Providing state-of-the-art temporary endoscopy facilities
Endoscopy is one of the most common procedures carried out in hospitals today. Yet tough waiting list targets and a high level of demand mean NHS Trusts are under severe pressure to deliver.
On top of the targets and demand pressures, there is also the immediate challenge for all endoscopy services to achieve JAG accreditation, which could result in some downtime in services as refurbishments/upgrades of current facilities are carried out.
Vanguard Healthcare is a specialist in helping NHS Trusts to achieve JAG accreditation. Many trusts have brought in Vanguard mobile endoscopy facilities, which are HTM 2030 compliant, to allow them to overcome demand and capacity issues while also providing additional resources for times of refurbishment.
Government targets on cancer screening add to the diagnostic pressure. Vanguard’s self-contained endoscopy facility can also assist with the challenge of waiting time targets and screening programmes for bowel cancers.
Today more than 11,000 endoscopy procedures have been carried out within Vanguard’s mobile endoscopy facilities.
Read on to find out how Vanguard Healthcare has provided hospital Trusts/Health Boards with a cost-effective, highly sophisticated solution which helps reduce endoscopy waiting lists and ensures services are not disrupted while upgrades are carried out.
Vanguard called in to assist during endoscopy refurbishment at King’s College Hospital
Every month hundreds of people undergo endoscopies at King’s College Hospital in London. As one of the busiest units in the country, King’s has built up a solid reputation for innovation and clinical leadership. The NHS Foundation Trust is always looking to pioneer and ground-break new practice which is why the management team immediately looked to Vanguard Healthcare when the hospital’s endoscopy unit required a significant upgrade.
Closing the endoscopy unit for eight weeks was not an option. Hospital managers faced the challenge of maintaining services during that period. As a result, in early 2007, King’s became the first London trust to commission a Vanguard Mobile Endoscopy unit.
Hospital staff, supported by endoscopy-competent clinical personnel from Vanguard, continued to deliver endoscopy services from within the self-contained 200sq/m eight bed unit. During the eight weeks, no less than 586 patient procedures were performed, including gastroscopies, colonoscopies and cystoscopies.
Imelda Shannon, Endoscopy Service Manager at King’s College Hospital, said: “We were hugely relieved and impressed at how the mobile unit enabled us to continue to see patients without interruption during our refurbishment. The mobile unit’s facilities and specialist staff ensured that our patients’ examinations and investigations were carried out swiftly and professionally, maintaining our commitment to providing excellent healthcare for our patients.”
Vanguard assists in clearing patient backlog in Jersey
Jersey General Hospital contracted Vanguard to help clear a backlog of endoscopy examinations. In one month, the facility and staff supplied by Vanguard examined around 400 people, equivalent to 652 global rating points.
The logistics operation required the shipping of an endoscopy unit to Jersey and for staff to be flown out. Although accustomed to servicing customers outside the mainland in Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland, Vanguard needed to satisfy statutory requirements, including clinical approval of staff because The States of Jersey, although run on similar lines to the mainland’s NHS Trusts, is subject to its own regulations and laws.
Add to that the January weather and the need to time flights of Vanguard’s medical and operational staff, the contract presented a challenge in terms of timing and scheduling.
Mark Littler, Directorate Manager of Medicine, Health and Social Services, explained: “This was truly a partnership approach and Vanguard’s team not only provided additional resource to help process from referral to determining if treatment was required, but immediately made a difference in only four weeks. It was a pleasure to work with Vanguard who helped plan the solution which proved to be a cost effective answer to our pressing needs.”
Ian Monaghan, Director of Sales for Vanguard Healthcare, said: “This contract was based on clearly defined patient case loads. Our track record of working with often complex logistics requirements stood us in good stead. In this way we weren’t fazed by resource requirements, including flying a series of doctors to join the team housed on the island. This was a classic example of problem solving, where the customer identified the need and we produced the solution.”
NHS Lothian show commitment to cutting endoscopy waiting lists
Hospitals across Scotland faced a real challenge when the Scottish Executive imposed a target stating that no patient should ever wait longer than 26 weeks for treatment. That challenge was heightened still further in 2007 when the target was reduced to only 18 weeks.
In a bid to reduce its endoscopy waiting lists, NHS Lothian became the first NHS organisation in the UK to use a mobile endoscopy unit. Supported by Vanguard’s clinical team, a total of 600 patients were seen over the six week period that it was based at St John’s Hospital, Livingston.
Brian Cavanagh, former Chairman of NHS Lothian, said: “This state-of-the-art endoscopy facility demonstrated our commitment to driving down waiting times. It provided extra facilities and specialist staff which allowed patients’ clinical investigations to be carried out more quickly.”
Jackie Sansbury, Director of Strategic Planning at NHS Lothian, added: “We are constantly looking for ways to make services swifter. Vanguard’s mobile unit delivers additional resources locally and means we can focus on the needs of one group of patients without affecting services for others.”
An additional 800 endoscopy patients treated in eight weeks at Furness General Hospital
The University Hospitals of Morecambe Bay NHS Trust demonstrated how one mobile endoscopy unit can aid hundreds of patients by reducing bulging waiting lists. In just eight weeks, 800 patients were treated in a Vanguard mobile endoscopy facility sited at Furness General Hospital.
Ian Cumming, former Chief Executive of University Hospitals of Morecambe Bay, said: “This is an innovative collaboration between us and Morecambe Bay PCT to address the needs of patients without affecting services to others.”
The endoscopy unit was transported on a low-loader to Furness General Hospital to carry out 800 gastroscopy, colonoscopy and cystoscopy procedures. The mobile unit had onboard HTM 2030 compliant endoscopy decontamination services including reverse osmosis water systems.
Vanguard’s mobile endoscopy facility includes: patient and staff changing and toilet facilities, reception, admission and discharge areas, six-bed ward, pass-through washer disinfectors, consulting room and utility areas.
