A team of nurses and support staff who were responsible for moving the inpatient ward from Beccles Hospital to Lowestoft during refurbishment work have been presented with an award for their success.

Staff from the Minsmere Ward were named Team of the Year at East Coast Community Healthcare's annual staff awards ceremony.

They were responsible for transferring the ward to Carlton Court in Lowestoft in August while a £1.6m project to transform Beccles Hospital into an intermediate care unit is carried out. Some of the staff have worked on the ward for their entire careers and the move coincided with the retirement of their longstanding ward sister.

The award was presented by Jonathan Williams, chief executive of the social enterprise which provides community health services across Norfolk and Suffolk and has its headquarters in Beccles.

He said: 'This is a team who really worked together, put patients first and took every possible action to ensure their safe, quality move to the new location. We've had very positive feedback from patients and their relatives about their experience. From the ward clerks to the cleaners, the nurses and those who provide meals - they're an inspirational example of how to embrace change.'

Ten awards were given in total at the event, held at the Hotel Victoria in Lowestoft last Friday.

They included the Chairman's Award for commitment to the organisation and to continually improving its services for patients which went to clinical services co-ordinator Angela Wilson for her work with ECCH's Community Nursing Service.

The Partnership and Integration Award was given jointly to ECCH's out of hospital team in Lowestoft, which was set up in 2014 to reduce hospital admissions and enable patients to be treated in their own homes wherever possible, and the out of hospital team in Great Yarmouth which was set up last year for the same purpose.

Healthy lifestyle behaviour coach Sue Trohear received the Making a Difference Award in recognition of the work she has done setting up Healthy Lifestyle clinics at two of the GP surgeries ECCH runs in Lowestoft – Westwood and Kirkley Mill.

Charge nurse Lee Pike won the Inspirational Leader award for his role in the community nursing team, inspiring colleagues and looking for ways to enhance the care they offer.

The Delivering Exceptional Care award went to Anne Weale, a specialist nurse in the continence service who this year set up new clinics and care pathways for children with continence problems in the Waveney area.

The Emerging Talent award was presented to Chloe Woodhouse, administrator for the health visiting team. Jamie Weavers from the business intelligence team was named Unsung Hero.

The Innovation Award was given to training and development lead Cheryl Jarvis, and physiotherapists Kieran Morling and David Sweeting who have worked together to develop a health coaching programme which has been rolled out to all adult services staff.

Three ECCH Champion awards were also given to members of staff whose commitment and professionalism make them ambassadors for the organisation. These were Taylor-jade Gardiner, from the business change team, estates and facilities team leader Graham Lovett and community nursing clinical services coordinator Kate Spence.