Our timeline
We have a long history of health and care services in Torbay and South Devon. We’ve been capturing some of our key milestones on a timeline that’s adorning the wall of one of our main corridors at Torbay Hospital.
This short video gives a glimpse of the historical milestones that are captured in the display:
You can see the full timeline on the level 4 link corridor at Torbay Hospital.
Alternatively, please see the online version of our history below.
Have we missed a milestone or not got something quite right? Let us know.
1953
Men’s ward
Nurses’ lounge
1954
Torbay Hospital’s League of Friends was formed to raise funds for services and amenities. Over the years it has become one of the most successful Leagues in the country raising millions of pounds.
1954
Teignmouth Community Hospital became the first complete hospital in the country to have been built under the National Health Service.
The previous hospital had been bombed and destroyed in 1941 when seven patients and three nurses died. There has been a hospital on the current site since 1925 and a hospital in Teignmouth since the 1840s.
1967
Construction work began on a £2.5million expansion at Torbay Hospital which included new wards, an outpatient department, an accident and emergency department, a pharmacy and other clinical offices. It also included a nurse training school and residential blocks for junior medical and nursing staff.
1970
The hospital expansion at Torbay was officially opened and it was designated a District General Hospital serving a population of 216,000.
We also proudly opened our school of nursing.
The hospital expansion
1977
Torbay Hospital Radio was founded and started broadcasting within the hospital. They became a registered charity in 1997 and, in February 2022, they launched on 95.9FM.
TowerSound, Newton Abbot Community Hospital’s radio was founded five years later in 1982.
Life Care Radio became a registered charity in March 2014. They moved to studios at Totnes Community Hospital in 2016 and broadcast to local nursing and residential homes, hospices and to people receiving long-term care.
9 March 1978
His Royal Highness The Duke of Edinburgh, visited Torbay Hospital for the official opening of the new hydrotherapy pool and telecobalt unit. This cost approximately £125,000 and the League of Friends contributed approximately £105,000.
Torbay Hospital also celebrated its Golden Jubilee and the opening of the John Parkes Children’s Unit.
