League of Friends funding helps enhance care for babies, children and young people at Torbay Hospital

Published: 6 October 2026

Babies, children and young people receiving care at Torbay Hospital are benefiting from advanced patient monitoring technology thanks to a major investment from Torbay Hospital League of Friends.

The project has funded new patient monitoring equipment and central monitoring systems across the Special Care Baby Unit, Paediatric Emergency Department, Louisa Cary Ward and Louisa Cary High Dependency Unit. Midgley Ward, which cares for adults with respiratory conditions, has also benefited from the investment.

The new technology enables clinical teams to monitor patients more effectively and respond more quickly if concerns arise. Observations can now be viewed from central monitoring stations as well as at the bedside, helping staff maintain close oversight of patients while reducing unnecessary disruption for babies, children and their families. In some areas, staff no longer need to enter rooms simply to check monitoring equipment, helping to create a calmer environment for patients and parents while maintaining high-quality clinical observation.

The investment supports a more modern approach to patient monitoring, helping clinicians identify changes in a patient’s condition sooner and providing greater visibility of patients across busy clinical environments. It also means staff can spend less time moving between rooms to check monitoring equipment and more time providing direct patient care.

Michelle Townsend, Ward Manager for Louisa Cary Ward, said: “When a child is in hospital, families naturally want reassurance that they are being closely monitored, particularly when they are very unwell or need a higher level of observation.”

“This technology gives our teams greater flexibility in how we care for patients and means we can keep a close eye on them while creating a calmer environment for children and their families. We are incredibly grateful to Torbay Hospital League of Friends for supporting an improvement that will benefit patients for many years to come.”

Martin Tucker, Chair of Torbay Hospital League of Friends, said: “One of the things we look for when considering which projects to support is a clear benefit for patients. This project stood out because it supports some of the hospital’s youngest patients while also helping the staff who care for them.”

“Our League exists because local people want to support their hospital. We are delighted that funds raised by our volunteers and supporters are helping to provide equipment that will make a lasting difference for local families.”

Darren Russell, Head of Clinical Engineering, said: “What began as an ambition more than 35 years ago as a trainee has now become a reality. Made possible through the generous support of Torbay Hospital League of Friends, this wide-reaching transformation has brought advanced technology closer to patients, ensuring that innovation is realised not just through equipment, but through better care, better experiences, better outcomes and better connectivity.”

Torbay Hospital League of Friends has been supporting Torbay Hospital for more than 70 years and received the Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service in 2012. The League continues to fund equipment and improvements that go above and beyond NHS provision, always with the aim of enhancing patient care and experience.