News

We are running an open day taking place from 1-4pm on Friday 12 July at North Devon District Hospital, where you can learn more about plans for the future of your local hospital.

This is the formal launch of the Our Future Hospital (OFH) programme, established by the Trust as part of the n...

More than 4m people have now received their spring COVID-19 booster from the NHS just 10 weeks after bookings officially opened as part of the latest vaccination campaign.

Around 7m people are eligible for a spring COVID-19 jab this year, including those aged 75 and over, those with a weak...

The British Medical Association (BMA) is taking strike action involving junior doctors at a number of NHS trusts, including the Royal Devon from 7am Thursday 27 June to 7am Tuesday 2 July.

The industrial action is a national dispute between the Government and Trades Unions about terms and ...

A new support group is being launched in North Devon for head and neck cancer patients, and the people who care for them.

The group has been formed by the Swallows Head and Neck Support Charity, in collaboration with the Royal Devon University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust and patient vol...

Students and school leavers interested in a career in clinical Microbiology or Cellular Pathology can become a ‘Micro Detective’ this month at a pair of events hosted by the Royal Devon University Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust.

The two career events will offer a unique opportunity to dis...

A project to make appointment letters digital by default for patients who use the MY CARE app is making the Trust more sustainable. The project has already saved the printing and posting of 56,483 letters throughout February and March.

Since February, patients with an active MY CARE accoun...

Patients of the Royal Devon University Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust (Royal Devon) can now see all their old letters in MY CARE due to an upgrade that removes restrictions on the number of letters in the system.  

MY CARE is the digita...

Royal Devon University Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust has appointed BAM Construction to deliver the first phase of a major redevelopment programme at North Devon District Hospital.

Known as Our Future Hospital, the project will upgrade the hospital’s facilities for staff and patients alik...

We were delighted to welcome Health and Social Care Secretary Victoria Atkins to North Devon District Hospital (NDDH) today to learn about our plans to upgrade our estate and improve patient care.

Victoria was shown our operating theatres and intensive care unit, and heard more about how w...

The final report of the Infected Blood Inquiry was published Monday 20 May 2024.

Led by Sir Brian Langstaff KC, t...

Today sees the official announcement of the new government-funded HealthTech Research Centre Network targeted at the development and advancement of technological healthcare innovation across the UK.

The network of 14 newly established NIHR HealthTech Research Centres (HRCs) are based in le...

New data published today by the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) shows cases of whooping cough continue to increase with 1,319 cases confirmed in March. This follows 556 cases in January and 918 in February, bringing the total number of cases in 2024 to 2,793.

Sadly, in the first quarter ...

Our NHS staff and volunteers deliver extraordinary work every day. Our Extraordinary People Awards recognise the hard work, dedication and amazing care given by both individuals and teams.

Have you received care that deserves to be celebrated? Then nominate an individual or te...

Building work has begun on a bespoke new endoscopy unit at Tiverton and District Hospital to provide expanded endoscopy services to patients across North, East and Mid Devon.

This exciting new Royal Devon facility will include three endoscopy suites and space for patients to wait, prepare ...

The new Cardiac Day Case Unit (CDCU) at the RD&E Hospital (Wonford) opened in April and is already making a difference for patients, offering comfort, dignity and care.

This state-of-the-art facility will significantly increase the number of cardiac patients the Royal Devon University ...

The Royal Devon University Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust has launched its new Patient Communications Policy, outlining the core principles, guidance and legal obligations for all forms of communication with, and about, patients.

The policy sets out general principles for all patient comm...

An innovative pilot project in the emergency department (ED) at the Royal Devon University Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust’s RD&E Hospital (Wonford) is connecting patients with practical, social and emotional needs that affect their health and wellbeing to activities, groups and services in t...

On Sunday 28 April the Royal Devon University Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust (Royal Devon) were honoured to host this year’s Lord Mayor of Exeter’s Civic Service at the chaplaincy centre at the RD&E (Wonford) hospital.

The current Lord Mayor of Exeter is Councillor Kevin Mitchell, a s...

Thousands of vaccination appointments are currently available across Devon for the COVID-19 spring booster and the Vaccination teams from the Royal Devon University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust are urging those who are eligible to get their vaccinated.

COVID-19 is more serious in older p...

The national COVID-19 spring booster programme will begin on Monday 22 April.

COVID-19 is more serious in older people and in people with certain underlying health conditions.

For these reasons, those eligible are:

• People aged 75 years and over
• Those in care ho...

The current weekend Ilfracombe MIU service, delivered by First Care ambulance, which runs Friday – Monday will end on Sunday 31 March 2024.

To ensure continued access to urgent care for local residents and visitors from Tuesday 2 April 2024, the minor injury service in Ilfracombe will be a...

The Care Quality Commission has today published a report following a short-notice inspection of maternity services at both North Devon District (NDDH) and Royal Devon and Exeter (RD&E) hospitals and has rated the services as ‘Requires Improvement’.

This inspection in November 2023 was ...

Teams at the Royal Devon and Exeter Hospital (Wonford) have celebrated passing a major milestone in redeveloping the Emergency Department (ED).

Phase one of the multi-million pound project is now complete, which has seen the department completely reshaped inside and out.

Internally,...

From Monday 18 March, work to deliver a two-way cycle route along Rifford Road, Exeter, near the RD&E (Wonford) hospital is to begin for 52 weeks and will be completed by March 2025. 

The work will be carried out in approximately eight phases, each of 100 metre sections along the easte...

Building works have started on a new admin facility at North Devon District Hospital (NDDH) in what marks a first step for the Our Future Hospital Programme on site. Our Future Hospital is the Trust’s response to NDDH being included in the national New Hospital Programme as a priority for investm...

To mark 10 years since the arrival of a marble deity of Lord Shiva at the chaplaincy centre in the Royal Devon & Exeter Hospital (Wonford), a ceremonial rowan tree has been planted outside the hospital’s main entrance.

Following a 4,000-mile trip from Jaipur, the deity, named OM Devone...

“Something exciting is happening in Eastern Devon”

The One Eastern Devon partnership is a new alliance of local government, public sector organisations, the NHS, the voluntary sector, faith groups and universities/ higher education institutions that have come together to t...

Women in England can now get a first prescription of the pill and repeat orders without having to see a GP, in a move that makes access to free contraception even more convenient.

Pharmacies across the country are now offering the new service, increasing choice for women in the ways in whi...

A former Trust doctor appeared in Exeter Crown Court on Friday 8 March. Alexander Knight (formerly Grice) pleaded guilty to five charges of downloading and viewing indecent images of children.

We are shocked and saddened by the nature of these crimes and our thoughts are with those affecte...

Healthcare Science Week, 11-15 March 2024 is dedicated to raising awareness of healthcare science and celebrating the variety of professions available.

Healthcare science is key to the evolution of the NHS through time, from past to the present and looking to the future. It supports new di...

Friday 8 March is International Women’s Day (IWD) 2024. IWD is a global day celebrating the social, economic, cultural, and political achievements of women. The day also marks a call to action for accelerating women's equality. 

To help mark the day we’ll be celebrating ...

Data released yesterday shows NHS pressures are not letting up as winter ends, with huge demand on services last week. Local people are asked to continue to choose the best health service for their need and collect loved ones who are ready to be discharged from hospital.

Dr Nigel Acheson, ...

Colleagues at the Royal Devon University Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust have rated the Trust as above average, when compared to similar trusts, in the 2023 national NHS Staff Survey.

All NHS organisations take part in the NHS Staff Survey and colleagues are asked to anonymously share thei...

Did you know that 1 in 17 people will be affected by a rare condition at some point in their lives?

This year, Rare Disease Day falls on the rarest date in the calendar, Thursday 29 February. We want to highlight that although rare conditions are individually rare, they are collectively co...

England’s top doctor has praised the hard work of staff as new data shows ambulance handover delays have improved despite increased demand, alongside continued pressure from winter viruses and industrial action.

The weekly winter figures, published today, show that the hours lost to ambula...

New state-of-the-art ultrasound imaging equipment at the Devon Diagnostic Centre (DDC) is helping to reduce the local NHS patient waiting list from six weeks to less than two weeks.

Following funding from the National Accelerator Systems Programme, DDC, which is based at the NHS Nightingal...

Maternity services provided by the Royal Devon University Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust have been praised by new mothers for listening, explaining and respecting their views and decisions, a new survey by the Care Quality Commission (CQC) has revealed.

The survey, carried out last year, ...

The British Medical Association (BMA) is taking strike action involving junior doctors at a number of NHS trusts, including the Royal Devon, from 7am on Saturday 24 February until 11.59pm on Wednesday 28 February.

The industrial action is a national dispute between the Government and Trade...

Work to replace the Main hospital corridor flooring at the RD&E (Wonford) hospital will begin on Monday 19 February, and continue for 34 weeks.

The areas affected are from  Area ‘E’ to The Princess Elizabeth Orthopaedic Centre (PEOC) on both first and second floors.

This will me...

The Royal Devon has moved to a ‘digital by default’ approach to outpatient appointment letters to respond to patient feedback and reduce the Trusts environmental impact.

From February, patients who use MY CARE, the service that gives patients a view of their Royal Devon medical information...

We send text message notifications to remind people about their appointments. We are currently experiencing an issue which means some people are receiving texts when they didn’t previously, and some of our patients are receiving more texts than usual.

We’re sorry for any inconvenience caus...

The Royal Devon University Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust is celebrating a significant milestone as in January it passed 100,000 Devon patients signed up to MY CARE, a digital service that makes it easy for patients to access their hospital information.  

A...

The Royal Devon University Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust is inviting people of all ages to a special careers fair on Tuesday 6 February. The event will showcase the array of apprenticeship options available at the Trust, providing insight into future career choices.

Apprenticeships offer...

The Minor Injuries Unit (MIU) at Exmouth Community Hospital will be under new management from Thursday 1 February, when Royal Devon University Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust (the Royal Devon) will take over the running of the facility from the Claremont Medical Practice.

Claremont Medical...

The Trust has welcomed its new Chief Executive Officer, Sam Higginson, today (22 January).

Sam brings extensive experience to the role, having worked in and around the NHS for the last 20 years across strategy, finance and operational roles.

Shan Morgan, Chair of the Royal Devon, sa...

We are changing the system we use for our video appointments from Attend Anywhere to Microsoft Teams and are looking for patient feedback as we make this change. Have you got a few hours spare to help us make sure we’re ready?

We’re excited about this change. MS Teams integrates with our n...

Update (08/01/24, 5pm):

Last week, we made a small number of important changes to inpatient visiting across our Eastern services. This was due to the rising number of COVID-19, flu, other respiratory diseases, and norovirus (diarrhoea or vomiting) infections we were seeing...

Please help us to help you and your loved ones this winter by not visiting if you are showing any symptoms of respiratory diseases (including COVID-19 and flu) or any other infections like norovirus (such as diarrhoea and vomiting).

If you have an outpatient appointment and have symptoms o...