The Heart Campaign Torbay

30/04/2026

Weekly Update – Week Commencing 6 April 2026

Apologies for the delay since the last update.

It has been a significant couple of weeks for the campaign, with strong public engagement, increased media interest and important decisions taken moving forward.

Public meeting and engagement
❤️ A well-attended public meeting was held at The Grand on 13 April, with media present and reporting on the event
❤️ It was noted that very few councillors attended, despite the importance of the issues being discussed
❤️ Feedback from the community continues to highlight concern and a desire for clearer communication

Clinical concerns and services
❤️ Dr Phil Keeling spoke about the risks of moving services such as histopathology out of Torbay, and again emphasised the importance of maintaining the cardiac catheter labs locally
❤️ Ongoing concerns remain about the condition of the cath labs and the wider impact on patient safety

Governance and accountability
❤️ Due to ongoing reluctance from the ICB to engage openly on the long-term plans for “One Devon”, the committee has decided to seek legal advice, drawing on experience from similar campaigns elsewhere
❤️ Two individuals have publicly stated they will not stand as elected hospital governors, citing concerns about the current situation
❤️ Media coverage, including from the BBC, has helped highlight the seriousness of the issues

Wider system pressures
❤️ Torbay Hospital has announced a move towards voluntary redundancies, reflecting wider pressures across the NHS locally
❤️ Ongoing conversations with staff continue to highlight concerns around staffing levels and morale

Community and campaign progress
❤️ A Brixham Community Partnership AGM was attended, with strong engagement from those present
❤️ Plans are underway for a Bay-wide community event, with thanks to those helping organise this
❤️ A dedicated fundraising subgroup has now been created
❤️ Work is ongoing to update campaign materials including banners, posters and leaflets
❤️ Steps are being taken towards becoming a registered charity

Looking ahead
❤️ The campaign is awaiting the potential publication of the Neighbourhood Framework (expected 7 May), which will help inform next steps, including legal advice
❤️ Campaign funds now stand at £2,436.82 (as of 27 April) — thank you to everyone who has contributed

The campaign continues to focus on transparency, patient safety and ensuring the community is fully informed about the future of local healthcare.

Thank you to everyone for your continued support.

16/04/2026

https://www.facebook.com/reel/947164858169724

13/04/2026

A big thank you to everyone who came along to the meeting at the Grand Hotel this evening. The turnout and support really mean a lot, and it’s clear how much this matters to our community.

We also want to apologise for a typo on our posters regarding the bank details. The sort code was printed incorrectly — it ends in 5 on the poster, but the correct final digit is 9.

The correct details are shown in the image below. We will be updating and correcting the posters as soon as possible, and the correct bank details can also be found on our website.

Thank you for your understanding, and for continuing to support the campaign.

06/04/2026

Weekly Update – Week Beginning 30 March 2026

Hope you all enjoyed the Easter weekend.

This week has focused on preparations for the upcoming public meeting, alongside continued engagement with key stakeholders and the local community.

Public meeting planning
❤️ Following ongoing correspondence with the ICB, it has been agreed that Dr Chris Reid (Chief Place and Transformation Officer) will present the 5-year plan on 13 April at The Grand Hotel
❤️ A meeting has been held with the Police to advise them of the event; further updates will be provided closer to the date as attendance is expected to be high
❤️ A planning meeting has been arranged with the campaign committee at The Grand to finalise event details

Community outreach
❤️ Posters advertising the meeting have been distributed across Cockington, Chelston and Wellswood
❤️ A download link has also been shared on Facebook to allow wider distribution
❤️ Thank you to everyone involved in producing and distributing materials

Engagement with local representatives
❤️ A meeting was held with the Leader of the Council to provide an update on the campaign and ongoing concerns

Community response
❤️ While many local businesses continue to show strong support, it was noted that some declined to display campaign posters

The focus now turns to ensuring a strong turnout for the public meeting and continuing to raise awareness across the community.

Thank you to everyone supporting the campaign.

30/03/2026

❤️ Weekly Update – Heart Campaign

Weeks commencing 16th & 23rd March 2026

⸻

❤️ Emergency Cardiac Incident & FOI Requests
Following reports that a Teignmouth patient requiring emergency cardiac intervention may have been refused by the Royal Devon & Exeter Hospital during Torbay’s recent cath lab outage, the Heart Campaign has taken immediate action.

Torbay Hospital stated that both RD&E and Derriford “offered support”, however a critical question remains unanswered — who made the decision regarding the patient transfer? A clinician, or management?

To establish the facts, FOI requests have been submitted to:
• Torbay & South Devon NHS Foundation Trust
• Royal Devon & Exeter Hospital
• South Western Ambulance Service
• NHS Devon ICB

These requests seek full divert logs, transfer attempts, and any communications relating to the incident.

This is about transparency and accountability in life-and-death situations. We will publish findings as soon as they are received.

⸻

❤️ Public Meeting Confirmed
A public meeting is now booked at The Grand Hotel, Torquay on:
📅 13th April
🕠 5:30pm

We encourage as many people as possible to attend.
Red heart lapel pins will be available — thank you to Leslie for the suggestion.

⸻

❤️ Community Action
At the recent “Medicine for Members” event (28th March), supporters were encouraged to attend wearing red in a visible show of support.

Plans for further regular presence outside the hospital are being discussed with the committee, ensuring this is done respectfully and in coordination with local police.

⸻

❤️ ICB 5-Year Plan Concerns
Following publication of the Devon & Cornwall ICB 5-year plan, concerns are growing around a lack of clarity and transparency.

Key questions remain:
• Why was the promised “case for change” delayed and embedded within this document?
• What public consultation has actually taken place, and when?
• Do decision-makers fully understand the risks faced by rural communities, where travel time during a cardiac emergency can be critical?

⸻

❤️ Financial & Governance Concerns
Further issues have been raised regarding:
• Potential changes to the Section 75 agreement with the council
• Risks of blocked acute beds and impact on patient care
• Reported £35m debt and how major systems like EPIC will be funded, implemented, and staffed

⸻

❤️ Accountability
The ICB has been invited to attend the public meeting on 13th April but has not yet confirmed attendance or a named representative.

The hospital CEO has declined to attend, stating he cannot comment on an ICB document.
The Trust Chairman has not responded.

⸻

❤️ Campaign Activity
• Interview completed with local radio
• Update presented at Chamber of Commerce meeting (26th March)

⸻

❤️ Moving Forward
What started as a campaign to protect cardiac services is clearly part of a much wider issue affecting the future of our hospital.

We will continue to push for answers, transparency, and proper accountability.

16/02/2026

Weekly Update – Week Commencing 9 March 2026

This week has focused on securing clarity around the cardiac catheter laboratory refurbishment and ensuring transparency from decision-makers.

Cath Lab funding and transparency
❤️ A meeting was held with Kevin Dixon from Healthwatch; unfortunately, no one from the ICB attended due to reported sickness
❤️ Multiple requests for clarification regarding funding for the cardiac catheter laboratory refurbishment remain unanswered
❤️ There continues to be conflicting information about whether the ICB has received, approved, or even been asked to consider capital funding for the refurbishment
❤️ A formal request has been made asking the ICB to confirm whether funding has been requested, whether it is available, and what steps are required to secure it
❤️ Concerns remain locally about the lack of clear accountability and transparency

Public communication
❤️ On 7 February, it was publicly stated that cath lab refurbishment is being treated as a top priority, with construction expected to begin in September and last 12 months
❤️ Assurances were given that interim safeguards are in place
❤️ The community continues to seek clarity on how patient safety will be maintained while existing labs are beyond their intended lifespan

Patient safety concerns
❤️ Pre-hospital thrombolysis is no longer routinely administered by ambulance crews, as PPCI became the preferred pathway
❤️ Questions remain about how heart attack patients would be treated safely if access to timely PPCI were disrupted during refurbishment or service changes

Looking ahead
❤️ The campaign will be revisiting outstanding FOI requests and preparing further formal correspondence
❤️ The Draft Case for Change was expected in March; clarity is still awaited on when and how public consultation will take place

As always, the campaign’s purpose is transparency, patient safety and ensuring that decisions affecting cardiac care in Torbay are clinically sound and publicly accountable.

Thank you to everyone continuing to engage and support.

10/02/2026

Weekly Update – Week Beginning 2 February 2026

This week focused heavily on patient safety, reperfusion pathways, and ensuring that the implications of any service changes are properly understood and addressed.

Legal and governance
❤️ A meeting took place with concerned residents who are willing to assist the campaign in exploring a Judicial Review, particularly in relation to the conduct and decision-making of the ICB

Demonstrations and planning
❤️ A meeting was held with the police to discuss the possibility of a future demonstration later in the spring, including a proposed route from East Prawle to Exeter

Ambulance services and emergency heart care
❤️ Further correspondence took place with the ambulance service regarding the fact that pre-hospital thrombolysis is no longer routinely practised, following the move to PPCI as the preferred treatment
❤️ It was confirmed that thrombolysis was phased out because PPCI could be delivered quickly enough to meet clinical standards
❤️ A cardiologist has stated clearly that if PPCI were relocated from Torbay to Exeter, the resulting delays would require the re-introduction of pre-hospital thrombolysis
❤️ This would involve widespread retraining of paramedics, significant operational changes and major costs, and would not be straightforward
❤️ The campaign has formally asked whether these implications have been fully considered by the ICB as part of the Case for Change
❤️ A key unanswered question remains: if PPCI access at Torbay is lost, and paramedics are no longer licensed or trained to deliver thrombolysis, how are heart attack patients supposed to be treated safely?

Adult social care and hospital capacity
❤️ At an Overview and Scrutiny meeting, adult social care was discussed alongside hospital pressures
❤️ On behalf of the Heart Campaign, a formal question has been submitted asking how patient safety will be maintained if changes to adult social care lead to delayed discharges and blocked acute cardiac beds

Looking ahead
❤️ The meeting with Exeter MP Steve Race has been postponed and is now scheduled for 10 February 2026

This week has underlined the importance of joined-up planning and the risks of making changes to cardiac services without safe, workable alternatives in place.
Thank you to everyone continuing to support, question and engage.

Weekly updates will continue.

02/02/2026

Weekly Update – Week Beginning 26 January 2026

It’s been a significant week for the campaign, with important developments around cardiac care pathways, funding concerns and continued engagement with key organisations.

Clinical safety and cardiac care
❤️ We received confirmation from the ambulance service that prehospital thrombolysis is no longer routinely provided by paramedics in our area
❤️ Thrombolysis was phased out because primary PCI (PPCI) was more effective and could be delivered quickly enough to meet NICE standards
❤️ Serious concerns have been raised that if PPCI access is reduced or withdrawn due to proposed changes, this would represent a step backwards in patient safety unless thrombolysis is safely reintroduced
❤️ NICE guidance is clear that where timely PPCI cannot be delivered, an alternative reperfusion pathway must be in place
❤️ We are asking whether the ICB has fully considered the loss of PPCI, the withdrawal of thrombolysis, and the risk of avoidable harm if neither pathway is reliably available

Facilities and funding
❤️ Further correspondence has been sent to the Trust’s CEO regarding urgent funding for refurbishment of the cardiac catheter labs
❤️ Discussions have taken place with Healthwatch about potential collaboration to explore funding options if Trust finances cannot support the required works
❤️ The Business Case for cath lab refurbishment has been chased, with assurances that this is being followed up

Engagement and support
❤️ Thanks were given to South West Plumbing for their clear and helpful overview of the cardiology issues facing Torbay
❤️ Ongoing engagement continues with Healthwatch to seek clarity and updates from the ICB

Looking ahead
❤️ A Zoom meeting with Exeter MP Steve Race has been rearranged and is planned for later this week

Local people deserve clear reassurance that any proposed changes to cardiac services are clinically sound, NICE-compliant, and do not put patients at risk.
Thank you to everyone who continues to support and share the campaign.

Weekly updates will continue.

26/01/2026

Weekly Update – Week Beginning 19 January 2026

It’s been another active week for the campaign, with progress on accountability, media coverage and community engagement.

Clinical facilities and funding
❤️ Further correspondence has been sent to the Trust’s CEO regarding the urgent need to refurbish the cardiac catheter labs, which are now past their usable lifespan
❤️ The ICB has been asked to clarify whether this situation has been properly considered within current “Case for Change” discussions

Engagement and meetings
❤️ Meetings took place with representatives from local MPs’ offices to improve information sharing
❤️ A well-attended public meeting was held in Bishopsteignton, with strong community engagement and contributions from Martin Wrigley MP
❤️ A meeting was held with a major local retailer to discuss displaying campaign posters, leaflets and potentially banners across sites in the Bay

Media
❤️ A BBC interview took place discussing adult social care and its direct link to the Heart Campaign
❤️ Coverage has been shared on the campaign website and social media

Looking ahead
❤️ A further meeting with Healthwatch is planned for 26 January to seek updates from the ICB
❤️ A rearranged Zoom meeting with Exeter MP Steve Race is scheduled for 29 January

Thank you to everyone who continues to attend meetings, share information and support the campaign.
Weekly updates will continue as we move forward.

08/01/2026