Timeline of RCP investigation awareness and Case for Change formulation
The request covers five areas
- Awareness of the RCP investigation — earliest date each of the following became aware: Royal Devon University Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust; Torbay and South Devon NHS Foundation Trust; the Chief Executive of Torbay and South Devon NHS Foundation Trust; Professor Briggs. If awareness was gained through correspondence or meetings, copies of relevant documents requested.
- Inter-trust information sharing — whether information relating to the RCP investigation was shared between Royal Devon and Torbay and South Devon prior to the development of the Case for Change, including dates, form of communication, and copies of any records where the RCP investigation was referenced.
- Case for Change formulation — the date the Case for Change was first drafted; the date the 8-week "test and learn" proposal was first discussed; copies of early draft papers, options appraisals, or briefing documents; and whether decision-makers were aware of the RCP investigation at the time of drafting.
- Governance, risk, and assurance — whether the RCP investigation was recorded as a risk or dependency within Case for Change programme documentation, risk registers, assurance frameworks, or board papers. If not recorded, the documented rationale for its exclusion.
- Completeness of information — if any information is stated to be "not held", confirmation of whether it was ever held and subsequently deleted, and the applicable retention schedule.
Where the request stands
Submitted to the NHS Devon ICB INVOLVE team on 13 January 2026 as a formal follow-up to FOI R4932. Response due 10 February 2026, now significantly overdue with no response received. Although addressed to the ICB, the request concerns what Torbay and South Devon NHS FT, Royal Devon, and Professor Briggs knew about the RCP investigation, and when. The ICB's decision on 26 March 2026 not to progress the Case for Change programme does not resolve this request, which asks specifically about awareness of the RCP investigation and its role in formulating the Case for Change.
From: Susie Colley (chair@tqcc.co.uk)
To: NHS Devon ICB INVOLVE team
Dear FOI Team,
I am submitting this Freedom of Information request as a formal follow-up to FOIR4932 and in alignment with a governance concern raised with the Chair of NHS Devon Integrated Care Board.
This request seeks to establish what information was known, when it was known, by whom, and whether it informed the formulation of the Case for Change for Torbay Hospital, including proposals relating to emergency cardiology services.
Please provide the information set out below.
1. Awareness of the RCP investigation (specific dates required)
For each of the following, please provide the earliest date on which the individual or organisation became aware of the Royal College of Physicians (RCP) investigation into cardiology services:
- a) Royal Devon University Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust
- b) Torbay and South Devon NHS Foundation Trust
- c) The Chief Executive of Torbay and South Devon NHS Foundation Trust
- d) Professor Briggs
If awareness was gained through correspondence or meetings, please provide copies of the relevant documents.
2. Inter-trust information sharing
Please confirm whether information relating to the RCP investigation was shared between Royal Devon University Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust and Torbay and South Devon NHS Foundation Trust prior to the development of the Case for Change. For any such sharing, please provide dates, the form of communication (email, meeting, briefing paper), and copies of any records where the RCP investigation was referenced.
3. Case for Change formulation
Please provide the following dates and documents:
- a) the date the Case for Change for Torbay Hospital was first drafted;
- b) the date the proposal to suspend or close emergency cardiology services on an eight-week "test and learn" basis in Spring 2025 was first discussed or proposed;
- c) copies of any early draft papers, options appraisals, or briefing documents relating to these proposals.
Please confirm whether, at the time of drafting, decision-makers were aware of the RCP investigation.
4. Governance, risk, and assurance
Please confirm whether the RCP investigation was recorded as a risk, dependency, or contextual factor within the Case for Change programme documentation, or included in any relevant risk registers, assurance frameworks, or board papers. If it was not recorded, please provide the documented rationale for its exclusion.
5. Completeness of information
If any information requested is stated to be "not held", please confirm whether it was ever held and subsequently deleted, and the applicable retention schedule relied upon.
This request is made under the Freedom of Information Act 2000. If any part of the request is refused, please identify the specific exemption relied upon and provide the public-interest justification.
Many thanks. Kindest regards
Susie Colley
Chair of the Torquay Chamber of Commerce and the Heart Campaign