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TSD10523  ·  Status: CLARIFICATION REQUESTED  ·  Trust replied "not held"; campaign challenge sent 4 June 2026
TSD10523 Torbay & South Devon NHS FT
CLARIFICATION REQUESTED

Ten-Year Account of Services Reduced, Relocated, Outsourced, or Withdrawn from Torbay Hospital

Submitted: 26 April 2026 | Trust acknowledged: 29 April 2026 | Trust response: 27 May 2026 ("not held") | Campaign clarification: 4 June 2026
Trust Response (27 May 2026): "We Do Not Hold This Information." The Trust has declined to answer on the basis that services are commissioned by NHS Devon ICB, NHS England, or other commissioners such as local authorities, and that it is therefore "unable to provide a complete list of all services that have ceased to operate at Torbay Hospital." The Trust offered a single example (the Devon Sexual Health Service, commissioned by NHS England to another NHS Trust) and redirected the campaign to NHS Devon ICB. The Trust did not address the records it holds as the provider of services that have closed, been reduced, or relocated, nor the Board and committee papers where such changes were discussed.
Why This Matters: Local people have observed a gradual erosion of services at Torbay Hospital over the past decade, often without clear communication or accessible public records. This request seeks a complete documented account of every service decision affecting Torbay Hospital since 2016, with the corresponding Board approval dates, rationales, and relocation details. The pattern that emerges from the answer will provide essential context for assessing the current cardiology and histopathology proposals.
Why the "Not Held" Response is Being Challenged: The campaign's clarification request points out that the Trust was the provider of many of the services in question, that Trust resources, staffing, wards, clinics and facilities were affected by the changes, that the changes were discussed at Trust Board and committee meetings, and that patients were redirected. The Trust would therefore hold records about its own service changes even where it did not commission them. The distinction between commissioning a service and providing it is central: a "not held" response on commissioning grounds does not address the provider records the Trust holds.

Organisation requested to respond:

  • Torbay and South Devon NHS Foundation Trust (ref: TSD10523, response received 27 May 2026 from Sarah Goss, Data Protection Lead)

The campaign's clarification questions (4 June 2026):

  1. What searches were undertaken to determine that the Trust does not hold the requested information?
  2. Whether the Trust holds any records, board papers, committee papers, business cases, service reviews, transformation plans, or meeting minutes relating to services that have ceased, been relocated, or significantly reduced at Torbay Hospital since 2016.
  3. Whether consideration was given to providing a partial response covering services operated directly by the Trust.
  4. Whether any part of the request could be answered from information held by the Trust, even if a complete list cannot be provided.

The campaign has also invoked Section 16 (advice and assistance), asking the Trust to explain what relevant information is held and how the request might be refined to obtain it.

From: FOI (Torbay and South Devon NHS Foundation Trust) tsdft.foirequests@nhs.net
To: Susie Colley (chair@tqcc.co.uk)
Reference: TSD10523
Signed by: Sarah Goss, Data Protection Lead

Dear Susie Colley,

Request for Information

We are writing to confirm that we have now completed our search for the information you requested. A copy of the information is below.

[The Trust reproduces the five-part request, then responds:]

We do not hold this information. As services are commissioned by NHS Devon ICB, NHS England or other commissioners (i.e. local authorities), we are unable to provide a complete list of all services that have ceased to operate at Torbay Hospital. It may be that services have been commissioned to another organisation.

An example of this is the Devon Sexual Health Service, which is provided within the borough of Torbay, but is commissioned by NHS England to another NHS Trust.

We believe that the best point of contact to provide a comprehensive response to your enquiry is NHS Devon ICB. Please see their contact details below:

NHS Devon ICB
2a Aperture House
Pynes Hill, Exeter, EX2 5AZ
Email: D-CCG.FOI@nhs.net

The information supplied to you continues to be protected by the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988. You are free to use it for your own purposes, including any non-commercial research you are doing and for the purposes of news reporting.

Yours sincerely,

Sarah Goss
Data Protection Lead
Torbay and South Devon NHS Foundation Trust

From: Susie Colley (chair@tqcc.co.uk)
To: FOI Team, Torbay and South Devon NHS FT
Reference: TSD10523

Dear Sarah Goss,

Thank you for your response to FOI request TSD10523.

I am seeking clarification regarding the statement that Torbay and South Devon NHS Foundation Trust "does not hold this information."

My request related specifically to services that have ceased to operate at Torbay Hospital, whether fully removed or significantly reduced in scope, since 2016.

While I understand that some services may be commissioned by NHS Devon ICB, NHS England, or other bodies, I am struggling to understand how the Trust would not hold any information relating to services that were previously delivered from Torbay Hospital, particularly where:

  • The Trust was the provider of the service;
  • Trust resources, staffing, wards, clinics, or facilities were affected by the change;
  • The change was discussed at Trust Board meetings, committees, or executive meetings;
  • Patients were redirected to alternative providers or locations.

Could you therefore please clarify:

  1. What searches were undertaken to determine that the Trust does not hold the requested information?
  2. Whether the Trust holds any records, board papers, committee papers, business cases, service reviews, transformation plans, or meeting minutes relating to services that have ceased, been relocated, or significantly reduced at Torbay Hospital since 2016.
  3. Whether consideration was given to providing a partial response covering services operated directly by the Trust.
  4. Whether any part of the request could be answered from information held by the Trust, even if a complete list cannot be provided.

Under Section 16 of the Freedom of Information Act, public authorities have a duty to provide advice and assistance to applicants where reasonably possible. If the Trust does not hold a complete list, I would be grateful if you could explain what relevant information is held and how the request might be refined to obtain it.

I look forward to your clarification.

Kindest regards

Susie Colley
Chair of the Torquay Chamber of Commerce and the Heart Campaign
(Declined) Governor of Torbay Hospital

From: FOI (Torbay and South Devon NHS Foundation Trust) tsdft.foirequests@nhs.net
To: Susie Colley (chair@tqcc.co.uk)
Reference: TSD10523
Date received by Trust: 26 April 2026

Dear Susie,

Thank you for your request for information. Your request was received on 26/04/2026 and we are managing this request under the terms of the Freedom of Information Act 2000.

A response to your request for information will be provided promptly and, in any event, no later than 27/05/2026.

The FOI Act defines a number of exemptions which may prevent the release of the information you have requested. The information will be assessed for these exemptions prior to us releasing the information to you. In addition to this, please note that there may be a cost associated to your request in line with section 12 of the Act.

Yours sincerely,

Sarah Goss
Data Protection Lead
Torbay and South Devon NHS Foundation Trust

To: Chris Balch (Trust Chair), Martin Beaman, Joe Teape (Trust CEO), Catherine Lissett
CC: Wide distribution including regional press, David Simmonds MP, and Torbay Council (David Thomas, Cat Johns)
Subject: What services have been removed from Torbay in the last 10 years

Good afternoon Chair and Members of the Board,

I am writing to formally request a clear and comprehensive account of all clinical and support services that have been reduced, relocated, outsourced, or withdrawn from Torbay Hospital over the past ten years.

This request is not made lightly. Over the past decade, many in the community have perceived a gradual erosion of services, often without clear communication or accessible public records explaining when and why these decisions were taken. For a publicly funded institution, this lack of transparency raises serious concerns about accountability and public trust.

Specifically, I ask that the Board provide:

  1. A complete list of all services that have ceased to operate at Torbay Hospital, whether fully removed or significantly reduced in scope, since 2016.
  2. For each service, the date the decision was formally approved.
  3. The corresponding Board meeting at which each decision was discussed and/or ratified, including minutes or publicly available records.
  4. The stated rationale for each change, including any financial, clinical, or staffing considerations.
  5. Details of where these services have been relocated or how patients are now expected to access equivalent care.

It is essential that this information is presented in a clear and accessible format. Patients and residents rely on Torbay Hospital as a cornerstone of local healthcare provision, and they deserve to understand how and why its services have evolved.

If this information is already available in the public domain, I ask that you provide direct links or references. If not, I request that this letter be treated as a formal request for disclosure and responded to within the appropriate statutory timeframe.

I would also ask the Board to clarify what measures are in place to ensure that future service changes are communicated more transparently and with meaningful public engagement.

I look forward to your response and would ask that all efforts are made to supply the information within 7 working days please.

Kindest regards

Susie Colley
Chair of the Torquay Chamber of Commerce and the Heart Campaign
(Declined) Governor of Torbay Hospital

Status

The thread runs across four stages:

  • 26 April 2026 — Campaign letter to the Trust Chair and Board, with wide distribution including local MP, Torbay Council, and regional press.
  • 29 April 2026 — Trust acknowledged under reference TSD10523, treating the letter as a formal FOI with a statutory deadline of 27 May 2026.
  • 27 May 2026 — Trust response: "We do not hold this information", on the basis that services are commissioned by NHS Devon ICB, NHS England, or local authorities. The campaign was redirected to NHS Devon ICB.
  • 4 June 2026 — Campaign clarification request, challenging the "not held" response on the basis that the Trust holds provider records, Board papers, and committee minutes about its own service changes regardless of who commissioned them, and invoking the Section 16 duty to provide advice and assistance.

Where the request stands: The Trust's "not held" response addresses commissioning records but not the provider records the Trust holds about its own service changes. The campaign is pressing for clarification on what searches were undertaken and whether a partial response is possible. The request remains in Awaiting Response pending the Trust's reply. If the clarification is unsatisfactory, the campaign may escalate to a formal internal review.

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