The Hastings were a follow on of the previous Bridgewater class and utilised features developed from the lessons learnt from the convoy escorts of the First World War.

This turned out to be a drawback as the turbine machinery could not be mass-produced and the design was superseded by the Second World War in favour of classes that could be quickly brought into service.

HMS Scarborough was disarmed before the outbreak and was rearmed with a 4 inches (100 mm) high angle anti-aircraft gun, a 12-pounder gun and 15 depth charges, this number later being increased to 80.

The remaining Royal Navy ships were decommissioned after the war and had all been scrapped by 1949.

The sole Indian ship, HMIS Hindustan was later involved in the Royal Indian Navy Mutiny, and was subsequently transferred to the Pakistan Navy in 1948 on its formation, and was renamed Karsaz.