From: Susie Colley, Director, Save Torbay Hospital Ltd (chair@tqcc.co.uk)
To: Karin Smyth MP, Minister of State for Health (via MPcorrespondence@dhsc.gov.uk)
Reference: PO-1711849
Subject: RE: PO-1711849 — Acute and Diagnostic Services in South Devon

Dear Minister Smyth,

Thank you very much for your letter of 24 August, and please do not concern yourself with the delay in replying. I appreciate you taking the time to respond personally and in such detail.

I should first clarify that my original correspondence of 6 June was sent in my capacity as Chair of Torquay Chamber of Commerce, a role I continue to hold. I am writing to you now, however, as Chair of Save Torbay Hospital.

I was very grateful to read your letter, which in many respects confirms exactly what our campaign has been saying from the outset: that any changes to services must be subject to proper public consultation, must meet the Government's and NHS England's four tests for good decision-making, and must be based on clear clinical evidence that outcomes for patients will improve. To date, none of this has happened.

By way of background, we were advised to establish Save Torbay Hospital as a limited company, which has three directors. One of these is Dr Phil Keeling, a now-retired cardiologist who led the cardiac department at Torbay Hospital and, under his leadership, it was ranked 4th best in the country for coronary perfusion outcomes. Cardiologists from around the world have visited him to learn from his work. His clinical leadership and the strength of feeling behind this campaign should leave no doubt that our concerns are serious and well-founded.

Our catchment area serves a population of over 200,000 in winter, rising to some 400,000 in summer. The topography of South Devon does not lend itself to centralisation of acute services, and local people are understandably frightened at the prospect of journeys to Exeter or Plymouth in an emergency, journeys which, given the roads and distances involved, could in the worst cases prove fatal.

I must be honest with you: there has been no public consultation to date. NHS Devon ICB has not, in our view, been listening to clinical leads, and the Trust has been downgrading services at the hospital, seemingly under instruction from the ICB, ahead of any of the tests you describe being met. Our legal team is now preparing to issue a second letter to the Trust and will then proceed accordingly, if necessary, to prevent further deterioration of acute services at the hospital while this is resolved properly.

I very much appreciate your letter and the principles you have set out. Might I ask whether you would consider visiting Torbay to see the situation for yourself? I believe it would be enormously valuable for you to meet Dr Keeling and other clinicians, and to see first-hand the geography and scale of the issue.

We are continuing to hold public meetings, the next being at Totnes and Paignton on the 18th in support of the hospital, and have an active Facebook page and website (savetorbayhospital.co.uk) where you can see the strength and breadth of local support. On average we are speaking at clubs and rallies virtually every day of every week to ensure that the catchment area is aware of the issues.

I would be very grateful for the opportunity to discuss this further and hope you will consider a visit.

Kindest regards

Susie Colley
Director
Save Torbay Hospital Ltd

From: Karin Smyth MP, Minister of State for Health, Department of Health & Social Care
To: Susie Colley, Chair, Torquay Chamber of Commerce (chair@tqcc.co.uk)
Reference: PO-1711849
Date: 24 August 2026

Dear Ms Colley,

Thank you for your correspondence of 6 June about acute and diagnostic services in South Devon. I apologise for the delay in replying.

I appreciate your concerns.

Responsibility for delivery, implementation and funding decisions for services rests with the appropriate NHS commissioner, which in this case is NHS Devon Integrated Care Board (ICB). I would therefore encourage you to engage directly with NHS Devon ICB about this matter.

Any substantial planned change to services should be subject to appropriate engagement and, where necessary, public consultation. It should also meet the Government's and NHS England's four "tests" for good decision-making: strong public and patient engagement, consistency with current and future patient choice, a clear clinical evidence base and support from clinical commissioners. There must be clear and early confidence that proposals satisfy these tests.

Any changes to services should be informed by clinical best practice and based on clear evidence that they will provide better outcomes for patients.

I hope this reply is helpful.

Yours sincerely,

Karin Smyth MP
Minister of State for Health

From: Susie Colley (chair@tqcc.co.uk)
To: Keir Starmer MP (Prime Minister), James Murray MP, Matthew Pennycook MP
CC: Joe Teape, John Govett, Steve Darling MP
Subject: Letter to Keir Starmer and Health and Housing Ministers

Dear Prime Minister,

I am writing on behalf of The Heart Campaign and many residents, patients, carers and clinicians across South Devon who are increasingly concerned about the future of acute healthcare services at Torbay Hospital.

Our campaign is not opposed to NHS modernisation, service improvement or the development of more efficient ways of working. However, we believe that any reconfiguration of services must be transparent, clinically justified, properly consulted upon and demonstrably improve patient access and outcomes.

We are deeply concerned that a series of proposals affecting key services at Torbay Hospital, including previous plans relating to cardiac services and more recent concerns regarding pathology and histopathology provision, may represent a gradual reduction in the role of the principal acute hospital serving South Devon.

The Heart Campaign is concerned that the cumulative effect of the proposed changes to acute services at Torbay Hospital may constitute a substantial variation in the provision of NHS services. If so, questions arise as to whether the public involvement, consultation and scrutiny requirements contained within the National Health Service Act 2006, as amended, and related regulations have been fully complied with.

We are acutely aware of the legislation, and cite the relevant provisions below:

National Health Service Act 2006, section 242 (for NHS trusts and foundation trusts) requires involvement of patients and the public in planning services, developing proposals for service changes, and decisions affecting service operation.

National Health Service Act 2006, section 14Z45 (inserted through the Health and Care Act 2022 for Integrated Care Boards) imposes a similar duty on ICBs when developing proposals for changes to commissioning arrangements.

National Health Service Act 2006, section 244 and the associated Local Authority (Public Health, Health and Wellbeing Boards and Health Scrutiny) Regulations 2013 require consultation with the local authority's health scrutiny function where there is a "substantial development" or "substantial variation" of NHS services.

Torbay Hospital serves a large and geographically dispersed population across South Devon. The area experiences substantial seasonal increases in demand due to tourism, while extensive housing development continues across the region.

Our campaign has engaged extensively with local processes. We have submitted more than forty Freedom of Information requests, attended scrutiny meetings, organised numerous public meetings, and sought constructive dialogue with decision-makers. Despite these efforts, many fundamental questions regarding the future of acute services remain unanswered.

We are therefore requesting ministerial intervention to ensure full transparency regarding the long-term future of acute services at Torbay Hospital; publication of the evidence supporting any proposed service transfers or reductions; assurance that all consultation and public engagement requirements have been properly fulfilled; an independent assessment of the impact on patient access, cancer pathways, emergency care and healthcare outcomes across South Devon; and confirmation that healthcare infrastructure planning is keeping pace with population growth and increasing demand.

We respectfully ask for your urgent attention to this matter before any further significant changes are made.

Kindest regards

Susie Colley
Chair of the Torquay Chamber of Commerce and the Heart Campaign
(Declined) Governor of Torbay Hospital

From: Susie Colley (chair@tqcc.co.uk)
To: Layla Moran MP, Andrew George MP, Danny Beales MP, Beccy Cooper MP, Josh Fenton-Glynn MP, Paulette Hamilton MP, Joe Robertson MP, Greg Stafford MP, Alex McIntyre MP
CC: Steve Darling MP
Subject: Urgent Parliamentary Scrutiny Required Regarding Acute Services at Torbay Hospital

Dear Members of the Health and Social Care Committee,

I am writing as Chair of The Heart Campaign in Torquay, South Devon to seek your assistance and scrutiny regarding growing concerns over the future of acute healthcare services at Torbay Hospital.

I attach below a detailed letter that was sent to the Prime Minister outlining concerns shared by patients, carers, clinicians and residents across South Devon regarding a series of proposed and potential service changes affecting Torbay Hospital.

This is not a party-political issue. Access to safe, timely and effective healthcare is a matter that affects every constituent regardless of political affiliation.

Torbay Hospital serves a large, ageing and geographically dispersed population. South Devon also experiences substantial seasonal demand through tourism and continuing population growth through major housing development. Against this backdrop, there is increasing public concern regarding the cumulative impact of service transfers and reductions affecting the area's principal acute hospital.

We are particularly concerned that the cumulative effect of recent and proposed changes may amount to a substantial variation in NHS services, raising important questions regarding public consultation, scrutiny and patient engagement requirements under the National Health Service Act 2006 and subsequent legislation.

Over recent years, The Heart Campaign has worked constructively with local NHS organisations, attended public meetings and scrutiny committees, organised community engagement events, and submitted more than forty Freedom of Information requests. Despite these efforts, many questions about the long-term future of acute services at Torbay Hospital remain unanswered.

We therefore respectfully ask members of the Health and Social Care Committee to review the concerns outlined in the attached correspondence; seek assurances that all statutory consultation and public engagement requirements have been fully met; support full transparency regarding the future of acute services at Torbay Hospital; encourage independent assessment of the impact that service changes may have on patient access, emergency care, cancer pathways and healthcare outcomes across South Devon; and consider whether current healthcare infrastructure planning adequately reflects the area's growing and ageing population.

I would be grateful if Committee members could give this matter their urgent consideration and advise whether any further information would assist.

Thank you

Susie Colley
Chair of the Torquay Chamber of Commerce and the Heart Campaign
(Declined) Governor of Torbay Hospital