Cardiology services: An open letter to the people of Torbay and South Devon
Dear residents, patients, carers and colleagues
I want to speak directly to you about our cardiology services at Torbay Hospital and our commitment to you.
We know how important these services are to local people and we are proud of the skill and dedication of our cardiology teams. Every day, they save lives. We are committed to keeping care safe, high quality and close to home.
I also understand that many of you are concerned about the future of cardiac care in Torbay and South Devon. Let me be clear: there are currently no formal proposals to change cardiology services at Torbay Hospital.
Later this year, the Integrated Care Board (ICB) will publish a draft Case for Change for cardiovascular disease, cardiology and cardiac surgery services across Devon. This will set out the current challenges and start a conversation about how services might work in the future. It will not include proposals for change.
We are working closely with the ICB to make sure everyone has the chance to share their views. Once the draft case for change has been published – the ICB will lead an engagement programme to capture the views of the local population, partners and key stakeholders as part of the draft case for change development process.
We will be asking our NHS staff, governors, volunteers, councillors and voluntary sector partners to help us ensure that local voices and experiences shape the future of these services.
We know the Heart Campaign has raised concerns about patient safety, access to emergency care and the possible impact of centralising services. We are listening and I have personally met with representatives from the Heart Campaign. Their concerns and feedback is being noted and I can assure you it will be considered as part of the wider engagement process.
At Torbay and South Devon NHS Foundation Trust, we are also planning for the future. This includes refurbishing our cardiac catheter labs, which is a top clinical priority in our draft capital programme for 2026/27. We expect to seek approval for this from our Board in January 2026.
I am committed to being open and transparent and to making sure your voices are heard. We will keep you updated as this work progresses.
Thank you for your continued trust and support.
Joe Teape
Chief Executive
Torbay and South Devon NHS Foundation Trust
New service to help older people remain independent at home
Older people who are living with frailty will soon be able to get help and joined-up support from our new centre of excellence at Newton Abbot Hospital, called The Harbour.
We have a significant number of older people living in our communities who often need complex, specialist care. The Harbour brings together clinicians under one roof to provide specialist frailty care, holistic assessments, urgent care and diagnostics. People will also be supported by our frailty virtual ward to provide their care closer to home, and as a safe and effective alternative to a hospital admission.
Dr Kath Bhatt, our clinical lead for The Harbour, said: “Clinical evidence tells us that older people living with frailty are at higher risk of losing independence, getting infections, and having memory decline while in hospital. They also tell us they don’t want to receive their care in hospital and want to get back home. The Harbour gives us the opportunity to change by wrapping personalised care around our patients at home when they need it the most and helping them to stay well for longer.”
The first phase of the new service will launch next month, and the team will work closely with the ambulance service and care homes to support their residents. A same day emergency care space will be opened next year for older people who need urgent diagnostic, assessment and hospital interventions as an alternative to coming to Torbay Hospital.
We’ll be sharing more information about the new service in the next edition of Healthy Futures.