Endoscopy

Our newly expanded JAG accredited Endoscopy Unit is located on the second floor of Beacon Hospital.

Beacon Hospital Endoscopy

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Opening Hours: Mon – Fri 07:00 – 19:30

About the Endoscopy Unit

With a €5.6 Million investment, our purpose built, state-of-the-art Endoscopy Unit was opened in June 2016, using clinical expertise to ensure it was designed and fit for purpose to meet National JAG accreditation requirements. The Beacon Endoscopy unit has capacity to carry out 16k GI procedures in a year, with a team of 21 consultants and experienced nursing, administration and decontamination technician’ teams. The unit is managed by an experienced nurse manager and a clinical lead who is a JAG accreditation consultant. We are the largest private endoscopy unit in Ireland – running 4 endoscopy procedure rooms with technologically advanced endoscopy equipment.
  • Endoscopy Quality Assurance

    We are one of the first private hospitals to achieved JAG accreditation in April 2018. We have maintained annual accreditation since 2018.

    We are one of the first private endoscopy departments to have JAG accredited Consultants, one being our current Clinical Lead.

    The unit is also involved in the Gastrointestinal Endoscopy National Quality Improvement Programme, helping us to continuously improve the Quality both locally and nationally for the endoscopy service to our patients.

  • What is JAG Accreditation?

    Joint Advisory Group (JAG) accreditation is a widely known international endoscopy gold standard.

    This is an Endoscopy Quality Assurance Accreditation, founded and implemented from the UK. Being awarded JAG accreditation demonstrates that the unit is delivering a high standard of safe, effective, holistic and patient centred care within our endoscopy service.

    The four Domains the unit was assessed on are:

    1. Clinical QualityMonitoring Consultants key performance Indicators, Clinical Audits and action plans for improvement. Following strict clinical governance.
    2. Quality of Patient experienceRegular Comfort score and bowel Prep Audits, proving action on patient feedback surveys.
    3. WorkforceRecruitment and skill mix.
    4. TrainingBoth Consultant and nursing training and competency records.
  • JAG Assessors Feedback Report 2018:

    ‘’ The JAG assessment team would like to congratulate the Beacon endoscopy service on its strong and effective clinical leadership and the emphasis the team places on quality and governance. The organisation and endoscopy leadership team are highly motivated to progress the endoscopy service ensuring that the patient stays at the centre of its focus. The team is clear about its direction and has clear plans for the future. The service has aspirations to be a centre of excellence in Ireland and is well on its way to achieving this. The quality of the services provided to patients is exceptional. It is clear that the team takes enormous pride in the service offered and this is evident in all groups of staff. We congratulate the organisation on achieving accreditation in Ireland and the significant effort it has put into achieving the standards.’’

    The decontamination environment is a ‘state of the art’ facility. The decontamination processes, audits and training are exemplary.’’

  • JAG Certificates

Endoscopies

There are different types of endoscopies, depending on the area you need examined;
  • Gastroscopy (or OGD)

    Painless examination of the food pipe (gullet), stomach and duodenum (upper small intestine) following local anaesthetic throat spray and/or injection of sedative. Patients may be aware of mild discomfort or retching. Patients should take no food for 6 hours before; water can be drunk until 2 hours before the procedure. This is a 5 – 10 minute test as an outpatient or day-case with immediate report given to the patient before leaving the endoscopy unit. Results of samples taken (biopsies) are discussed in subsequent consultation.

     

    Symptoms / Indications

    • Reflux / heart burn / indigestion – May be an indication of GORD
    • Difficulty swallowing – (Dysphagia)
    • Abdominal Pain
    • Abdominal bloating and feeling of fullness despite very little intake of food – (Dyspepsia)
    • Unexplained weight loss
    • Gastric Ulcer
    • Iron deficiency anemia – (Symptoms include tiredness / lethargy / pale skin)

     

    If you have any of the above symptoms or clinical indications, talk to your GP about a referral to the Direct Access Endoscopy Unit in the beacon hospital.

  • Colonoscopy

    Examination of colon (bowel or large intestine), that allows the doctor to look directly at the lining of the large bowel, usually following injection of sedative. The procedure is the most accurate way we have of looking at the large bowel (colon) to establish whether any disease is present.

    Patients may be aware of mild temporary discomfort. Requires preparation of bowel beforehand with dietary restriction for 48 hours and strong laxative the day before. This is a 20 -30-minute test as an outpatient or day-case with immediate report given to the patient before leaving the endoscopy unit. Results of samples taken (biopsies) or polyps removed, are discussed in subsequent consultation.

    • If you have been given a script for Moviprep and have a morning appointment click here for information leaflet.
    • If you have been given a script for Moviprep and have an afternoon appointment click here for information leaflet.

     

    We offer Entonox gas – as an alternative to conscious sedation and pain control for those patients that do not have someone to take them home or would like to drive home post procedure.

    Symptoms / Indications

    • Lower abdominal pain
    • Blood in the stool (hemoccult positive stool)
    • Rectal bleeding
    • Altered bowel habit – Chronic constipation or diarrhea, change in colour or consistency of the stool
    • Iron deficiency anemia – (Symptoms include tiredness / lethargy / pale skin)

    Or if you have a family history of bowel cancer.

  • Flexible sigmoidoscopy

    A shorter version of colonoscopy, examining the left side of the colon without need for bowel preparation in advance. An enema (liquid rectal washout) is given just beforehand by the specialist nurse upon admission. This is a 10 – 15-minute test as an outpatient or day-case with immediate report given to the patient before leaving the endoscopy unit. Results of samples taken (biopsies) are discussed in subsequent consultation.

  • Bronchoscopy

    A bronchoscopy is a procedure which allows your consultant to examine your lungs and air passage. During a bronchoscopy, a tiny tube is passed through your nose or mouth, past your throat and into your lungs.

    Sometimes during a bronchoscope, your Consultant may take samples of mucus or tissue from your lungs.

What the Endoscopy Unit Offers

We recognise the very sensitive nature of Gastrointestinal illness and understand the necessity to provide our services in the environment that emphasises privacy and confidentiality.

Patients arriving to our facility always receive a personal, friendly and efficient service. We strive to minimise the time and inevitable anxiety associated with endoscopy procedures & investigations, while making sure that we maintain our high standards of individual attention, thoroughness, and care.

Simplified registration and check-in procedures, private interviewing and changing facilities and a comfortable recovery area all enhance the patients experience.

  • The Unit has a dedicated competent nursing team covering all areas of the unit. All Endoscopies are performed by Consultant level medical staff from Gastroenterology, General Surgery and Respiratory Specialities.
  • An integrated reporting and auditing system support all our endoscopy investigations. It helps us ensure that we are providing high standards of care and safety to our patients. It ensures documented instruction for patient follow- up and management to be provided post procedure.
  • An efficient Consultant lead GP Endoscopy Direct Access Programme, with robust scheduling process’s and pathways in place
  • Endoscopy procedure reports are sent to each GP on the day of the procedure.
  • As well as being equipped with technically advanced endoscopy equipment, the hospital also has superb diagnostic support services, Digital X-ray, CT scanner, MRI and ultra-sound, as well as a fully CPA accredited pathology services.
  • The Endoscopist is responsible to follow -up any histology and dictate a letter to GP’s with recommendations of management.
  • The Endoscopist will liaise with the GP on any abnormal findings and management.
  • The Beacon Hospital offers after care services for any abnormalities found during endoscopy procedures. IE. Cancers (Surgical referral), further imaging for diagnosis purposes, Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) management.

Appointments

You may be referred for an endoscopy procedure following a consultation by the following specialities – Gastroenterology, General Surgical or Respiratory. A full list of the consultants and their contact details are as listed in the consultant section.
  • Endoscopy GP Direct Access Programme

    The referral form for Direct Access can be printed off the Beacon Hospital website – Under Endoscopy Direct Access Programme.

    Send Via:

    E-mail – [email protected]

    Post – Endoscopy Scheduling Department, Beacon Hospital, Sandyford, Dublin 18.

    OR

    Your GP can send a direct referral using the electronic healthlink service to the scheduling department.

     

    Once the Referral has been received and clinically Triaged you will receive a phone call to arrange a booking via our Scheduling team.

    Due to COVID restrictions we now offer a nurse telephone clinical triage service once your appointment has been booked.

    You will receive a phone call to complete part of your admission medical assessment over the telephone with an endoscopy nurse 48 hours before your appointment date. This is to help reduce the face to face contact time on the day of your procedure during the admission process.

  • GP Endoscopy Direct Access Services Offered at Beacon Hospital

    • Gastroscopy (or OGD) – Insurance Code 194
    • Colonoscopy – Insurance Code 455
    • Flexible sigmoidoscopy – Insurance Code 450
  • Insurance

    Patients must check with their health insurance provider that their policy covers the chosen procedure CODE, before booking an appointment.