The organisation is seen as pioneering in the English NHS because of the work done with Torbay and Southern Devon Health and Care NHS Trust to integrate health and social care.

[2] The organisation became Torbay and South Devon NHS Foundation Trust on 1 October 2015, when South Devon Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust (who ran Torbay Hospital) merged with Torbay and Southern Devon Health and Care NHS Trust (who provided community health and social care services).

Prior to the merger, Torbay and Southern Devon Health and Care NHS Trust ran community health services, including community hospitals, in Torbay and South Devon and was one of just five integrated health and social care organisations in the country.

The resident population that the organisation supports is approximately 286,000 people, plus about 100,000 visitors at any one time during the summer holiday season.

The diverse nature of the organisation see it employ over 6,500 staff in a wide range of settings and locations across communities, who are supported by over 800 volunteers.