The hospital publishes current waits for Torbay Hospital ED and minor injury units on its own website. We link to it rather than copying the figures. Not sure you need A&E? Use NHS 111 online or call 111.
How long people spend in A&E at the hospital trust serving Torquay, from NHS England’s monthly A&E attendances and emergency admissions statistics for September 2026.
If it is not an emergency, NHS 111 online or calling 111 can tell you where to go, including urgent treatment centres, which often have shorter waits. Call 999 or go to A&E for life-threatening emergencies such as chest pain, difficulty breathing, severe bleeding or signs of a stroke.
Live waits: Torbay and South Devon NHS Foundation Trust publishes current waits for Torbay Hospital ED and minor injury units on its own website: see live waits on the trust website. The figures below are the latest monthly NHS England statistics. Live waits for Northern Ireland and hospitals that publish their own are on our live A&E page.
71.5%of A&E attendances admitted, transferred or discharged within 4 hours (September 2026)
59.6%within 4 hours at the main (type 1) A&E
11,123A&E attendances in the month
167waited over 12 hours from decision to admit
In September 2026, 71.5% of the 11,123 people attending A&E at Torbay and South Devon NHS Foundation Trust were admitted, transferred or discharged within 4 hours. That is 2.9 points below the England average of 74.4% and 0.3 points below the South West average of 71.8%. It ranks 68 of 120 trusts with a major A&E in England and 5 of 12 in South West (1 = highest share within 4 hours). At the main emergency department (type 1), 59.6% spent 4 hours or less, against 60.6% across England. 1,651 patients were admitted as emergencies through A&E, and 167 waited more than 12 hours from the decision to admit them to being admitted.
Over the last 13 months the 4-hour figure has ranged from 63.4% (August 2026) to 71.5% (September 2026); it is up 3.2 points since September 2025.
Torbay and South Devon: % within 4 hours of arrival England
Type 1 departments are major, consultant-led A&Es open 24 hours with full resuscitation facilities. Types 2 and 3 are single-specialty units (such as eye casualty), urgent treatment centres and minor injury units. The “all types” figure includes all of these, which is why it is usually higher than the type 1 figure.
In September 2026, 71.5% of people attending A&E at Torbay and South Devon NHS Foundation Trust were admitted, transferred or discharged within 4 hours (England 74.4%). The NHS standard is 95%.
How many people wait over 12 hours at A&E in Torquay?
167 patients at Torbay and South Devon NHS Foundation Trust waited more than 12 hours from the decision to admit them to being admitted in September 2026. This measure counts only patients being admitted, not everyone in the department.
Is Torquay A&E better or worse than average?
Torbay and South Devon NHS Foundation Trust ranked 68 of 120 trusts with a major A&E for the share of patients who spent 4 hours or less in A&E in September 2026, 2.9 points below the England average.
Should I go to A&E or call 111?
If it is not an emergency, NHS 111 online or calling 111 can tell you where to go, including urgent treatment centres, which often have shorter waits. Call 999 or go to A&E for life-threatening emergencies such as chest pain, difficulty breathing, severe bleeding or signs of a stroke.