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Patient waiting times are region’s most improved

11/06/2026 | News

Thousands more patients are being treated faster as East Suffolk and North Essex NHS Foundation Trust (ESNEFT) improves waiting times for planned care and operations. The interim Chief Executive of the Trust that runs Colchester and Ipswich hospitals has today said he is pleased to report a significant improvement in waiting times for patients, but… Read more »

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A group of NHS staff stand together on a ward

National recognition for high standards of care at ESEOC

05/06/2026 | News

Tens of thousands of patients have already benefited from faster access to planned orthopaedic surgery thanks to teams at Essex and Suffolk Elective Orthopaedic Centre (ESEOC), helping them return to normal life sooner. And the state-of-the-art centre has now been named as a new surgical hub by NHS England as part of a national quality… Read more »

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The opening of the new children's sensory room and garden at Colchester Hospital

Background Bob Sensory Room & Garden officially opens at Colchester Hospital

22/05/2026 | News

A brand-new Children’s Sensory Room and Garden at Colchester Hospital has officially opened, creating a calm and supportive space for young patients and their families. The much-anticipated project marks a powerful legacy for Noah Jones, affectionately known as ‘Background Bob’, a talented teenage artist from Dedham who lived with hydrocephalus, epilepsy and cerebral palsy. Through his collaborative art project and the… Read more »

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Ali Brett sits on a bench next to the Tree of Remembrance

‘A place of reflection, connection and comfort’

20/05/2026 | News

Ten years on, a quiet corner of Holywells Park in Ipswich continues to speak volumes about love, loss and what might have been.   The Tree of Remembrance, designed by local artist Jeff Abbot, is unlike any other. Crafted from recycled metal, its branches do not bear leaves in the usual sense.   Instead, they hold around 300 small brass… Read more »

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Photo grid with four people all wearing blue theatre scrubs

Celebrating our ODPs

14/05/2026 | News

Operating department practitioners – known as ODPs – are a key part of our surgical teams. They’re vital in supporting patients, as well as surgeons and anaesthetists before, during and after an operation. Their role includes setting up a theatre, preparing equipment and medicines as well as talking to patients and caring for them when they have their operation. This week we’re celebrating our ODPs and… Read more »

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Baby given middle name Grace, after ESNEFT midwife

05/05/2026 | News

Midwife Grace Lucas was just doing her job when she helped deliver Kelly Bowler’s daughter Penelope into the world at Colchester Hospital, in September 2023. However, her impact was hugely significant, so much so that Kelly – who had suffered a miscarriage with her second baby a year earlier – gave Penelope the middle name,… Read more »

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