Everything we know about Torbay Hospital fire risk
BBCA hospital has been told it must make changes "immediately" to improve its fire safety measures following an inspection in July.
Torbay and South Devon NHS Foundation Trust was issued an enforcement notice by Devon and Somerset Fire and Rescue Service in relation to floors four to eight of Torbay Hospital's Tower Block.
The trust said it was "fully committed" to meeting the requirements of the enforcement notice and was working on "a plan to temporarily relocate some services based in the Tower Block".
Here is what we know so far.
How are patients affected?
It is not yet clear how many patients at the hospital will be affected or where and when they will be relocated.
The hospital trust said it was considering "a range of potential scenarios, some of which may involve relocating services within our hospital estate".
It said "no decisions have been made and no proposals have been agreed".
In a letter to the Department of Health and Social Care, MPs Steve Darling, Caroline Voaden and Martin Wrigley said the changes could result in the "closure of beds in the Tower Block, which is a quarter of all beds at the hospital".
The hospital trust acknowledged "a range of potential options are being discussed publicly" including "references to services based in the Hetherington Unit and education facilities within the Horizon Centre".
It said it was "important to be clear that we are not closing the Tower Block, the Hetherington Unit or Torbay Hospital".
"We are not reducing access to services for our communities, and we are not sending patients out of area because of these fire safety arrangements," it said.
The trust stressed patients and staff would not be relocated until a plan was in place.
What did the fire safety inspection find?
The fire service said it carried out a safety inspection at Torbay Hospital in July "following concerns raised to the service".
It found changes "were necessary to provide sufficient escape routes for people in the event of a fire" and issued a fire enforcement notice.
The notice asks Torbay and South Devon NHS Foundation Trust to:
- Put actions in place to reduce the numbers of patients on each floor
- Increase the number of staff capable of completing an evacuation
- Assess any dependencies patients may have and relocate those who would be difficult to evacuate
The fire service said changes must be made "immediately to make sure people can escape during a fire, after warnings from both fire and health regulators".
Which wards are affected?
- Level 4: The Emergency Assessment Unit (EAU) at Torbay Hospital provides short-term assessment, diagnosis, and treatment for patients referred by a GP or transferred from the Emergency Department.
- Level 5: Cromie Ward is an acute medical and surgical ward located at Torbay Hospital in Torquay.
- Level 6: Midgley Ward is a medical ward that specialises in respiratory medicine and acute care.
- Level 7: Allerton Ward is an acute Colorectal Surgical and Gastroenterology ward.
- Level 8: Hutchings Ward is a specialist gastroenterology day unit and outpatient service.
How old is Torbay Hospital?
Torbay Hospital's foundation stone was laid 100 years ago, with the original building still in use today.
The hospital trust announced in September it had been granted £1.8m of government funding to support fire safety improvements in its Tower Block.
It said the fire safety risks associated with the Tower Block were "not new" and its site was "among some of the country's oldest NHS estates, and the Tower Block is an ageing building with known estate and fire safety risks linked to its age, design and condition".
It stressed these risks have been "actively managed over time through maintenance, practical safety measures, staff training, evacuation planning and ongoing investment".
A Department of Health and Social Care spokesperson said they it expect "every trust to take all necessary steps as a matter of urgency to protect their patients".
They said they inherited a "broken NHS with many hospital buildings in a dangerous state of disrepair" and was providing "£6.75bn across the country through the Estates Safety Fund to ensure safe environments for healthcare delivery".
It said after "years of delays" Torbay Hospital is "on a realistic and sustainable footing to be rebuilt as part of the New Hospital Programme".
Newer facilities on the site include the redevelopment of the emergency department earlier in 2026.
What has the Care Quality Commission (CQC) said?
The CQC undertook an inspection in September which included the surgery service with wards based on two floors of the Tower Block at Torbay Hospital.
A spokesperson said it was "aware of the issues relating to people's safety in the event of a fire evacuation" in the wards and departments in the Tower Block.
They said: "As a result of concerns found at that inspection, CQC has proposed taking regulatory action for the oversight of fire safety processes, which the trust has the right to appeal.
"Details of any action taken, will be included in the inspection report when it publishes on CQC's website."
What happens next?
The fire service has given the trust until 6 November to make the relevant safety changes.
The trust said it would "share further details once plans have been agreed with Devon and Somerset Fire and Rescue Service".
It added: "We would urge people not to draw conclusions from unconfirmed reports, rumours or partial information."
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