Torbay Hospital marks 100 years since foundation stone was laid

The small gathering brought together long‑serving colleagues, governors, health and care partners, community representatives and construction partners to reflect on the hospital’s history and the many people who have shaped it over generations.

The event included the planting of a magnolia tree, funded by Torbay and South Devon NHS Charity, chosen as a symbol of renewal, strength and care for future generations. A commemorative marker has also been installed alongside the tree to recognise the milestone.

Chair of Torbay and South Devon NHS Foundation Trust, Martin Beaman, said: 

“A century ago, local people came together with a clear purpose - to create something that would care for our communities for generations to come. What has grown and changed over that time is remarkable, but that purpose has remained constant.”

The hospital’s history stretches back further, with healthcare in Torbay beginning in modest settings in the 19th century. The current site was made possible in the 1920s when Major Kitson donated land at Hengrave House, with significant support from local benefactors including Ella Rowcroft and her sister Violet Wills, whose generosity helped establish the hospital that serves communities across Torbay and South Devon today.

Over the past 100 years, the way care is delivered has evolved significantly, with advances in medicine, new facilities and expanding services supporting communities across Torbay and South Devon — alongside ongoing improvements to services to meet the needs of local people today and into the future.

Chief Executive Joe Teape said: 

“Care here will have looked very different at different points in time. Services have changed, medicine has advanced, and the hospital itself has evolved. But what hasn’t changed is the commitment of our people — that sense of care and compassion that patients and families experience every day.”

Today, that includes colleagues who have chosen to come here from over 75 countries, reflecting the diversity of those who deliver care across Torbay and South Devon.

The event focused on reflection, giving those attending the opportunity to pause and recognise both the hospital’s past and its future.

The newly planted magnolia tree will remain in the Rose Garden, in the heart of the hospital’s Edwardian block, as a lasting marker of this milestone - symbolising both the hospital’s origins and its continued growth in the years ahead.