Public outcry halts plans to move emergency heart care from Torbay to Exeter

A packed public meeting heard impassioned pleas for a proposed trial of taking heart attack patients from Torbay and South Devon to Exeter, to be abandoned.

The outcry follows a proposal from NHS Devon to consolidate Primary Percutaneous Coronary Intervention at the Royal Devon and Exeter Hospital.

PPCI, also known as angioplasty or coronary angioplasty, is a procedure used to treat narrowed or blocked coronary arteries, often as an emergency treatment for heart attack, by opening the artery with a balloon and placing a stent to keep it open.

Patients from Torbay and surrounding parts of South Devon are currently taken to Torbay Hospital for this procedure, with an average travel time of just 15 minutes.  But official papers seen by the Torbay Weekly confirm if the proposed “test” of consolidating services in Exeter goes ahead this would increase to an average 43 minutes, with Torbay campaigners and medics pointing out how every extra minute can put lives at risk.

Between 200 and 300 concerned residents, local politicians and campaigners attended a meeting organised by the Torquay Chamber of Commerce and listened with increasing concern as Dr Lisa Yung, a Cardiologist at Torbay Hospital, spoke out against the plans. She was joined by a surgeon from the Cardiology Unit to outline the potential impacts on their patients if they face a longer ambulance ride to Exeter, rather than being quickly treated at Torbay Hospital, which is the 5th fastest out of 68 units in the country.

The proposed changes had been due to be considered by NHS Devon’s Integrated Care Board last Thursday. Campaigners had previously expressed concern at how only 20 minutes had been allocated for discussion, with the proposal buried on page 255 of a 405-page document. Yet just hours before the meeting NHS Devon announced they were postponing the item until July when they would consider an “Updated proposal”.

Chamber chair Susie Collie pledged to organise a campaign against it, including a possible public rally in Torquay Town Centre. Former Torbay MP Kevin Foster was at the meeting and speaking to the Torbay Weekly afterwards said: “The anger in the room was clear, with some in tears recalling how the team at Torbay Hospital had saved their life following a heart attack. The campaign against these changes is growing and its vital everyone gets involved, as no-one knows when they might need this service themselves.”

The controversial plans were withdrawn from the agenda of the Devon Integrated Care Board. Chairman Kevin Orford said the board had received "a significant number of wide-ranging comments from clinicians, partners, patients, the public and elected representatives". “In light of those comments, we took the decision to withdraw the paper,” he told the meeting. The ICB said the delay – until at least the end of July – would allow time to fully consider the feedback and revise the proposal accordingly.

“Our key priority remains to commission a safe, reliable and sustainable service for the future, given the changes in demand,” said Mr Orford.. “We will continue to work with clinicians and partners to achieve this and find the most effective solution for the people of Devon.”

NHS Devon has previously said that the trial was intended to reflect the falling number of heart attacks and that the proposed changes would still meet "clinically acceptable" safety and quality standards.

South Devon Liberal Democrat MPs Caroline Voaden, Steve Darling and Martin Wrigley had each raised concerns in Parliament and written to NHS Devon’s chief executive. They argued the increased travel time could put lives at risk.

Ms Voaden said she had not heard a single convincing argument in favour of the move. She said: “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.”

Mr Darling welcomed the decision but said the fight was not over. He 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.”

Mr 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. 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.”