Approval will be sought from Tynwald this month for £1.6 million in capital spending to fund the construction of a new Endoscopy Suite at Noble's Hospital.
Endoscopy is a common diagnostic procedure which involves a small tube with a camera and a light being used to examine the inside of the body. It is increasingly used to help investigate a wide variety of symptoms and examine many areas of the body such the throat and stomach, or the bowel for example. It can also be used during treatment, when removing gallstones or stopping bleeding from a stomach ulcer.
Endoscopy procedures currently take place in the Day Procedures Suite and the Operating Theatre Suite at Noble's Hospital, with a small number also being undertaken at Ramsey and District Cottage Hospital. Around 3,500 endoscopies are carried out each year.
Whilst the current endoscopy facilities have been updated in recent times to meet evolving standards and best practice, further changes are required to meet current standards and guidance from the British Society of Gastroenterologists, the National Endoscopy Programme, and Health Technical Memoranda. This includes guidance that endoscopy units should be self-contained and not shared with other services, which is not currently the case at Noble's Hospital.
In addition to new patient facilities, new purpose designed decontamination facilities will be constructed as well. Endoscopes are reused and require unique and highly specialised cleaning.
Minister for Health and Social Care, Howard Quayle MHK, said:
'Endoscopy services have evolved significantly over the past decade and referrals for this type of investigative procedure are growing.
'The new suite will provide us with state of the art purpose designed and built facilities, enabling us to adhere to the latest standards and best practice. In addition patient privacy and dignity will be enhanced, and by moving these procedures to their own dedicated clinical environment there is the added benefit of creating additional capacity for other procedures within our already busy Day Procedures Suite and operating theatres.'
Tynwald approved £300,000 for design fees and enabling works for the suite as part of the 2014/15 Budget. There will be no additional requirements to the Department's revenue budget as a result of the build.
If approved by Tynwald, the new endoscopy facilities will be built above the new Breast Unit, which is currently under construction. The works will commence in December with the new facilities due to open early in 2016.
