Emergency department redevelopment opens

The redevelopment of a hospital emergency department has been completed, and opened to the public.

Torbay and South Devon NHS Trust said the emergency department redevelopment opened on Wednesday after a £14.2m upgrade to facilities.

Initial work began in January 2025 with aims to increase capacity and help reduce urgent and emergency care waiting times at Torbay Hospital.

The trust said features include a new space for a same day emergency care unit, dedicated triage areas, a larger and brighter waiting room, digital enhancements and improved staff spaces.

Nicola McMinn, chief nursing officer at the hospital, said it was a "really exciting day."

She said: "We have a brand new waiting room which is much bigger and brighter and will really support privacy and dignity for our patients."

She added there was a new minor injuries area and a purpose built room for patients suffering a mental health crisis.

The previous conditions that emergency department staff were working in were not "conducive to being able to deliver the standards of care that they would want to deliver," McMinn said.

"To be able to have this investment for the emergency department has been wonderful for our staff... they're now able to deliver care with much more privacy and dignity."

Funds for the project were awarded through the national Adult Care Transformation and Innovation Fund.

Ami Jones, clinical lead for emergency medicine, said the project had been a "labour of love".

"Imagine having a house extension whilst also trying to save lives in the meantime... we've felt it and our patients have felt all the way through really but it's really been worth it, we're loving it now."

She said some people couldn't believe it was the same place.

"It's just made a huge difference and patients really are feeling the benefit of it," she said.

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