Mobile Endoscopy Decontamination Unit on its way

A mobile Endoscopy Decontamination Unit will arrive at the John Radcliffe Hospital in Oxford this weekend (9 and 10 June 2018).

The mobile facility is required to maintain a high quality service while the hospital's existing Endoscopy Decontamination Unit is refurbished and specialist equipment is replaced during a major £2.28 million project which is due to start in early August 2018 with completion expected early 2019.

It will ensure service continuity while the permanent unit is shut during the refurbishment project so there is no impact on patients or endoscopy services.

Following an eight week period of installation and commissioning, the mobile unit is due to be operational in early August.

It houses a specialist suite, designed and built by UK medical technology company Vanguard Healthcare Solutions, which is used to clean or 'decontaminate' equipment used in endoscopic procedures.

Steve Peak, Vanguard Delivery and Development Director, says: "Hospital facilities are managing heavy workloads and any closures, whether unplanned or as part of a scheduled refurbishment like the one at the John Radcliffe, can have a significant impact.

"We are delighted that we have been able to support the John Radcliffe Hospital in this way while they improve their existing facilities. We have worked closely with them to ensure the design of the facility meets their needs."

There is growing demand for endoscopy services, with patient numbers increasing by 5-10 percent every year, which in turns means there is more need for endoscopes to be decontaminated after each use.

An endoscopy is a procedure during which the inside of a patient's body is examined using an instrument called an endoscope. This is a long, thin, flexible tube with a light source and camera at one end so that images of the inside of the body are relayed to a television screen.

Endoscopy is increasingly used to investigate certain symptoms so clinicians can make an accurate diagnosis and it can also be used to help perform certain types of surgery.

The increase in patient numbers has been driven by factors including the national bowel screening programmes.

The Endoscopy Service at the John Radcliffe Hospital opened a sixth procedure room in January 2017 to support growing demand for the service, and a seventh room is now being planned.

The Endoscopy Department at the Horton General Hospital was officially re-opened in November 2016 after a major £2.7 million project. This means approximately 5,000 patients a year from Banbury and the surrounding areas can continue to access endoscopy services at the Horton General, instead of having to travel for treatment.

For further information please contact:

Contact Dominic Balchin (Divisional Project Manager): dominic.balchin@ouh.nhs.uk

or

Julia Wood (Endoscopy Matron): julia.wood@ouh.nhs.uk