Ipswich Hospital (Part of the East Suffolk and North Essex NHS Foundation Trust)
Feedback Rating
Based on 1760 reviews
Reviews (1760)
Daughter left in terrible pain all weekend
Gynaecology
November 14, 2020
Daughter left in pain all weekend and told to go home and cope with pain. Told no staff on duty to do scan over the weekend. By Tuesday she needed emergency surgery for a ruptured cysts and was discharged two days later. Only to be back in and in pain 11 days later, a weekend again, and not getting help and left in pain.
Eye department
Ophthalmology
October 19, 2020
The staff were very lovely. The surgeon was excellent and helpful. At this difficult time all went very well and I felt safe.
Lack of access to Parkinson's care
Geriatric Medicine
September 21, 2020
My wife, S, was diagnosed with early onset Lewy body dementia in 2015. This subsequently morphed into Parkinson’s.
S was under the care of the Older Person’s Medicine movement disorder consultant who visited her every 4 weeks at home on his way back from Hartismere Clinic. He monitored and fine tuned her medication regularly. He last visited in July 2019 having amended meds the month before. He then retired in August.
We were given the name of his replacement. It was many weeks without contact but after a month or more I tracked him down and spoke on the phone, and I was told there would be no home visits.
Since then I have sought help from our GP to get specialist support. Our GP thought there was a new consultant due to take up a post on the Older Person’s Medicine team and he said he hoped she could visit S but if not he would consult with the specialist over the phone whilst he was with S so it would be as effective as possible. Then lockdown began and I have heard nothing since. S’s specialist medication has therefore not been reviewed for over a year.
S is in very poor health being broadly immobile with extremely limited communication ability. Transport to Ipswich is not practical. Whilst we have a suitable vehicle she is very car sick so it's just too traumatic for her. We can do short journeys but find anything over 15 or 20 minutes and we end up with sickness so we don't venture out much. Our GP visits S at home. I have raised these issues with Continuing Health Care in S’s annual review.
S has never seen a Parkinson's nurse.
S was under the care of the Older Person’s Medicine movement disorder consultant who visited her every 4 weeks at home on his way back from Hartismere Clinic. He monitored and fine tuned her medication regularly. He last visited in July 2019 having amended meds the month before. He then retired in August.
We were given the name of his replacement. It was many weeks without contact but after a month or more I tracked him down and spoke on the phone, and I was told there would be no home visits.
Since then I have sought help from our GP to get specialist support. Our GP thought there was a new consultant due to take up a post on the Older Person’s Medicine team and he said he hoped she could visit S but if not he would consult with the specialist over the phone whilst he was with S so it would be as effective as possible. Then lockdown began and I have heard nothing since. S’s specialist medication has therefore not been reviewed for over a year.
S is in very poor health being broadly immobile with extremely limited communication ability. Transport to Ipswich is not practical. Whilst we have a suitable vehicle she is very car sick so it's just too traumatic for her. We can do short journeys but find anything over 15 or 20 minutes and we end up with sickness so we don't venture out much. Our GP visits S at home. I have raised these issues with Continuing Health Care in S’s annual review.
S has never seen a Parkinson's nurse.
Good, but long wait!
Paediatrics/children services
September 17, 2020
Initial assessment for my daughter in child assessment unit was quick and attentive. However, the wait for the doctor was then nearly 5 hours and treatment explanation and assessment was very brief. Told to go home and come back the next day if symptoms continued. But, we want to avoid this if the wait times are so long again!
Lack of help for Parkinson's
Geriatric Medicine
August 26, 2020
Ms H is a Parkinson’s patient with other serious health issues.
Ms H used to be a patient with the Older People’s Medicine department at the hospital. Since her consultant retired, she has found that her appointments are irregular, and she has been passed ‘from pillar to post’ for her care.
She had a blood transfusion for anaemia late last year and at that time she saw the Neurology Parkinson’s nurse.
She has since been assigned to the frailty clinic. The current Older Person’s Medicine consultant wrote to her to inform her that as she is on the highest dose of Parkinson’s medicine he can do nothing more for her.
Ms H has called the Neurology Department’s Parkinson’s nurse for assistance with some Parkinson’s symptoms but was told she is no longer to be seen by her as she is not a neurology patient, she is the Older People’s Medicine department’s responsibility.
Her GP has been helpful but he is not a Parkinson’s specialist.
Ms H is now experiencing Parkinson’s freezing at unpredictable times, and she is very worried she will fall.
Ms H said ‘One thing that has always puzzled me is that I have never had anything other than conversations, no exercises or anything like that in fifteen years. Is this normal?’
Ms H currently has no access to a Parkinson’s nurse, even though there are 3 Parkinson’s nurse posts in East Suffolk, and 5 in all Suffolk.
Ms H has a carer who assisted her to relay this information. The carer explained that she has another client, living very nearby in East Suffolk, who uses the West Suffolk hospital consultants. As a WSH patient she has access to the Parkinson’s nurse there- no division between Neurology and Older Person’s Medicine. She gets regular phone calls and can see the nurse in clinic or a home visit if necessary.
Ms H used to be a patient with the Older People’s Medicine department at the hospital. Since her consultant retired, she has found that her appointments are irregular, and she has been passed ‘from pillar to post’ for her care.
She had a blood transfusion for anaemia late last year and at that time she saw the Neurology Parkinson’s nurse.
She has since been assigned to the frailty clinic. The current Older Person’s Medicine consultant wrote to her to inform her that as she is on the highest dose of Parkinson’s medicine he can do nothing more for her.
Ms H has called the Neurology Department’s Parkinson’s nurse for assistance with some Parkinson’s symptoms but was told she is no longer to be seen by her as she is not a neurology patient, she is the Older People’s Medicine department’s responsibility.
Her GP has been helpful but he is not a Parkinson’s specialist.
Ms H is now experiencing Parkinson’s freezing at unpredictable times, and she is very worried she will fall.
Ms H said ‘One thing that has always puzzled me is that I have never had anything other than conversations, no exercises or anything like that in fifteen years. Is this normal?’
Ms H currently has no access to a Parkinson’s nurse, even though there are 3 Parkinson’s nurse posts in East Suffolk, and 5 in all Suffolk.
Ms H has a carer who assisted her to relay this information. The carer explained that she has another client, living very nearby in East Suffolk, who uses the West Suffolk hospital consultants. As a WSH patient she has access to the Parkinson’s nurse there- no division between Neurology and Older Person’s Medicine. She gets regular phone calls and can see the nurse in clinic or a home visit if necessary.
Parkinson's Disease poor access to services
Neurology
August 26, 2020
At my Hospital (Ipswich) there were two routes to appointments to discuss your Parkinson's Disease problems; Elderly Care or Neurology. Two departments, one would think, should be working together to help patients control this dreadful disease? But no, that’s not how it has worked out in my case.
My GP’s diagnosis that I may have PD was in early 2011. My condition was confirmed as Idiopathic Parkinson’s Disease in June 2011. I was placed under the Neurology Department and had reviews every six months, although the appointments were not automatic and had to be made through the Hospital’s Appointment Department.
It’s a long story but in early 2015 I was persuaded by my Physiotherapist, backed up by other Elderly Care Patients, to see the Elderly Care Consultant, who had specialist knowledge of PD, to help with various aspects of my condition. This I did in mid-2015, never assuming that there would be a problem.
I soon discovered, that was not the case. The two departments did not seem to have a good working relationship with each other to the point where it was made clear, you chose one or the other. I chose to stay with Neurology but was told that I would have to make an appointment for six months time. This I did. With Elderly Care (I didn’t realise at the time) it was an automatic appointment, so a bit later I received an appointment to see the Consultant in Elderly Care again, assuming this had been approved by the Neurology Department.
I then found out my appointment with Neurology had been cancelled. From enquiries, it was soon clear to my mind, that the two departments simply weren’t working together and from anecdotal information there was some sort of rift or schism between the two. So by default, I have stayed with Elderly Care and last saw the Consultant in March 2019, who wanted me to try a different drug routine, to be followed up with an appointment in September 2019.
I duly attended the appointment only to find out the Parkinson’s specialist Consultant had retired. I was seen by a new Consultant, with, it seemed, little knowledge of my PD history or the specific drug routine I was on. Guess what! He suggested that I be referred back to the Neurology department.
So Hey Ho, here I am with a 33 week waiting list (from September 2019) to see someone in Neurology. That means it will be from March 2019 to May 2020, a year and two months, between seeing a Consultant with any knowledge of PD, even though I’m on a new drug regime that needed following up and a deteriorating condition.
Quite frankly I find the whole experience very stressful and what’s more, inexcusable. Local Parkinson’s Care [Parkinson’s UK] are aware of the issues and have tried to get things moving but have little clout. It has been suggested that a Private appointment may be the best option. I am told that face to face appointments won’t be available until Jan/Feb 2021. That will make 2 years since I had an in-person appointment.
My GP’s diagnosis that I may have PD was in early 2011. My condition was confirmed as Idiopathic Parkinson’s Disease in June 2011. I was placed under the Neurology Department and had reviews every six months, although the appointments were not automatic and had to be made through the Hospital’s Appointment Department.
It’s a long story but in early 2015 I was persuaded by my Physiotherapist, backed up by other Elderly Care Patients, to see the Elderly Care Consultant, who had specialist knowledge of PD, to help with various aspects of my condition. This I did in mid-2015, never assuming that there would be a problem.
I soon discovered, that was not the case. The two departments did not seem to have a good working relationship with each other to the point where it was made clear, you chose one or the other. I chose to stay with Neurology but was told that I would have to make an appointment for six months time. This I did. With Elderly Care (I didn’t realise at the time) it was an automatic appointment, so a bit later I received an appointment to see the Consultant in Elderly Care again, assuming this had been approved by the Neurology Department.
I then found out my appointment with Neurology had been cancelled. From enquiries, it was soon clear to my mind, that the two departments simply weren’t working together and from anecdotal information there was some sort of rift or schism between the two. So by default, I have stayed with Elderly Care and last saw the Consultant in March 2019, who wanted me to try a different drug routine, to be followed up with an appointment in September 2019.
I duly attended the appointment only to find out the Parkinson’s specialist Consultant had retired. I was seen by a new Consultant, with, it seemed, little knowledge of my PD history or the specific drug routine I was on. Guess what! He suggested that I be referred back to the Neurology department.
So Hey Ho, here I am with a 33 week waiting list (from September 2019) to see someone in Neurology. That means it will be from March 2019 to May 2020, a year and two months, between seeing a Consultant with any knowledge of PD, even though I’m on a new drug regime that needed following up and a deteriorating condition.
Quite frankly I find the whole experience very stressful and what’s more, inexcusable. Local Parkinson’s Care [Parkinson’s UK] are aware of the issues and have tried to get things moving but have little clout. It has been suggested that a Private appointment may be the best option. I am told that face to face appointments won’t be available until Jan/Feb 2021. That will make 2 years since I had an in-person appointment.
Lack of communications
Accident and emergency services
May 31, 2020
A person who attended the Accident and Emergency department and requires scans for a head injury was returned to their care home, without prior knowledge or feedback on results from tests to the staff.
The care home had advised the hospital department of the requirements for discharge having to go through a director with full information of outcome in the hospital. The care home has been continuously clear of Covid, and has strict restrictions and procedures to keep it a safe home. The home required a properly informed and planned discharge to take place to ensure plans could be put in place the manage the residents behaviours as she walks with purpose and having visited the hospital can not be place into the usual homes isolation procedure. The home needed information and time to set up 1-1 care for the resident to support her own needs, and prevent risk to other resident living with dementia whom she is neighboured too. In a time of a pandemic this was important to the home its residents and staff.
The care home had advised the hospital department of the requirements for discharge having to go through a director with full information of outcome in the hospital. The care home has been continuously clear of Covid, and has strict restrictions and procedures to keep it a safe home. The home required a properly informed and planned discharge to take place to ensure plans could be put in place the manage the residents behaviours as she walks with purpose and having visited the hospital can not be place into the usual homes isolation procedure. The home needed information and time to set up 1-1 care for the resident to support her own needs, and prevent risk to other resident living with dementia whom she is neighboured too. In a time of a pandemic this was important to the home its residents and staff.
Difficult and stressful (FINN Clinic)
Physiotherapy
May 22, 2020
It has been practically impossible to get hold of anyone on the phone I have now called in excess of 15 times. I even went to the hospital and slipped a note under the door and it still took 2 weeks for someone to call... I have now been waiting nearly 4 months for someone to call me to arrange our next appointment, in which time my symptoms have worsened.
Impossible to get hold of the finn clinic
Physiotherapy
April 22, 2020
It took me 2 months to finally get through to someone on the phone to book my first appointment t where I was told I would need a series of other appointments and I would get a call to book them the next week. It is now 3 months on I have left countless messages and even slipped a note under the door to try and get a call back but have recieved nothing.
My father was admitted through A&E
Cardiology
March 10, 2020
My father was brought into A&E Saturday evening. He was rushed through and quickly diagnosed that he was in need of a pacemaker. He was under observation and put onto medication to increase his heart rate and closely monitored whilst awaiting surgery. The nurses were brilliant we were kept informed all of the time.
Surgery was performed Monday morning, he was taken into the heart centre afterwards where we was allowed to stay with him.
The consultant and team were amazing, he had an x ray to make sure the pacemaker was fitted correctly and checked was working properly. When they were satisfied he was discharged Monday evening.
We Can’t thank you enough for your hard work, care and support.
Surgery was performed Monday morning, he was taken into the heart centre afterwards where we was allowed to stay with him.
The consultant and team were amazing, he had an x ray to make sure the pacemaker was fitted correctly and checked was working properly. When they were satisfied he was discharged Monday evening.
We Can’t thank you enough for your hard work, care and support.
