About us
North Devon District Hospital is a lifeline for our communities. As the most remote acute hospital in mainland England, many people have no alternative when they need urgent or specialist care.
However, much of our hospital is now more than 50 years old. The buildings are worn out, too small and no longer fit for modern NHS services that our teams work so hard to provide. This is why we created the Our Future Hospital (OFH) programme - our long-term plan to renew, refurbish and replace the parts of the hospital that can no longer meet local needs.
Why investment is needed
Our current buildings limit what we can deliver. We do not have enough space; the right layout or the modern facilities needed for today’s healthcare. Without investment:
- Operations and tests are more likely to be cancelled
- Waiting list progress will slow
- Equipment and buildings will fail more often
- Some services may no longer be safe to run locally
These challenges are recognised nationally. But while the full redevelopment has been delayed, we are being open about the reality: we cannot wait for a perfect solution. We need to seize opportunities as they arise to secure improvements.
What our community needs
Demand for care is rising. We serve around 165,000 people - a number that almost doubles in summer when visitors come to our coastal towns. Many communities face poor transport links, high levels of deprivation and an ageing population.
Planning through the New Hospital Programme shows we need a new Intensive Care unit with more specialist beds and additional operating theatres. These needs remain unchanged, even if the national timetable has shifted.
Diagnostics is an area where we are already making real progress. The Atlantic MRI opened at the end of 2025, and we are now developing the Business Case for a new twin MRI suite to further increase capacity and resilience. These improvements mean that MRI and wider diagnostic services are not waiting for Phase Two. Instead, they are being strengthened now, ahead of the major clinical building. Phase Two will bring these services together within a modern, better‑connected layout — but the scanners themselves are being delivered through earlier investment.
What we’re doing now
Our plans for the future of the hospital are ready to move at pace. While the major clinical building is delayed, we are focusing on what we can deliver now — and pushing hard for targeted investment that would make a real difference sooner.
Work is already underway to build urgently needed, modern on-site staff and student accommodation. This is essential for recruitment, training and on-call teams, and it prepares the site for the wider redevelopment.
Alongside this, through OFH and our Capital Programme, we are delivering:
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The Atlantic MRI Suite
A new scanner has significantly enhanced diagnostic services for patients, reducing the need for costly and inconvenient travel to Exeter, Taunton and Bristol and helping shorten waiting times. -
A new Community Diagnostic Centre (CDC) and Health and Wellbeing Hub in Bideford
Bringing faster, more convenient diagnostic tests closer to home for people in Torridge, reducing travel and waiting times, and supporting earlier diagnosis and treatment. Health and wellbeing hub spaces will bring services and partners together in one place, offering joined up care and making community support easier to access. -
Northern Devon’s first Clinical Research Hub
Enabling more local people to take part in clinical trials without long journeys, while strengthening the hospital’s research capacity, partnerships and staff development.
What we are prioritising next
We are making the strongest possible case for further improvements, including:
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A twin MRI scanning suite
We are seeking external capital funding through the New Hospital Programme to deliver two new MRI scanners, building on the success of the Atlantic MRI. The new suite will create a vital link between the current hospital building and future clinical developments. Once in place, the scanners will provide patients with more resilient diagnostics, shorter waits and reduced travel. -
A new clinical block
Bringing urgent, emergency, planned and specialist services together in one modern space, improving patient flow and enabling high-quality, integrated care. -
New, modern operating theatres
Reducing cancellations, supporting complex surgical procedures and cutting waiting times, with layouts that help our teams work more efficiently and safely.
These are areas where we can deliver quickly if investment is secured.
Our commitment
We are determined to keep momentum. Our communities deserve high-quality care close to home, and we will continue to fight for the funding needed to build a safe, modern hospital for northern Devon.