Behind the scenes of NHS care in Torbay and South Devon

When people think about the NHS, they often picture hospital wards or clinic appointments that begin and end at set times.

But much of the care we provide happens beyond those moments - in people’s homes, in community settings and in the quieter spaces where compassion, reassurance and understanding matter most.

 Across Torbay and South Devon, care continues long after a clinic appointment ends or a hospital stay finishes. It’s carried by teams who support people through recovery at home, who help families through loss and who look after colleagues following difficult or traumatic events. This work is often unseen, but it is absolutely central to what the NHS stands for.

One of the privileges of my role is spending time with colleagues whose work happens away from the spotlight, both in our hospitals and across our community and adult social care services. Their roles are emotionally demanding and deeply human. They deal with grief, shock and vulnerability as part of everyday working life and they do so with professionalism, kindness and humility.

A powerful example of this is the mortuary team at Torbay Hospital, whose work is rarely seen but deeply felt. They support families at the most painful moments of loss, care for people with dignity after death and provide quiet reassurance to colleagues who have been under significant pressure. Their compassion, professionalism and willingness to support others reflects the very best of our NHS values.

What has struck me most is how important this work is not only for patients and families, but for colleagues as well. Healthcare — whether delivered in a hospital, a community clinic or someone’s living room — can be emotionally intense. Our teams regularly face situations that would be overwhelming for many people. Knowing that care will continue with dignity, respect and compassion brings reassurance to colleagues who may have been through some of the most demanding moments of their working lives.

We don’t always get it right. Healthcare is complex, pressured and deeply human and there are times when things could be better. What matters is that we are honest about that, that we listen when people tell us their experience hasn’t been what it should have been and that we keep learning and improving together.

I’ve seen how small but thoughtful actions can make a real difference. Taking the time to explain what will happen next. Helping colleagues understand unfamiliar environments or processes. Simply creating space to talk things through calmly. Whether it’s a community nurse supporting a family after a death at home or a colleagues helping each other understand how care continues after someone has died, these moments reduce anxiety and help people process what they’ve experienced.

Families tell us the same thing. At moments of profound loss or vulnerability, kindness matters. Being treated with patience, clarity and humanity can’t remove pain, but it can make an unbearable moment a little more manageable. Time and again, people remember not systems or buildings, but the individuals who stood with them, explained what would happen and treated them or their loved ones with dignity.

This is also about how we support and develop our workforce across all settings. Some of the most compassionate and skilled teams in our NHS are small, highly specialised, and work under sustained pressure - in hospitals, in community services and in people’s homes. Investing in training, mentoring and support in these roles isn’t optional. When people feel valued, supported and confident in what they do, they are more likely to stay, to grow and to pass their skills and values on to others.

The NHS is often talked about in terms of buildings, technology and funding. Those things matter, but they are not the whole story. At its heart, healthcare is still about people caring for people, wherever that care takes place. It’s about values lived out in practice, especially when no one is watching.

Here in Torbay and South Devon, I see that commitment every day - in our hospitals, in community and adult social care teams and in people’s homes. The NHS belongs to our communities and it reflects the compassion, resilience and kindness of the people who live and work here.

Care continues long after most people see it. It lives on in the way we treat people, especially when it matters most.