A Torbay resident is preparing to swim across the bay this summer to raise money for a local campaign fighting proposed changes to services at Torbay Hospital.
Personal motivation behind the challenge
Gordon Scott will attempt a roughly four-mile open water swim from Brixham to Torquay in support of The Heart Campaign. He has set a fundraising target of £10,000 to contribute towards the group’s wider goal of securing funds for potential legal action to oppose changes it believes could undermine local care.
"It was immediately apparent to me that the loss of emergency cardiac care here in Torbay could result in the deaths of many people,"
Scott says the swim is a deeply personal response after his father survived a cardiac arrest in 2016 following rapid treatment at Torbay Hospital. He describes the challenge as both a thank-you and a way to draw attention to what he sees as risks posed by service reconfiguration.
Training and preparation
Since taking up swimming to improve his own health, Scott has been steadily building endurance. He has reduced drinking and stopped smoking, then began swimming during lunch breaks before progressing to longer sessions. His recent training includes:
- Swimming between 250 and 350 lengths per week in the pool
- Open-water practice at Abbey Sands with a coach
- Planned crossing from Brixham to Torquay later this summer
Campaign context and NHS response
The Heart Campaign has been vocal about concerns over proposed changes to pathology and acute services at Torbay Hospital. The group says continued fundraising is necessary to sustain its challenge to alterations it fears could damage local emergency care.
The NHS has previously responded to public concern by saying that time-critical pathology services will remain at Torbay Hospital. Nonetheless, campaigners remain worried about wider changes to acute services and the potential long-term impact on residents who need rapid treatment.
What the swim aims to achieve
Scott hopes the event will both raise money and galvanise local support for the campaign. He told InfoRadar that swimming has become a personal focus and that completing a high-profile local challenge could help highlight the issue for people across Torbay.
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Swim distance | About 4 miles (Brixham to Torquay) |
| Fundraising target | £10,000 |
| Training | 250–350 pool lengths weekly; open-water sessions at Abbey Sands |
Residents interested in supporting the fundraiser or following Scott’s progress should look out for local notices nearer the planned date this summer. For campaign information and statements from The Heart Campaign, contact details and social channels are typically shared by the group ahead of public events.
This challenge underlines how individual stories of recovery and local campaigning continue to shape debate around health services in Torbay.
