Endoscopy

Our Vision

The Endoscopy department will provide high quality, patient centered care. It will be a centre of excellence and maintain its accredited service, and will be first choice for its users. It will provide innovative, flexible and timely services to deliver a responsive and efficient pathway of care to all

Location

The unit is best approached from the main entrance.
Your appointment letter will tell you where to go; you do not need to check in at the main hospital concourse desk.
Once in the Endoscopy department you will need to report to the Endoscopy reception desk in the centre of the reception area

About

An endoscopy is a procedure where the inside of your body is examined internally using an endoscope. An endoscope is a thin, long, flexible tube that contains a light source and a video camera, so that images of the inside of your body can be relayed to an external monitor.

Endoscopes can be inserted into the body through a natural opening, such as your throat, nose or rectum. The procedure is normally carried out when you're awake, and you may be given a sedative to relax you, throat spray or Entonox (gas and air).

Services

The endoscopy department at Chesterfield Royal Hospital serves a North Derbyshire population of 400,000 and carries out over 11,000 procedures annually, ranging from:

• Colonoscopies,
• Flexible sigmoidoscopies
• Upper Gastrointestinal Endoscopy (Gastroscopy, OGD)
• Endoscopic retrograde cholangio-pancreatography (ERCP).
• Bronchoscopy (EBUS)
• Advanced Polypectomy
• Feeding Tubes

We are a multi-specialty department covering gastroenterology, respiratory and surgical consultants and nurse Endoscopists. 

The department is a purpose built, state of the art unit with four fully-equipped endoscopy procedure rooms. 

90% of our activity are day cases which the patient will have the procedure and go home within a few hours. The other 10% are patients that are already in hospital.

The unit is open:

Monday to Friday 08:00 - 18:00
Tuesday evening 08:00 - 21:00
Saturday 08:00 - 13:00

We also have an out of hour’s on-call service which covers any emergency activity.

The department also includes the National Bowel Cancer Screening Programme and National Bowel Scope Screening Programme (see trust intranet sites for more information). 

Other Information

• Your appointment time is not the time for your test, this is the time where the receptionist will confirm your personal details and then gives the nurses time to confirm you are medically fit to proceed with the procedure and go through the admission process, etc.
• All patients will have received an appointment letter either after their outpatient appointment or in the post. If you have given us your mobile number you will receive a text reminding you of your appointment few days prior.
• Please read all sheets that has been given to you as they contain important information
• If you are taking Warfarin, Clopidrogrel or any other blood thinning products or any diabetic drugs it is important that you let us know when you have received your appointment.
• If you are taking iron, please contact the department as this has to be stopped several days prior to certain tests
• If you are taking blood pressure tablets, please discuss with the doctor organising the procedure whether to continue on these. Usually most tablets will be continued
• If you are having a colonoscopy you will need to take some medication to clear your bowels. This should have been given to you when you received your appointment. Please follow the instructions on the information sheet.
• If attending for a gastroscopy, please do not have anything to eat or drink 4 hours before your appointment time
• If you are having sedation please remember you must have somebody to collect you after your procedure otherwise your procedure may be cancelled.
• Expect to remain in the department for up to 3 hours. 

Endoscopists

Colon Capsule Endoscopy (CCE) Pilot

Chesterfield Royal Hospital are taking part in a national pilot to test and develop second-generation colon capsule endoscopy for patients referred on the lower gastrointestinal urgent cancer pathway. Patients who have a FIT score between 10-100 ug/gm, are under 80 and are mobile may be offered CCE as an alternative to an endoscopy and will then have the choice to take part in the trial or have a traditional endoscopy.
 
The colon capsule (pillcam) is an easy to swallow pill with two cameras inside. As the capsule passes through the intestines, it will transmit visual images of the lining of the large bowel a recorder worn around the waste, and provide clear images to help detect pathology within the bowel. It will provide some images of the stomach and a complete assessment of the small and large bowel. It does not require sedation or a stay in hospital. Patients will still need to take laxatives to clean out the bowel before these procedures.
 
Patients who have a negative CCE result can be discharged from the 2WW pathway. However, some patients may require further clinical follow up which may take place in either primary or secondary care, as determined by the consultant specialist.
 
There are two Patient Information Leaflets that provide further information on the Colon Capsule Endoscopy:

Having a Colon Capsule Patient Information Leaflet

Following a Colon Capsule Patient Information Leaflet