Our facilities and equipment

We have seven endoscopy rooms, supporting outpatient and inpatient endoscopic procedures.

Procedures requiring x-ray screening are performed in purpose-built shielded rooms with our own radiology equipment, all within the department itself. This, along with our own anaesthetic equipment, allows us to perform the complete range of endoscopic procedure independently.

There is a reception and waiting room area, single gender recovery bays, and several admission rooms with bowel preparation facilities. There is a decontamination unit in the hospital, managed by IHSS, where endoscopes are cleaning and disinfected/sterilized.

Technology

We use advanced scope cleaning technology and endoscopic reporting software that was first developed at Southampton General Hospital and is now used throughout the country.

Our gastroscope and endoscope technology includes a variety of scope types and manufacturers to allow an individualised approach to procedures with the right equipment for the right procedure approach. We have a variety of ancillary equipment including scope guide, water pumps, and a wide range of devices that can be used with the scope to provide treatment.

Our ERCP system also has access to Spyglass technology allowing for ever more detailed investigation in this speciality, and we are a regional training centre for using it. This helps us to investigate biliary obstructions and treat symptoms related to complex biliary cancers, supporting the work of our pancreatic and hepatobiliary surgery teams.

Our service continues to grow and develop, as we strive to push forward with new and innovative procedures and techniques and to remain at the forefront of endoscopic work, while ensuring we always remain grounded and expert in our core work and delivering our service.

Teaching

As a nationally accredited teaching centre and now base for the new Wessex Academy, our unit provides high quality training for new and existing endoscopists, nurses and associate healthcare professionals on a wide range of investigations and treatments, as well as masterclasses for experts.