"Let's Talk Neighbourhood Health" Workshop and the Evidence Base Behind the ICB's Engagement Figures
Sent to: The Freedom of Information Officer and engagement team (Involve), NHS Devon Integrated Care Board. Copied to the Trust Chief Executive and Chief Medical Officer, several members of the House of Commons Health and Social Care Committee and local MPs, and campaign committee members including Dr Phil Keeling and Sally Allen-Gerard.
The seven areas of inquiry, in summary:
- Attendance: how many attended in person; how many registered for and how many joined any online option; and how many of all attendees were members of the public as opposed to NHS, council, Healthwatch or other partner staff.
- Cost of the event: the total cost of the Paignton event, broken down into venue hire, staff time (facilitators and presenters), external contractors or consultants, refreshments, printing and materials, filming or note-taking, and advertising, or the programme total across the Plymouth, Tavistock, Paignton, Exeter and Barnstaple days if held only at that level.
- Cost of the presentation: the cost of producing the presentation document, including external design or agency fees, the "Our journey to a healthier Devon" graphic, the neighbourhood health case study video, and an estimate of internal staff time.
- Source and timing of the data: for the "village of 100 people" data, the "what does the data tell us in South Devon?" figures, the 2025 Devon 10 Year Health Plan engagement totals, and the South Devon survey results, the source datasets, the collecting organisation, the geographic area (including how "South Devon" is defined), and the collection dates.
- From whom the data was collected, and the questions asked: who the respondents were, how they were recruited, the base number of respondents for the South Devon results, a copy of the full survey questionnaire, the workshop discussion prompts and the feedback postcard wording with answer options, and any demographic or geographic breakdown held for South Devon and Torbay.
- Advertising of the Paignton workshop: where it was advertised, on what dates and how many days' notice was given before 25 September 2026, and copies of the advertising materials and any invitations, with a list of the organisations invited.
- Decision to use this format: who decided that this series of workshops was an appropriate way to engage the public and in what capacity, at which meeting or board and on what date, and the minutes, papers, engagement plan or decision record, including how the venues and dates were chosen.
From: Susie Colley, Director, Save Torbay Hospital Ltd (chair@savetorbayhospital.co.uk)
To: Freedom of Information Officer / engagement team (Involve), NHS Devon Integrated Care Board
CC: Joe Teape and Catherine Lissett (Trust), David Simmonds MP, Steve Darling MP, Caroline Voaden MP, Andrew George MP, Danny Beales MP, Beccy Cooper MP, Martin Wrigley MP, and campaign committee members including Dr Phil Keeling and Sally Allen-Gerard
Subject: Freedom of Information request – "Let's talk neighbourhood health" workshop, Paignton Library, 25 September 2026
Dear Freedom of Information Officer,
Under the Freedom of Information Act 2000, I request the following information relating to the One Devon / NHS Devon "Let's talk neighbourhood health" workshop held at Paignton Library on 25 September 2026, and the presentation used at that event (titled "Let's talk neighbourhood health – Workshop, Paignton Library, 25 September").
1. Attendance.
- How many people attended the workshop in person?
- Regarding the online option (e.g. a Teams or Zoom link) provided, please advise how many people registered for it and how many joined?
- How many of those attending (in person or online) were members of the public, as opposed to NHS, council, Healthwatch or other partner organisation staff?
2. Cost of the event. Please provide the total cost of the Paignton event, broken down where possible into: venue hire; staff time (including facilitators and presenters); external contractors or consultants; refreshments; printing and materials; filming, recording or note-taking; and advertising/promotion. If costs are held only for the full programme of "Let's talk neighbourhood health" engagement days (Plymouth, Tavistock, Paignton, Exeter and Barnstaple), please provide the programme total and the same breakdown.
3. Cost of the presentation. Please provide the cost of producing the presentation document, including any external design or agency fees, the cost of commissioning the "Our journey to a healthier Devon" graphic, the cost of producing the neighbourhood health case study video shown, and an estimate of internal staff time spent preparing it.
4. Source and timing of the data. For each of the following, please state the source dataset(s), the organisation that collected the data, the geographic area covered (including how "South Devon" is defined), and the dates or period over which the data was collected:
- "Devon as a village of 100 people" (including the "previous 12 months of data" figures and the Mosaic groupings);
- "What does the data tell us in South Devon?" (long-term condition prevalence and overlap figures);
- The 2025 Devon 10 Year Health Plan engagement figures (3,400 pieces of feedback, 2,353 survey responses, 50 workshops, 358 workshop attendees, 700 postcards, 220 people recruited for continuous engagement);
- The South Devon results shown for "three best things about the NHS", "three biggest challenges facing the NHS" and "which of the following have you personally experienced".
5. From whom the data was collected, and the questions asked.
- For the figures in 4(c) and 4(d), please state who the respondents were, how they were recruited or invited, and the number of respondents (the base number, not just percentages) for the South Devon results.
- Please provide a copy of the full survey questionnaire, the workshop discussion prompts and the feedback postcard wording used to gather this information, including any answer options offered.
- Please provide any demographic or geographic breakdown of respondents held for South Devon / Torbay.
6. Advertising of the Paignton workshop.
- Where was the workshop advertised (e.g. websites, social media, press, posters, GP practices, mailing lists, community groups)?
- On what date(s) was it first and subsequently advertised, and how many days' notice was given before 25 September 2026?
- Please provide copies of the advertising materials and any invitation sent to individuals or organisations, with a list of the organisations invited.
7. Decision to use this format.
- Who decided that this series of workshops would be an appropriate way to engage with the public on neighbourhood health, and in what capacity?
- At which meeting, committee or board was this decided, and on what date?
- Please provide the minutes, papers, engagement plan or decision record relating to that decision, including how the venues and dates were chosen.
If any part of this request is unclear or would exceed the cost limit, please contact me under your duty to advise and assist (Section 16) so that I can refine it, rather than refusing the request as a whole. Please release the information that can be provided within the limit in the meantime. I would prefer to receive the information electronically. I look forward to your response within 20 working days, as required by the Act.
Yours faithfully,
Susie Colley
Director
Save Torbay Hospital Ltd
Related material on the tracker:
- The ICB Engagement Evidence thread, which challenges the ICB's claims of public engagement and co-development on the One Plan for Devon, setting out where the duty under Section 14Z45 appears discharged with language rather than evidence. This FOI pursues the same question through the specific figures and event.
- The One Plan for Devon thread, on the ICB's April Q&A and its practice of issuing unsigned correspondence.
- The PM & Health Select Committee thread, where the Minister of State's reply restated that any substantial change must meet the four tests, including strong public and patient engagement.
Status
The request was submitted to NHS Devon ICB on 3 October 2026. The statutory 20-working-day deadline falls at approximately the end of October 2026. No reference number or acknowledgement has yet been recorded. The request invokes the Section 16 duty to advise and assist, asking the ICB to help refine any part that would exceed the cost limit rather than refusing the request as a whole, and to release what it can within the limit in the meantime. Any acknowledgement, reference, refusal, cost-limit response or disclosure, in particular the base respondent numbers behind the headline engagement percentages, will be recorded here.