An open letter to the people of Torbay

Published: 3 February 2026

Dear residents, patients, carers and colleagues

I’m writing to you openly and directly to share where we are in our conversations about the future of adult social care in Torbay. This follows recent discussions about our long standing Section 75 partnership between Torbay Council and Torbay and South Devon NHS Foundation Trust. Under the current arrangements, we (Torbay and South Devon NHS Foundation Trust) provide adult social care on behalf of Torbay Council, integrating it with NHS acute and community services.

For many years, Torbay has been recognised nationally for its integrated approach to health and social care. It’s something we are genuinely proud of because it reflects our community’s commitment to working together, putting people first and supporting one another.

Adult social care matters deeply to our communities. It supports some of the most vulnerable people in Torbay and plays a big role in helping people live well, stay independent and remain close to home. And importantly, adult social care is not just about older people — it also supports adults of all ages living with learning disabilities, physical disabilities and neurodiversity. And much of the support that helps people to thrive — things like suitable housing, employment opportunities and community participation — often sits outside the NHS’s control. That’s why strong partnership working with local authorities and the wider system is, and always has been, essential.

However, demand for adult social care continues to grow, especially in a place like Torbay where we have a larger older population than many other areas. Over the past three years, the cost of providing adult social care has increased by around 48%. This is far more than we are funded for as an NHS Trust and far more than Torbay Council pays us for delivering adult social care. The work we have undertaken so far shows that the gap between the cost of delivering adult social care and the funding available is around £35 million each year and we will continue to test and validate this figure as we progress.

This is no longer financially sustainable. As an NHS Foundation Trust we have a statutory duty to break even and we cannot do that with such a significant shortfall in adult social care funding. Covering that gap puts real pressure on our ability to invest in other NHS services — in our hospitals, our community teams and in the services that support people to stay well at home. Ultimately, this overspend will impact on the NHS services we provide and we have to prioritise these for our local communities.

When the Section 75 was first created, the financial risk was shared. Over time, those arrangements changed, and the risk share has been removed. Several reviews — both internal and external — confirm that the current model has run its course. While it achieved real benefits for many years, it is no longer the right framework for the needs we face today.

That is why this review is not about ending partnership working. It is about resetting and re establishing the partnership so we can build a new, more effective agreement with Torbay Council — one that is sustainable, fair and focused firmly on improving outcomes for local people. We remain committed to working openly and constructively with the Council and our wider partners.

At present, no decisions have yet been made about the future of the Section 75 agreement. We are reviewing the current arrangements carefully and transparently and any decision will be taken with local people firmly in mind. We expect to make a final decision at our Board meeting held in public on 05 March 2026.

Our Adult Social Care teams were recently rated ‘Good’ by the Care Quality Commission, reflecting the kindness, skill and dedication of the people who deliver these services every day. But a model can be high quality and still financially unsustainable — and that is the challenge we are now working through together.

This review is not about stepping back from partnership working. It is about finding a fair, long term solution that protects adult social care and the wider health and care system that local people rely on. For more than fifteen years, we have met monthly with Torbay Council and NHS commissioners through our Section 75 Partnership Board. These conversations continue, giving us a shared space to look at demand, understand pressures and think through options together. This is, and always has been, a partnership, and we remain committed to working openly, respectfully and constructively with all our partners.

Reassurance about continuity of care
I know many people will be worried about what potential change might mean. I want to reassure you that if we decide to serve notice on the Section 75 agreement, there will be a 12 month notice period. During that time, we would work closely with Torbay Council to plan any transition carefully so that:

  • people continue to receive the care they depend on
  • there is minimal disruption for residents, carers and staff
  • services remain joined up and easy to access.

If Torbay were to move to the model used elsewhere in Devon, Torbay Council would take direct responsibility for adult social care again and we would continue to work alongside them to keep services coordinated and focused on what matters most to local people.

Listening to local voices
Whether formal consultation is required on any change to the framework is for Torbay Council to determine. If formal consultation is needed, the legal duty to consult sits with them. We have shared our position with the Council’s Statutory Scrutiny Officer, who asked for clarification on behalf of Torbay’s Adult Social Care and Health Overview and Scrutiny Sub Board.

That said, meaningful partnership is about far more than legal duties. We are committed to engaging openly as this work continues — and, importantly, to listening. People who use services, families, carers, staff and partners all bring invaluable insight, and we want to ensure those voices shape our thinking as it develops.

Looking ahead
Our focus remains on supporting people to live well, as independently as possible, in their own homes and communities. Prevention and early support are at the heart of our emerging organisational strategy — health is made at home, hospital is for repair — and that will not change.

Whatever the outcome of this review, our commitment to integrated care, partnership working and doing the right thing for our communities remains unchanged. We also have a responsibility to balance our budget so we can continue delivering safe, high quality services for our population – not just for today, but for the long term.

Thank you for taking the time to read this letter. I hope it offers reassurance about where we are, why these conversations are happening and the care we are taking to do the right thing for the people of Torbay.

Joe Teape
Chief Executive