Endoscopy

Our Endoscopy Unit is a local and regional centre offering a comprehensive endoscopic diagnostic and therapeutic service for both inpatients and outpatients.

Our Endoscopy service offers consultant-led lists, Monday to Saturday, 8am to 6pm. Medway Maritime Hospital is an associated teaching hospital and we facilitate this in Endoscopy by offering dedicated training lists for junior doctors and registrars with consultant supervision.

We are a fast paced, motivated and busy department. We schedule around 600 patients a month and treat 500 of these on average. The department has worked tirelessly to improve patient experience, timeliness of appointment, along with looking to expand the department and plan to introduce SpyGlass technology and capsule endoscopy in the future.

The department is part of the National Bowel Cancer Screening Programme, for which we offer three lists a week, dedicated to these patients.

The Nursing team is made up of one Senior Clinical Sister, two Clinical Sisters, 12 Staff Nurses, one Advanced Practitioner and three Clinical Support Workers. They are specialised nurses who are trained in supporting our patients and clinicians during procedures and patient recovery.

We also have an advanced Decontamination team, responsible for providing our scopes for the entire Trust. They decontaminate all scopes used, and use complex systems to do this. The team is made up of one Decontamination Team Leader, supported by seven Decontamination Technicians.

The Endoscopy Team was awarded ‘Team of the Year 2017’ and Endoscopy Scheduling were awarded the ‘Behind the Scenes’ award for May 2016.

What do we do? 

• OGD (Oesophago-Gastro Duodenoscopy)
• PEG (Percutaneous Endoscopy Gastrostomy)
• Oesophageal and Biliary dilatation and stents
• Colonoscopy
• Bowel Cancer Screening
• Flexible Sigmoidoscopy
• ERCP (Endoscopic Retrograde Cholangiopancreatography)
• Bronchoscopy
• Thoracoscopy
• EBUS (Endoscopic Bronchial Ultrasound)
• Pleurex insertion/removal.

We are JAG accredited.