death or severe injury or illness, available 7 days a week.
• Maternity and Neonatal Voices PartnershipstrategicStrategic or Co-development PartnerPatient advocacy group involving people who use maternity and neonatal services, providing feedback and oversight for service improvements.
• NHS App and NHS LogincoreTechnology or IntegrationNational NHS digital identity and access platform enabling secure verification of patient identity and access to digital healthcare services.
• Kent Community Health NHS Foundation TruststrategicStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership on community health services including children's therapies and baby weighing services in East Kent.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Market position

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/ekhuft
• Facebookfacebook.com/eastkenthospitals
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/east-kent-hospitals-university-nhs-foundation-trust

Compliance4 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about East Kent Hospitals University NHS Foundation Trust