Endoscopy is a procedure that uses a long, flexible lighted tube with a camera on the end. This is inserted through natural openings such as your mouth or rectum depending on which part of your body is being examined. The camera sends images to a screen so the doctor or clinical endoscopist can get a closer look at the inside of your body.

What is endoscopy used for?

Endoscopy is used to look closely at the lining of your gastrointestinal tract to assess for changes such as inflammation, ulceration, bleeding, polyps and cancer. Samples called biopsies can be taken during endoscopy which will be looked at in a laboratory.

Endoscopy can also be used therapeutically.  For instance, to remove polyps, control gastrointestinal bleeding and remove gall stones.

Patients can be referred by their GP for a direct access oesophago-gastro-duodenoscopy (gastroscope) or straight to test colonoscopy.  Other referrals come from doctors, surgeons and specialist nurses in clinics and other hospitals.

I’ve been told I need an endoscopy procedure. How do I get it booked?

Once our booking team receive your referral and have an appointment for you they will try to contact you by telephone so please make sure the team and your GP have the correct telephone numbers for you.

What if the endoscopy booking team can’t contact me?

You will be sent a letter stating that we have tried to contact you and asking you to contact us within a certain timeframe.

If you do not contact us, you will be removed from our waiting list and discharged back to the care of your GP or referring clinician.

Endoscopic Retrograde Cholangio-Pancreatography (ERCP) is a procedure which allows the doctor to take detailed x-rays of the bile duct and/or pancreas.

• Information for Patients Having an ERCP

Flexible Sigmoidoscopy is an investigation looking at the inside of the left side of your large bowel (colon), using a flexible tube with a camera on the end, called a colonoscope (about the same width as your finger) which is passed into your large bowel via your back passage.

• Information for Patients having a Flexible Sigmoidoscopy

A colonoscopy is a procedure using a thin, flexible tube with a camera (colonoscope) inserted through the anus to examine the lining of the large intestine (colon) for abnormalities like polyps or signs of disease, allowing for tissue sampling (biopsies) and polyp removal during the test.

• Information for patients having a Colonoscopy

Gastroscopy is an investigation that allows the Endoscopist to look directly at the lining of the oesophagus (gullet), stomach and small intestine (duodenum).

• Information for patients having a Gastroscopy

A Trans Nasal Endoscopy (TNE) is an investigation similar to a Gastroscopy using a narrower flexible camera which is passed through the nostril. This procedure is more easily tolerated for patients who may struggle with standard Gastroscopy, it allows normal breathing and talking, and offers quicker recovery than traditional oral endoscopy.

• Information for patients having a transnasal endoscopy (TNE)

A Capsule Endoscopy – A minimally invasive test where you swallow a tiny, disposable camera (the size of a large pill) that wirelessly transmits thousands of pictures of your digestive tract, primarily the small intestine, to a wearable recorder, helping doctors find issues like bleeding, inflammation (IBD), or polyps not seen with traditional endoscopies. The capsule travels naturally through your system, is excreted in your stool, and a doctor analyses the images to diagnose conditions.

• Information for patients having a Capsule Endoscopy
• Information about Patency Capsule

Dr Ben Crooks – Endoscopy clinical lead

Dr Salil Singh – Bowel Cancer Screening Clinical Lead

Dr Nick Wang – Endoscopy Training Lead

Endoscopy Matron – Vicky Brady

Endoscopy Unit Manager – Kelly Freeman

Endoscopy Deputy Unit Managers – Grace Bates, Chloe Davies, Linda Hart & Natalie Gordon

Bowel Screening Lead Specialist Practitioner – Tracey Lawton

Deputy Bowel Screening Lead Specialist Practitioner – Claire Donnelly

Endoscopy Operational Business Manager – Lesley Laird

Deputy Operational Business Manager – Philomena Deighan

Endoscopy Senior Booking Clerk – Susan Burke

Consultant Gastroenterologists

Dr Ben Crooks

Dr Salil Singh

Dr Nick Wang

Dr Mahesh Bhalme

Dr George Lipscomb

Dr Mark Murgatroyd

Dr Shadab Nayeemuddin

Dr Kirsty Nixon

Dr Kelly Chatten

Gastro Specialty Doctors

Dr Alexis Simon

Dr Elsaid Abdulrazeg

Consultant Surgeons

Mr Ian Farrell

Mr James Pollard

Mr Bohdan Smajer

Mr David Smith

Mr Sheikh Uzair

Mr Joseph Varghese

Clinical Endoscopists

Caroline Harrison

Ruby Taylor

Kerrin Hutchings

Pasquale Dell’Apa