Work begins on £12m endoscopy unit at city hospital

The expanded unit will allow more procedures to take place each year, the trust says

Work to create a £12m endoscopy unit has started at a hospital in Nottingham.

Queen's Medical Centre (QMC) is getting a refurbished and expanded unit to "increase clinical capacity".

It follows a £12m investment from Nottingham University Hospitals (NUH) NHS Trust - which runs the hospital - and NHS England.

Services have been temporarily relocated while the construction work takes place, NUH said.

The trust said clinical services and the National Centre for Lymphangioleiomyomatosis (LAM) had been moved to ward D56 at the QMC, and Theatre 8 was now being used for endoscopic procedures.

NUH's two other endoscopy units, located in the QMC Treatment Centre and at Nottingham City Hospital, will continue to operate as normal throughout the work, the trust added.

NHS England Midlands has called the project a "significant milestone" for patients in the East Midlands

Endoscopy is a diagnostic and therapeutic service which uses a flexible tube with a camera to examine the inside of the body, which the trust said were "essential for diagnosing and treating a wide range of gastrointestinal and other conditions".

The new development will add a third procedure room which NUH said would enable a higher number of "complex endoscopic procedures to be performed each year".

Dr Andrew Baxter, deputy head of service for endoscopy, said: "Expanding from two to three procedure rooms, means we're significantly boosting our capacity – not just in volume, but in the complexity of what we can offer.

"The new unit will allow us to deliver more advanced procedures in a purpose-built, modern environment.

"With more space and equipment, we're not only improving patient care but we're also strengthening our position as a centre of excellence for high-quality, complex endoscopic care."

The new unit is due to open in early 2026.