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Endoscopy Introduction – The Patient Journey

Welcome to Ģ��tv��Ƶ Endoscopy Units. We have three Endoscopy Units in Ģ��tv��Ƶ, so please check your appointment letter to confirm which unit you will be having your procedure in. We suggest arriving in good time to allow time to park and find the unit.

Most patients who attend for a procedure will follow a similar journey. In this video, you will follow a patient through their endoscopy at St James’ Bexley Wing Endoscopy Unit. All Endoscopy Units are well signposted. Please follow the signs or ask at the hospital reception.

When you enter the Endoscopy Unit, hand your documents to the receptionist, who will greet you, take your details, and ask you to take a seat in the waiting area. Once you are seated, the receptionist will inform the Endoscopy Team that you have arrived.

Soon after arriving, a nurse will take you through to a private room and begin the assessment process. They will check your medical history and observations, including blood pressure, pulse, and temperature. Please bring a list of all current medications and allergies with you.

The nurse will also be able to answer any queries you have about the procedure and discuss options for sedation with you. You will then either move back into the main waiting area or into a further waiting area called “sub weight.” These are male or female waiting rooms that have their own toilets to maintain your dignity and privacy. If necessary, you will change into a gown here.

Patients having a colonoscopy wear dignity pants. If you have chosen to have sedation, a cannula will be inserted into your arm. It is advisable to bring some reading material with you, as occasionally unexpected delays can occur. A member of the Endoscopy Team will keep you informed about any delays.
Once you move from reception into the sub weight or procedure room, the people accompanying you can either wait in reception or leave the department and return later to collect you after the procedure.

Before you enter the procedure room, you must sign a consent form. The endoscopist or a specially trained nurse will take you through the procedure, answer your questions, and check that you are still happy to proceed. If you haven’t yet signed the consent form, you must do so at this stage.

Shortly after, you will be escorted into the procedure room by the Endoscopist or a nurse. The procedure rooms contain a lot of specialist machinery and monitoring equipment. Don’t worry, this is here to keep you safe. When you enter the procedure room, you will be introduced to the team and asked to confirm your identity.

The Endoscopy Team will then run through some pre-procedure checks with both themselves and you. This is standard practice to maintain your safety. Please see other information on this website and read the information leaflets for a description of each Endoscopy procedure and the sedation options.

After you have had your procedure, if you have had sedation, you will be transferred to recovery on the trolley that the procedure was performed on. If you have not had sedation, you will be able to walk or be taken in a wheelchair to Second Stage Recovery. Second Stage Recovery is a seated recovery area.

If you have had sedation, in recovery, you will be allowed to rest, but the nurse will be monitoring you very carefully, checking your observations regularly, and making sure you are comfortable. When you have recovered enough to walk safely, you will be transferred to Second Stage Recovery.

In Second Stage Recovery, you will be prepared for discharge. Here, the nurse will describe your results, give you a copy of the report, and advise you on any further actions needed. You can have friends or family with you here if you wish.
Once you are fully recovered and ready for discharge, you can leave the department. If you have had sedation, you must have a friend or relative escort you out and stay with you overnight. Remember, you cannot drive a car or operate machinery for 24 hours after sedation.

When you leave, please give us some feedback by using the forms in reception or on this website. We aim to keep your experience of Endoscopy in Ģ��tv��Ƶ as safe, dignified, and comfortable as possible, and we always welcome feedback so we can improve our service for patients in the future.