East Coast Community Healthcare (ECCH)

Community nurses are the most proactive but it's still not enough. There is a lack of joined up working can make the care received for dementia patients inconsistent. For physical issues care plans / pathways are reactive but with dementia this is not the case, it's a slow system. Where medication takes time and delays cause further deterioration.

I've been seen quickly by the physios and the exercises they have advised to do have worked well and addressed the issues. I've been told I can go back to the team if anything changes.

The staff are incredibly kind and understanding. They want to help those with ME. However they have little to no resources to do so. I have rated 5* because I don’t want the staff to feel like they haven’t done enough. They have done what they can with the resources available to them. They can’t keep a patients file open longer than 3 months. Referrals or re referrals take 4-5 months at the moment. They only give general pacing advice. Which the patient normally has to figure out on their own anyway. I have had more support from the ME Charities such as the ME Association. If you have ME and are reading this please go to the ME Association website as it has lots of useful information. Please can the ICB allocate more funding and resources to this ME Service so that people with ME in Suffolk and Norfolk no longer have to suffer alone.

Carer helped me to bed on 19th July. Then we realised the catheter was leaking, so rang the district nursing team. Was told by nurse they wouldn't be coming out, as my position would change and stop.

This problem was continued to 21st July, had to ring nurses as soaking wet when getting up. New catheter - very bad acid urine burn on inside of thigh near private parts.

Keeps coming out and patient soaked. Rang District Nursing Team re this matter. No catheters at home as only allowed 2 in prescription. Nursing service have none so cannot do anything to help. What a service.

These are a fantastic team. Great care and attention, nothing too much trouble!! Although confined to a wheelchair I am treated same as everyone else which is not always the case sadly in all services.

They sent someone at 7pm to do adaptions in my house which is a silly time to send someone out to an elderly vulnerable person. Still not had it fully done.

They answered the phone straight away. Very helpful

Have had to contiually chase to get visits for dressing changes. Referral to frailty team didnt get processed despite being told numerous times that somebody would visit, resulting in delay of nearly a week before anything got done.

I was told to self refer by GP In July 2019. I received an email but no other correspondence until December 2019. I only had 1 appointment as they felt Podiatry was the service I needed, and they are in same building this link up was very quick. The initial waiting I feel made my condition worse.