New £18m endoscopy unit 'will cut waiting list'

Dr Sanjeev Pattni said there was a backlog for endoscopy procedures

NHS bosses have said a new £18m endoscopy centre will help slash waiting times and meet rising demand across Leicestershire, Leicester and Rutland.

The purpose-built facility, which officially opened at the Leicester General Hospital on Tuesday, has a diagnostic capacity to see up to 1,400 cases a month.

The University Hospitals of Leicester (UCL) NHS Trust said it aimed to carry out an additional 9,000 endoscopy procedures a year on top of 30,000 currently undertaken.

The trust said it hoped to reduce the endoscopy waiting list of 3,500 patients at it's hospitals by 300 a month by March.

An endoscopy is a test to examine inside a patient's body using a tube with a camera and helps diagnose conditions, carry out biopsies and perform treatments.

Work on the unit, which was approved by the previous government, began in March 2024 and features six procedure rooms and 20 pods for patients before and after their procedures, each with an ensuite bathroom.

It is expected the facility, which opened its doors to patients on 5 November and has treated about 700 patients since, will make a big impact on healthcare in Leicestershire.

Ali Jawad officially opened the endoscopy centre

British powerlifter Ali Jawad, who won silver in the Paralympics in Rio in 2016, cut the ribbon on Tuesday, officially opening the endoscopy centre.

The 36-year-old said it took nine months to be diagnosed with Crohn's disease - a chronic, inflammatory bowel disease - when he lived in London in 2009.

Mr Jawad said: "My symptoms were so severe that I was very sick.

"I think this facility would have fast-tracked my diagnosis and a treatment plan after."

He said the centre was "amazing" and looked "futuristic", adding the individual pods felt personalised to the patient.

"It allows the patient to really feel centred and looked after," he added.

Nafisabanu Ahmed said she was impressed with the facility

Patient Nafisabanu Ahmed arrived at the centre for a routine check following a bowel cancer screening test.

The 56-year-old said the new centre was "amazing and pleasant", adding she was impressed.

"The nurse went through my routine procedure and I felt every comfortable," she said.

Ms Ahmed added she was now waiting for her results to take the next steps.

Simon Barton said the unit will treat 9,000 more patients a year

Dr Sanjeev Pattni, a consultant gastroenterologist and co-head of service at UHL, said demand for the endoscopy procedure had increased over the years.

"We run a national bowel cancer screening programme...and the rate of detection is going up year on year," he said.

"The new unit will allow us to meet demands and massively reduce the backlog."

Rachael Briggs, associate director of operations at the trust, said: "We know how important earlier diagnosis is for conditions such as cancer, which endoscopy procedures help to detect."

Simon Barton, the trust's deputy chief executive, added: "We don't want patients to wait for their care.

"We're making progress but units like this allow us to make a big step change in reducing waiting time for patients.

"We will treat 9,000 more patients a year through this unit and we will see a 300 reduction in our waiting lists every month."