Our Services A - Z - Endoscopy
About the service
The Endoscopy Department works across both Whiston and St Helens hospitals. We perform a range of procedures to investigate and treat disorders or diseases of the gastro-intestinal tract.
Our procedures are undertaken by a range of competent and experienced clinicians including; Gastroenterologists, Gastro-intestinal Surgeons, Nurse Endoscopists and one other non-medical endoscopist.
We perform the following endoscopic procedures:
- Diagnostic upper gastrointestinal endoscopy (OGD)
- Therapeutic OGD including treatment of oesophageal varices, dilatation of strictures & feeding tube insertion (PEG tube)
- Diagnostic and therapeutic lower gastrointestinal endoscopy (flexible sigmoidoscopy /colonoscopy)
- ERCP (visualisation & management of disease of the biliary tree)
- Bronchoscopy & EBUS (endoscopic evaluation of the lungs)
- Capsule Endoscopy (PillCam) - Capsule Endoscopy is a test which involves swallowing a small camera capsule, which takes continuous images throughout the GI tract.
We run nurse-led one-stop diagnostic clinics for the investigation of patients with suspected upper gastrointestinal (stomach/oesophageal) cancer and bowel cancer. These involve a review with a specialists nurse before an endoscopic procedure (and a CT scan for those with suspected bowel cancer), all in the same session. Appropriate patients are then followed up via our telephone clinic, which is all designed to provide rapid evaluation and also prevent the need for multiple attendances at hospital.
In November 2014 we were awarded further JAG (Joint Advisory Group for Gastro-intestinal Endoscopy) accreditation, highlighting the high standard of care we offer. This has allowed us to become part of the Bowel Scope Program. This is part of a national program to screen the population for the early signs of bowel cancer.
We also provide 24/7 emergency endoscopy for patients with suspected upper gastro-intestinal bleeding.
Within the St Helens unit, we have the Nurse-Led Endoscopy Treatment Unit (ETU). The ETU undertakes a number of non-endoscopic procedures. These include:
Urea-Breath Testing which is used to diagnose the presence of helicobacter pylori and response to eradication therapy. This investigation can be accessed directly by GPs.
Lactose and Glucose Hydrogen Breath Testing to investigate patients with possible lactose intolerance or small bowel bacterial overgrowth.
Anti-TNF (Infliximab) Infusions for our patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD).
Day Case Blood Transfusion for patients who require this therapy.
Parenteral Iron Infusions for those patients with deficiency anaemia who fail to respond or cannot tolerate oral iron.
Venesection which is a procedure undertaken in those patients with iron overload. The majority of our patients have a condition called genetic haemochromatosis.
GI Physiology
- About the Team
Senior Team Members
Consultant Gastroenterologists
Dr Sue Priestley (Clinical Director)
Dr Ash Bassi (Divisional Director of Medicine)
Dr Rajiv Chandy
Dr Julie Dobson
Dr Mark Fox
Dr Dave McClements
Dr John McLindon
Dr Vanessa Theis
Dr Katie Clark
Specialty Doctors
Dr Reema Jagdish (Gastroenterology Trust Grade Doctor)
Mr Mike Chadwick (Consultant Colorectal Surgeon)
Mr Raj Rajaganesham (Consultant Colorectal Surgeon)
Mr Ajai Samad (Consultant Colorectal Surgeon)
Mr Anil Kaul (Consultant Upper GI Surgeon)
Mr Sunjay Kanwar (Consultant Upper GI Surgeon)
Dr Emma Berryman (specialty doctor)
Mr Nathan Appleton (consultant colorectal surgeon)
Miss Ramya Kalaiselvan (consultant colorectal surgeon)
Mr Rob Macadam (consultant surgeon)
Shantanu Singh (speciality doctor surgical care)
Nurse Endoscopists
Paul Madigan (Nurse Consultant)
Brian Bennett (Nurse Clinician)
Brian Collins (Nurse Endoscopist/IBD Nurse Specialist)
Caroline Baker
Will Bowman
Victoria Crowley
Julie Henshaw
Elizabeth Vernon
Non-medical Endoscopist
Ian Sutton (Radiology Practitioner)
Unit Managers
Lisa Smith
Unit Sisters
Michelle Wilson
David Wilkinson
Sandra Steele
Advanced Clinical Nurse Practitioners
Scott Brown
Louise Sudworth
Management and Administration
Lyn Swift – Matron
Adam Ralph – Directorate Manager
Kerry Gilbert - Assistant Directorate Manager
- Location
Whiston Hospital – Level 1 (Ground), Yellow Zone
St Helens Hospital – Level 1, Purple Zone
- Relevant Leaflets/Documents/Links
British Society of Gastroenterology - www.bsg.org.uk
JAG - www.thejag.org.uk
Page last updated on 31st May 2022