NHS Devon u-turns on planned heart attack service changes
The changes would have seen out-of-hours emergency cardiac care relocated from Torbay Hospital to Exeter
Last updated 19th Jun 2025
NHS Devon’s decided to withdraw its planned trial changes of heart attack services.
The proposals would have seen out-of-hours emergency cardiac care relocated from Torbay Hospital to Exeter.
Those against the idea said patients would have faced a significant increase in their journey time.
Cardiologists at Torbay Hospital expressed their unanimous opposition to the proposed changes to coronary services during a meeting with the three MPs in February.
Locals MPs have repeatedly raised the issue in parliament.
Steve Darling has also launched a petition for those objecting to the proposed move, while Caroline Voaden presented her own petition to parliament last week, which urged the Government to intervene if NHS Devon green lit the move.
However, in a statement on Wednesday, NHS Devon said it had decided to withdraw the plans from the board meeting due to “wide-ranging” comments from politicians, health professionals, and patients.
South Devon MP, Caroline Voaden said:
“I’m delighted that NHS Devon has seen sense and decided to postpone the proposed move of cardiac care from Torbay to Exeter."
"This plan has been under consideration for a while, and in that entire time, I’ve yet to hear a single convincing argument for it.
“In fact, all I’ve heard is the opposite: from cardiologists, my fellow MPs, and most of all, deeply worried constituents, especially those living furthest away from Exeter. I hope that in the time they take to reflect and revise their plans, NHS Devon will realise that there is no rational justification for such a move, and they need to look elsewhere for efficiencies that won’t endanger lives.”
Torbay MP, Steve Darling said:
“The withdrawal of the proposal to move PPCI services from Torbay Hospital is a welcome step—but it’s only a temporary reprieve. We owe a huge debt of gratitude to the dedicated medics who raised the alarm and to the communities who spoke out. This campaign is far from over, and we must continue to push for a long-term commitment to keep life-saving cardiac care in Torbay, where it belongs.”
Newton Abbot MP, Martin Wrigley said:
“It was a great relief to hear that the proposed move of out of hours PPCI services from Torbay to Exeter has been postponed. This was a decision taken with no formal governance review and against the advice of Consultants at the Trust, which had real potential to adversely affect patient safety.
“To hear that NHS Devon and the ICB have decided to postpone this move in order to fully assess the feedback received from stakeholders and the impact on patients is welcome news. However, this is only a temporary reprieve, we will continue to fight to keep this vital service in Torbay to ensure the best possible cardiac care for the residents of South Devon.”
A spokesperson for NHS Devon told us:
"In light of the wide-ranging comments received from staff, clinicians, patients, the public, and elected representatives, the Chair and Chief Executive of NHS Devon decided to withdraw the paper
"This was to enable the valuable feedback to be fully considered and allow time to reflect on whether such a process will lead to clarity on future commissioning arrangements to ensure the long-term sustainability of this important service.
"The aim is to ensure the commissioning of sustainable primary, community and secondary care services throughout Devon that:
• support improved health outcomes for the population
• support patients from the first signs of cardiovascular disease (CVD) related symptoms
• are resilient and can support growing demand
• are of high-quality (in line with national standards and guidelines), equitable and affordable.
"Informed by data and the experiences of patients, clinicians, and stakeholders, the document will include a detailed scope and timeline of actions for the coming year and beyond.
"One of the immediate actions will be to seek clinically-led solutions that lead to a sustained reduction in waiting times.
"The priority remains the commissioning of safe, reliable and sustainable cardiology services that meet the needs of Devon’s population now and in the future.
"NHS Devon is grateful to the comments and feedback received on the original proposal, and is committed to ongoing, meaningful engagement with clinicians, staff, patients, the public, and elected representatives throughout this process to design the best possible co-produced solutions.