Torbay Hospital is to receive a further £1.8m in government funding to support fire safety improvements to its Tower Block.
The funding will be used to address estate and fire safety risks associated with the age, design and condition of the hospital’s Tower Block.
Torbay Hospital remains part of the national New Hospital Programme.
The programme has been reorganised into a series of delivery waves and Torbay and South Devon is currently included in Wave 2, with a planned construction window between 2032 and 2035.
“Torbay Hospital has one of the oldest hospital estates in the country and significant investment will continue to be needed to maintain and improve our existing buildings while we plan for the future,” said Joe Teape, Chief Executive at Torbay and South Devon NHS Foundation Trust.
Torbay and South Devon NHS Foundation Trust said the Tower Block requires ongoing investment while plans for a new hospital progress.
The Trust said the risks are currently being managed through maintenance and practical safety measures, alongside staff training, evacuation planning and ongoing investment in the existing estate.
Plans for a new replacement hospital under NHP
Torbay Hospital remains part of the Government's New Hospital Programme and is currently included in Wave 2 of the programme.
The scheme was included in the second wave of the programme following the Government's review of the New Hospital Programme, which set out construction windows of 2030 to 2035 for Wave 2 projects.
While the replacement hospital is planned, investment is continuing in the existing Torbay Hospital estate.
Recent projects include the £14.2m redevelopment of the Emergency Department and improvements to maternity facilities.
Work is also under way to refurbish the hospital's day theatres, relocate the Surgical Admission Unit, expand its Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery department and upgrade the hospital's electrical infrastructure.
The Trust said Torbay Hospital has the third-oldest hospital estate in the country, meaning significant investment is required to maintain and improve its existing buildings while plans for the new facility progress.
The latest funding follows previous investment in the hospital and comes as the Trust continues to prepare for the longer-term redevelopment of the site.
