No changes planned to Torbay cardiology services as NHS confirms review within wider planning

Recent media reports have suggested that proposals to change how urgent cardiology services are delivered in Torbay – including the possibility of moving some services to Exeter – have been dropped following local concern and campaigning.

However, Libby Ryan-Davies, Chief Strategic Planning and Commissioning Officer at NHS Devon, has provided the following statement:

“Our board will be asked to consider a recommendation to bring the case for change for cardiology and cardiovascular services into our wider health and care planning, including our five-year commissioning plan and the neighbourhood health model we are beginning to implement.

This would allow us to look at the whole picture – how we prevent heart and wider health problems, diagnose them earlier, and support people closer to home, alongside the care provided in hospital.

We know people care deeply about their local heart services, so we want to be clear about what’s being proposed. No decisions have been made at this stage, and there are no plans to change where cardiology services are delivered right now.”

The previously discussed changes are therefore not currently being progressed as a standalone proposal, and instead form part of wider NHS planning – with no decisions made at this stage. This means:

• There is no confirmed decision to change cardiology services in Torbay
• No immediate changes are planned to where services are delivered
• The NHS is taking a broader, system-wide approach, rather than moving forward with a single proposal.
   

What happens next

The NHS Devon Board is expected to consider how cardiology services fit into wider planning, including:

• The five-year commissioning plan
• Development of the neighbourhood health model
• A more joined-up approach across hospital and community care.

Any future proposals would typically involve further development and public engagement before decisions are made.