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Endoscopy

We offer you a warm welcome to the University Hospital Coventry Endoscopy Unit webpage. Our unit is JAG Accredited and provides a range of both diagnostic and therapeutic gastrointestinal (GI) endoscopic procedures.

 

Opening Times

Monday to Friday – 08:00 to 18:00

 

Telephone contacts

For out-of-hours emergencies, please contact our Accident & Emergency team via our Switchboard: 02476 964 000

 

For in-hours or urgent enquiries, please call the University Hospital Endoscopy Department: 02476 966805.

 

For general enquiries about your appointment, please call the numbers below:

University Hospital Endoscopy Unit 

02476 966755 - Booking Office/Reception

 

Rugby Endoscopy Unit

01788 663445 - Reception

02476 964164 – Booking team

02476 964163 – Booking team

 

The Endoscopy services are based at University Hospital, Coventry and The Hospital of St Cross, Rugby. The Endoscopy Department provides a 24/7 acute gastrointestinal bleeding service supported by a gastroenterologist and nurse team. Our Endoscopy Unit is a training, teaching and research active department which is fully equipped with video endoscopes and associated equipment.

The Endoscopy Unit at University Hospital, Coventry consists of five Endoscopy rooms. The unit supports both outpatient and inpatient endoscopic procedures. The procedures requiring X- ray screening are performed in state of the art fluoroscopy rooms in the Interventional Radiology unit.

There is a reception and waiting room area, single gender recovery bays, and several admission rooms with bowel preparation facilities. The Decontamination Unit is housed within the Endoscopy Department where the cleaning and disinfection/ sterilization of the endoscopes take place.

The Endoscopy Unit at The Hospital of St Cross, Rugby (REU) is a purpose-built unit. The building of a new modular endoscopy unit started in February 2023. It was completed and commissioned in October 2023. It consists of 3 endoscopy rooms, which offers additional capacity for outpatient endoscopy procedures. The first procedure was performed on Monday 27th November 2023. 

Our Endoscopy Unit has been successful in its rolling JAG annual accreditation, with the last on-site assessment in 2022. Accreditation is based on satisfactory demonstration of all aspects of the quality of patient experience, quality and safety, training and workforce. The Endoscopy Users Group is the unit’s governance and education platform.

Our unit ethos is to offer high quality patient care, by a team of Gastroenterologists, Surgeons and Nurse Endoscopist supported by nursing staff, technicians and clerical staff.

The Endoscopy Unit works closely with other specialist medical and surgical teams, departments, wards in the hospital, and our Primary Care colleagues. We collaborate with regional hospitals (George Eliot and South Warwickshire) to deliver high quality tertiary endoscopy service and endoscopy training.

Location of the Endoscopy Units

The Endoscopy Unit at University Hospital, Coventry is signposted all along the way from the Main Entrance. When you are on the ground floor, turn left into West Wing corridor.

The Endoscopy Unit at The Hospital of St Cross, Rugby (REU) is a standalone modular unit.

  1. The recommended access is using Car Park D, enter Rainsbrook Wing (look for Outpatients Department entrance), head towards the upper level for Rainsbrook street link corridor, leave the first right exit on the corridor and follow the footpath to the right - the endoscopy unit is the new double storey building structure in front of you.
  2. Alternatively, you could use Car Park C, walk outdoor towards and enter Rainsbrook street link corridor, turn right for a short distance then exit the corridor on the left, and follow the footpath as above. OR
  3. Use the North Entrance, pass blood taking and the Midlands Diving chamber, on your right is the Endoscopy unit with 3 drop off spaces (1 for Disabled Users) – drop off and park in Car Park C or D.

 

Range of endoscopy services offered

Gastroscopy (or OGD)

Diagnostic and therapeutic (PEG, PEJ, dilation, stenting)

 

Colonoscopy

Diagnostic and therapeutic (polypectomy, EMR)

 

ERCP (endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography)

Procedure involves a dye being injected into the bile and pancreatic ducts using a flexible, video endoscope. X-rays are taken to outline the bile ducts and pancreas.

 

Other specialist procedures
  • Radio Frequency Ablation for Barrett’s
  • ERCP Cholangioscopy, EUS (Endoscopic Ultrasound)
  • Intragastric (Bariatric) Balloon
  • Video Capsule Endoscopy
  • Oesophageal Manometry and pH studies

 

Bronchoscopy and EBUS

These procedures are performed through the nose into the lungs, by specialist trained chest physicians.

 

Bowel Cancer Screening programme (BCSP)

The department participates in the National Bowel Cancer Screening programme and provides on-site screening tests. UHCW is the screening hub for Coventry and Warwickshire BCSP.

We offered Bowel Scope (a one off flexible sigmoidoscopy at the age 55 years) until its discontinuation in 2020.

 

Endoscopy Research

We are a research active department and may be asked to participate in on-going studies.

 

Information About Endoscopy procedures

An endoscopic procedure allows the doctor or nurse to visually inspect your gastrointestinal tract using a video camera attached to the end of a long thin flexible tube or endoscope.

Upper gastrointestinal (GI) endoscopy which includes an OGD (or gastroscopy) is examination of the oesophagus (food pipe or gullet), stomach and duodenum (first part of the small bowel). Lower gastrointestinal (GI) endoscopy such as a colonoscopy (or flexible sigmoidoscopy) is an examination of the colon (large bowel).

Patient Information Leaflets can be found here.

booking an endoscopy appointment

Outpatient appointments are booked in a number of ways;

  • Direct booking – If you are attending a clinic appointment and agree to have an endoscopic procedure you may be directed to book your endoscopy face to face in our booking office for a date that is suitable for you.
  • If our hospital doctor or team has requested a procedure for you, the department will send you an appointment letter.

A Booking Office staff member may ring you to offer or confirm a suitable date.

If, after you have booked your appointment, you wish to change or cancel it, please call the appointment/ Booking Office line as soon as possible.

 

Preparing for your appointment

With your appointment letter you will also receive an information booklet about the test you will have and the preparation you require including full instructions on how to manage other medical conditions relevant to the test such as diabetes mellitus, or medications such as anticoagulants, antiplatelet (blood thinning treatments) .The information booklet advises on what you can expect during and after your test.

If you are having the procedure with sedation, you will not be able to drive yourself afterwards. You will need to make arrangements for getting to the department and back home again. You will need a competent adult to accompany you home and you will need to be in the company of a competent adult for four hours. Further information is available in the booklet you will be provided with.

 

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