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The Inpatient Unit (IPU) is located at St Elizabeth Hospice on Foxhall Road in Ipswich.
The IPU is an 18 bed short stay unit at the hospice. Patients are admitted to the IPU to help us carefully manage difficult symptoms.
When you are admitted, we will assess your needs and discuss plans for your future care. This may include planning for your discharge and will be on an individual basis.
The IPU is not a long term stay unit, following discharge, and along with your normal healthcare providers, such as your GP or district nurse, the hospice can also support you and your family in the community.
The IPU has three bays, each with four beds. There are also six single side rooms with one bed. Priority for the single rooms is given where there may be a clinical need, such as for infection control purposes.
The IPU is open for visiting with no time restrictions and no need to book.
As well as expert medical and nursing care, a variety of therapies are offered and patients, family and carers can access emotional wellbeing support services.
When you arrive at the hospice, you may use the free car park at the front of the building, and the spaces adjacent to the driveway.
All visitors must sign in each time they visit at the main reception.
If you are parking you car at the hospice, please enter your car registration number using the tablet on reception each time you visit.
During normal office hours, entry to the building is via the main reception at the front.
Out of normal hours, or when reception is closed, there is an evening entrance, signposted to the right of the building. Please ring the buzzer and you will be let in.
When you are admitted to IPU, you will need to bring some personal items:
Please note that we do not have personal laundry facilities at the hospice. We ask that families take laundry home where possible.
Meals are provided for patients free of charge.
Breakfast for patients is served from 8am, lunch from 12pm and an evening meal is served from 5pm. There is a kitchen on the IPU which visitors are welcome to use to make drinks and snacks, please avoid using the kitchen during patient meal times where possible.
Moments Dining Room is available to family and friends. Opening times are:
Snacks and drinks are available in vending machines at other times. A light breakfast will be offered to visitors who need to stay the night.
A hospitality room is available for visitors needing to stay the night. This is allocated according to need on a day by day basis. There are two single beds, both with pull out beds below. There is also a fridge, tea and coffee making facilities, a TV and a shower room. Please speak with staff if you would like to book out this room.
You are welcome to bring in flowers for patients. There is an area in the IPU kitchen with vases and scissors. Please feel free to ask a ward volunteer for help or assistance. For infection control purposes, please do not empty water from flower vases in to the sink for washing up, there is a separate sink for flower arrangements.
Well behaved pets may be allowed to visit with prior agreement. Dogs must be kept on leads in the hospice and its grounds and you are responsible for cleaning up after any pet that you bring in. Dogs are allowed on allocated tables in the dining room.
Smoking, including vaping, is not allowed in our hospice building. We have outdoor designated smoking and vaping area for patients only.
Visitors who are not patients, as well as carers and staff, must leave the hospice premises to smoke or vape.
Any visitors who are observed smoking or vaping in the designated smoking/vaping area will be asked to stop.
More About Me is a one page document that patients on IPU, or their family, can fill in – detailing their preferred name, people who are important to them, their history, hobbies, important items, things that bring them joy or things that can cause worry or upset.
This is then displayed by the patient’s bedside for all clinical colleagues and volunteers working with the ward to see, to better support the care of the patient.
This is a video from Debbie Adams, who came up with the document, alongside Cathy O’Brien from the Hospice Education team, to explain about More About Me, the importance of it and how it is impacting the care given by St Elizabeth Hospice staff.
We support the learning and development of student clinicians.
They are monitored by registered professionals.
Your feedback may be beneficial to their ongoing learning.
If you would prefer not to have a student involved in your care, please alert a member of the team.
All patients are entitled to have a chaperone present during any consultation, examination, or procedure.
If you would like a chaperone, please ask a member of staff.
In accordance with our chaperone policy, clinicians may advise patients that a chaperone is necessary during any examination; this is to support both the clinician and you, the patient.
We have created a short visual introduction to the hospice building in Ipswich so you can see what to expect when visiting.
Need this tour in a different language? We have translated tours in Arabic, Russian, Polish, Turkish, Dari/Farsi, Sri Lankan, Bangla, Portuguese and Romanian. Click the button below to go to our YouTube playlist. Many thanks to Ipswich Community Media for collaborating with us on this project.
All information and visuals are accurate at time of recording, July 2024.
When at the hospice, the staff were able to move Mum to a larger room which was better suited to her condition. The hospice staff were so caring and proactive in helping Mum to feel comfortable, as well as this they went the extra mile to provide support to her as a person.
