TORBAY Hospital has marked 100 years since its foundation stone was laid with a simple commemorative event in the hospital’s Rose Garden.

The small gathering brought together long‑serving colleagues, governors, health and care partners, community representatives and construction partners to reflect on the hospital’s history and the many people who have shaped it over generations.

The event included the planting of a magnolia tree, funded by Torbay and South Devon NHS Charity.

A commemorative marker has also been installed alongside the tree to recognise the milestone.

Chairman of Torbay and South Devon NHS Foundation Trust, Martin Beaman, said: ‘A century ago, local people came together with a clear purpose - to create something that would care for our communities for generations to come.

‘What has grown and changed over that time is remarkable, but that purpose has remained constant.’

The hospital’s history stretches back further, with healthcare in Torbay beginning in modest settings in the 19th century.

The current site was made possible in the 1920s when Major Kitson donated land at Hengrave House, with significant support from local benefactors including Ella Rowcroft and her sister Violet Wills, whose generosity helped establish the hospital that serves communities across Torbay and South Devon today.

The event marked 100 years since the foundation stone of Torbay Hospital was laid in June 1926.

Torbay Hospital officially opened in November 1928.·

Over the past 100 years, the way care is delivered has evolved significantly, with advances in medicine, new facilities and expanding services supporting communities across Torbay and South Devon — alongside ongoing improvements to services to meet the needs of local people today and into the future.

Chief Executive Joe Teape said: ‘Care here will have looked very different at different points in time.

'Services have changed, medicine has advanced, and the hospital itself has evolved.

‘But what hasn’t changed is the commitment of our people — that sense of care and compassion that patients and families experience every day.’