NHS Lothian increases capacity with mobile endoscopy suite

A UK medical technology company is helping a Lothian hospital increase its capacity for endoscopy examinations and reduce waiting times for patients.

Vanguard Healthcare Solutions is working alongside NHS Lothian at St John’s Hospital in Livingston and is providing a mobile endoscopy suite to help increase its capacity for examinations including gastric, bowel and chest procedures.

Designed and built by Vanguard, the suite includes a range of facilities including reception, waiting area, consulting room, admission/discharge area, procedure room, recovery ward, toilets and changing room, refreshment area, utility areas, clean processing room, one-way flow for scopes, pass-through endoscope washer/disinfector, dedicated decontamination area and an ultraviolet light endoscope storage cabinet.

The suite has HEPA filtered environmental air which conforms to Grade C EUGMP standards. NHS Lothian has been using the Vanguard mobile endoscopy suite since late last year and it is expected to be on site for up to two years. Vanguard is also providing clinical support staff to work alongside the hospital’s own endoscopy clinicians.

Vanguard Senior Account Manager Simon Squirrell said: “The suite provides a complete clinical environment where patients can be booked in, prepared, have their procedure and recover, providing a seamless experience for the patient.

“The unit has been on site since late last year and became operational in December. Over the two years it is expected to be on site, it will help NHS Lothian increase its capacity for these procedures and allow hundreds of patients be seen more quickly. Up to 10 appointments a day are scheduled and the feedback we’ve had both from clinicians working on the unit and from the patients who have had their procedures there has been extremely positive.”