Our Services A - Z - Endoscopy

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