MP praises staff during visit to Beccles Hospital

(L-R) Ian Hutchison, Adele Madin, Jess Asato and Andy Wood outside the entrance to Beccles Hospital

(L-R) Ian Hutchison, Adele Madin, Jess Asato and Andy Wood outside the entrance to Beccles Hospital

Lowestoft MP Jess Asato has praised the work of East Coast Community Healthcare (ECCH) staff following a visit to the social enterprise’s Beccles Hospital site last week.

(L-R) Dr Alison Blaken (Consultant in Palliative Medicine, SEH), Lisa Ruthven (Operational Lead for Acute-Facing Specialist Services), Jess A, Rebecca Miller (Intermediate Care Unit Lead)

Jess toured Minsmere Ward, meeting members of the teams who help patients recover after illness or injury so they can return home sooner. The unit provides short-term rehabilitation, therapy and nursing care for people who no longer need acute hospital treatment but still require support before going home.

She also met with staff involved in ECCH’s partnership with St Elizabeth Hospice, which provides specialist palliative care for local people, including six dedicated palliative care beds at the hospital.

The visit concluded with a meeting with ECCH CEO Ian Hutchison, Chair Andy Wood and Adele Madin, Executive Director of Operations to discuss neighbourhood healthcare as part of the government’s 10 Year Plan to bring NHS care closer to home, and how ECCH is using innovation to improve patient outcomes. 

Jess Asato MP said: "It was great to meet East Coast Community Healthcare’s dedicated staff at Beccles Hospital and hear first-hand how they’re caring for our community. I’ll keep working to make sure they have the support they need to carry on their vital work."

Adele added: “Hearing Jess recognise the dedication of our staff means a great deal to the whole team. Every day they work to help people recover, gain independence, and get back home as soon as they can. We were also pleased to share how we are working in partnership with the James Paget University Hospital and St Elizabeth Hospice to ease pressure on local hospitals, and how we continue to provide compassionate, specialist care for those who need it most.” 

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ECCH Communications team