Acute services are currently provided for the people of Devon by our four major hospitals in Barnstaple, Exeter, Plymouth and Torbay.
We need to take steps now to make sure our acute hospital services are fit for the future and provide best care for the people of Devon, care that is safe, high-quality, effective and affordable.
While many of our services are performing well, there there are some that are not consistently achieving the best standards of care for local people when compared to best practice elsewhere.
Hospitals in Devon are also spending more than they receive in funding and spend a significant amount on locum and agency staff. With no action, the overspend will increase and some services may not have enough of the workforce, or workload that they need to maintain current levels of quality and safety.
Technology has also moved on so that there are opportunities to improve care by providing it in a different way or location.