The partial ban was imposed after an issue with the hospital's water supply in its west block.

A trust spokesperson said: ‘We would like to sincerely apologise to our patients, visitors and staff for the ongoing water supply issues affecting the west block of Darent Valley Hospital since Tuesday 28 April. We recognise the disruption and inconvenience this is causing and we are grateful for the patience and understanding shown by everyone affected while we work to resolve the issue safely.'

The trust said the west block supply had been isolated while repairs were undertaken with testing results not expected until the end of this week (9 May) at the earliest.

Areas with restricted tap water use have been clearly signposted with alternative arrangements in place to provide safe drinking water and independent handwashing facilities where needed.