Torbay Hospital’s cardiac unit is widely recognised by its clinicians and national audit data as one of the strongest performing centres in the UK, with consultants reporting that it has ranked as high as fourth nationally for emergency angioplasty (stent) outcomes.

The service has built a reputation for rapid treatment, excellent clinical practice and strong patient outcomes.

They have started The Heart Campaign to fight to save the award-winning cardiac department at Torbay Hospital, which has received national recognition from the Royal College of Physicians for excellence in patient care and has been designated an NHS Beacon Service for coronary heart disease.

Despite this, proposals have been explored to move emergency cardiac services from Torbay to Exeter - a hospital whose recent performance has been described by clinicians and campaigners as significantly lower in national comparisons.

This is evidenced in a Royal College of Physicians report highlighting areas for concern in 2023.

Any case for change must be driven by transparent evidence and a commitment to improving outcomes, not by geography or cost-cutting that compromises patient access to emergency cardiac care.

The Heart Campaign’s purpose is to protect high-quality cardiac care for South Devon and to ensure that NHS reform strengthens, rather than disrupts, proven excellence. They support decision-making driven by evidence and patient outcomes, not by geography or cost-cutting that puts patient safety at risk.

It is our view that plans are afoot to close the cardiac unit at The Torbay Hospital and move it to the Royal Devon & Exeter Hospital.

If these plans go ahead, lives are at serious risk, as every minute counts when you have a heart attack.

Currently, if you have a heart attack in South Devon, the paramedics in the ambulance will do an ECG, which is sent in real time to the Catheter Laboratory (CATHLAB) at Torbay Hospital.

As soon as you arrive you will be taken straight to the cardiac unit for immediate treatment.

Once the heart muscles are starved of oxygen they die, so a stent may be inserted to return blood flow to your heart.

If you are not treated within a very short space of time, you may live but your heart will not be the same, and you may be left with severe impacts on your health.

Medical care should be as close as possible to the point of need.

There is a ‘golden hour’ from when you first have symptoms of a heart attack to get to a hospital for treatment.

At the moment that is Torbay Hospital. If cardiac services are moved to the RD&E, the chances of survival are reduced dramatically for many patients who may be unable to reach treatment in the critical time span.

Any relocation of PPCI services must be supported by transparent evidence demonstrating that patients will continue to receive treatment within national safety time standards and without any deterioration in clinical outcomes.

The additional travel time to Exeter significantly reduces your chances of survival.

If you lived south of Dartmouth, the situation becomes even more critical. The extended journey times put patients at grave risk.

Follow them on the Facebook page ‘The Heart Campaign’ for daily updates.