Following a long and thorough tender process, HSC has partnered with UK company Medinet to run weekend clinics to reduce the waiting list for gastroenterology endoscopy procedures.
Weekend clinics will run from Thursday to Sunday with 12 sessions scheduled over those days. Depending on the procedures required, these additional clinics will result in around 50 patients per weekend being seen. Plans are in place for 9 weekend sessions to be held over a 12-week period.
The gastroenterology waiting list has increased month on month since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic when aerosol generating procedures were stopped due to the COVID-19 risks. Pre-COVID the waiting list was under 150 patients and by March 2021 the number of patients waiting had risen to 492. As at the end of April 2023, the inpatient waiting list for symptomatic gastroenterology patients was 536.
Medinet will travel to Guernsey with a full team of staff to run weekend clinics for islanders on the gastroenterology waiting list in need of an endoscopy procedure. HSC is in the process of contacting eligible patients who will be being offered a pre-assessment appointment. This pre-assessment appointment will confirm a patient's suitability for an endoscopy procedure and a date for this procedure will be confirmed during the appointment.
Dr Rabey, Medical Director said:
'I am delighted that we are now able to announce Medinet as our partner to address the gastroenterology waiting list.
Medinet has been chosen following a very thorough tender process and they have demonstrated their considerable expertise in gastroenterology surgery along with their commitment to delivering the highest quality care to their patients.
Medinet has excellent post-operative outcomes and patients being referred to these weekend clinics will receive the same high standard of care had they continued to wait until they could be seen by an on-island consultant.'
Dr Jean Challiner, Medical Director, Medinet said:
'Medinet are delighted to be working with the States of Guernsey to help reduce the waiting time for endoscopy procedures. We have provided experienced teams of Consultants and Nurses to carry out endoscopy procedures in hospitals across the UK for over 17 years and are looking forward to working with the Guernsey team to provide a high-quality patient focused service.'
As previously advised, as soon as the waiting list for gastroenterology procedures is back under control, the bowel cancer screening programme will re-start.
