TORBAY Hospital’s emergency department is to undergo a £14.2million upgrade to increase patient capacity and reduce waiting times.

Torbay and South Devon NHS Trust has announced the cash injection of capital investment to improve care for people needing emergency treatment.

Announcing the investment, Caroline Cozens, Director of Capital Developments, Torbay and South Devon NHS Foundation Trust, said: ‘This is fantastic news for the residents of Torbay and South Devon and for all our hardworking staff at Torbay Hospital.

‘We are delighted that NHS England has recognised the need to invest in improvements to our Emergency Department at Torbay Hospital.

‘Anyone who has attended our Emergency Department knows the challenges of our ageing estate and how this affects people’s waiting times and experiences. We currently do not have enough space to triage and treat people and our waiting area is both small and extremely busy.

‘This multi-million pound investment will support us to make changes to the building that will improve how quickly we can see and treat people as well as improving people’s experience of our Emergency Department.’

Additional capital funding will be used to build a new wrap-around extension for the Emergency Department, using modern methods of construction for speed and efficiencies.

Mark Roberts, Deputy Medical Director, said: ‘This development will allow us to create a new space for our Same Day Emergency Care Unit (SDEC) and support capacity and flow improvements throughout our existing emergency pathway.

‘It will also create a new dedicated triage area for people in crisis who need mental health support.

'We will be able to significantly improve the environment in our waiting areas which will make the whole experience better for people who need our services, who will also benefit from new digital triage and enhanced digital infrastructure ready for our

Electronic Patient Record implementation.

‘We are using this opportunity to modernise how we deliver healthcare and provide a much better working environment for our dedicated and compassionate colleagues.

‘This investment also allows us to expand the acute assessment unit with new ‘see and treat’ accelerated triage rooms that will give us more space to treat people, reducing waiting times and improving people’s outcomes and experience.'

Dr Kevin Dixon, Chair of Healthwatch in Devon, Plymouth and Torbay said: ‘This is an excellent outcome for local residents and hardworking hospital staff.

‘In 2023 we visited their busy Emergency Department multiple times to speak with patients about their experience, with many commenting about how uncomfortable the small waiting room was and that they had to wait a long time to be seen.

‘It is therefore very pleasing to hear that their voices were listened too and that funding has been allocated to address these issues and improve Torbay Hospital’s Emergency Department.

‘We hope the much-needed enhancements ensure local people can get the support they need from the best place possible and the best outcomes for them.’

Martin Wrigley, MP for Newton Abbot, said: ‘Having seen firsthand the need to update the Emergency Department at Torbay, I am delighted that the trust has secured this funding.

‘Residents of Newton Abbot rely on Torbay emergency services and this will be a boon to the area.’

Preparatory work for the project began earlier this month and the build is planned to finish before the end of this year.

The money has been awarded through the national Adult Care Transformation and Innovation Fund (ACTIF).