Chris Balch on Torbay’s path to renewal

Chris Balch knows a thing or two about building stronger communities.

As a town planner and surveyor, Chris is an expert in bringing new life to communities, and while Torquay’s history is steeped in being a health resort where people came to recover for conditions such as tuberculosis, Chris strongly believes that rather than looking back at our past, we should focus on taking control of our future.  

Chris has been Torbay and South Devon NHS Foundation Trust’s Chairman for nearly a year and in that time he has seen a new community diagnostic centre open in the heart of Torquay, giving thousands of locals access to scans to diagnose a range of conditions including cancer, heart and lung disease, and welcomed an exciting new partnership with the Open University to train local people to become nurses.

Above: Chris Balch

Chris says: “We have some deep-seated challenges in Torbay, but I grew up in west Somerset and understand some of the issues facing rural and coastal communities like ours. 

“After the changes which have taken place in traditional sectors like tourism, fishing and agriculture there is a need to redefine a future which makes our places more attractive to live and work in and to visit. 

“It’s an exciting time to live and work in Torbay and there are positive signs that this new future is emerging as we seek to take control of our destiny. 

“I’m pleased to be part of the Torbay Place Leadership Board and contribute my knowledge and experience to the regeneration of the Bay and ensuring Torbay and South Devon NHS Foundation Trust plays its part as a key anchor organisation.” 

Chris is Emeritus Professor of Planning at Plymouth University and has been involved in devising and delivering complex multi-million-pound projects to regenerate areas of London’s East End, Cardiff’s £100million Millenium Stadium and The Lowry – Manchester’s cultural centre. 

He says: “I have seen the huge benefits that regeneration can bring to some of our former great towns and cities. I think it’s very easy to think about regeneration in terms of shiny new buildings, but we need to think carefully about the services a community needs to thrive, and we’re committed to working with our communities, people and partners to co-design what these will look like and involve them in any changes.”

Last October the government invited people to help shape its 10-year health plan, and in Devon more than 3,400 people shared their views. 

Chris says: “We’re looking forward to the publication of the 10-year health plan for England this summer as it will set the framework for our future, balancing the national direction with our local needs. The message from the government is clear in setting out three shifts for the NHS: from hospital to community; from analogue to digital; and from treatment to prevention. 

“I believe our trust is well positioned to achieve these changes.  As a pioneering integrated care organisation much of what we do is delivered in the community and we need to continue to develop this way of working to reduce the need for people to visit our acute hospital.  

“This doesn’t take away from the fact that we desperately need new investment in Torbay Hospital; we were disappointed by the delay in the New Hospital Programme until the early 2030s but we’re still on the list for a significant transformation of our hospital estate. 

“Some much-needed investment is already taking place, including a £15million extension and upgrade of our Emergency Department, which should be complete by the end of the year. 

“There’s also significant new investment in upgrading our digital capability with the introduction of a new Electronic Patient Record system across Devon’s hospitals. 

“This will significantly improve access to information for both clinicians and patients and help people to receive treatment in the best place and in a joined-up way. In an era when people increasingly book holidays, shop and manage their lives online, this is an important development in health care.”

An important part of the government’s prevention agenda, alongside immunisation and testing, is the promotion of healthy lifestyles. As a keen gardener who grows most of the vegetables for his and his wife’s diet, Chris tries to pursue an active lifestyle with trips to the gym, golf course, and walking along the South Devon coast.

His experience, however, of working in deprived communities convinces him that access to good quality housing and employment are key factors of health outcomes. 

“As the area’s largest employer, I’m determined that our local NHS continues to play its part in helping to nurture and develop our local workforce,” he says.

Torbay and South Devon NHS Foundation Trust is thinking creatively about how it can recruit the people it needs. 

It has strong links with South Devon College, Plymouth and Exeter universities and the Open University to create a pipeline for students to develop careers with the Trust and wider NHS.

Chris says, “I’m proud that we’re working hard to give local people opportunities to stay and learn to help support our community through our apprenticeships and partnerships with colleges, schools and universities. We are also investing in our workforce to identify and grow talent.

“In the South West we always think about what services we need for older people, and while important, we need to do more to listen to what our young people want. We need to do more to create opportunities for our children and young people to give them the best start in life. 

 “Torquay’s motto is Salus et Felicitas – health and happiness – and I want to open people’s eyes to the opportunities the NHS offers. 

“There are more than 350 different careers available so whatever you are interested in, whatever your talent or passion, the chances are that you can find something for you, and we will support you to develop and grow, alongside Springpod, our virtual work experience app, which during the past two years has given 2773 people an opportunity to learn more about NHS careers, with another 900 booked in.

“We are also exploring ways we can use technologies such as AI and virtual reality to deliver future health care. 

“We have some great links with colleges and universities to identify and encourage gaming students to consider working in healthcare. A lot of the skills our future workforce will need are in these areas and we’re building a national reputation for our digital innovation, thanks to our Digital Futures team. 

“With the launch of our new electronic patient record, people who are skilled in digital transformation will be hugely important in changing the way we work.

“I want to attract the brightest and the best to work for us, and I am so proud to work with such an amazing team of people who give it their all every day.”

Chris adds: “We pride ourselves as being a forward-thinking and innovative organisation; we were the first NHS organisation in the country to provide joined-up health and care services in Torbay and we’re already delivering a lot of the government’s three priorities, which the people we care for are benefitting from. We’re continually evolving and thinking about how we can create opportunities and redevelop roles that ensure we’re meeting the needs of people who need our care and creating a resilient and skilled workforce in our communities. We know change can be unsettling, but we are optimistic about our future and leading the revolution to transform the way we deliver care in ways that meet people’s needs.”  

You can find out about the range of health and social care jobs at Torbay and South Devon NHS Foundation Trust by visiting www.torbayandsouthdevon.nhs.uk