Louth endoscopy unit recognised for excellence

The endoscopy unit at the Louth-based hospital, run by United Lincolnshire Hospitals NHS Trust has recently been given Joint Advisory Group accreditation.

Known as JAG, this is a national award set up to ensure high standards of care in clinical quality, quality of patient experience, training and workforce.

The unit cares for patients undergoing endoscopy procedures, which are procedures that are used to assess areas inside the body by inserting a flexible tube that can provide images of the area in question and be used to take samples.

The endoscopy unit moved into a refurbished area in April 2012. This new improved environment means patients move in a circle from waiting room, to preparation rooms to the endoscopy room itself.

There are also new dedicated waiting, admission and discharge rooms along with single sex accommodation and a state of the art decontamination area.

Work has been done to improve the equipment and paperwork to ensure the new unit meets the highest possible standards, and a visit by the Joint Advisory Group on gastrointestinal endoscopy last month secured its accreditation.

The visiting JAG team congratulated the team on the following areas of excellence: Leadership, communication, decontamination facilities and staff and aduit.

Head of endoscopy, screening and physiological sciences for United Lincolnshire Hospitals NHS Trust, Nikki Woodcock, said: “Achieving this standard for the unit is a sign that the people of Louth and the surrounding area are being provided with a quality service on their door step, with evidence of high standards of patient care and safety.

“We are delighted with the design of the new unit, which means that patients are cared for in a nicer environment and that they flow through the department much better.”