Endoscopy services East
The Endoscopy Unit, Wonford (Exeter) provides a variety of diagnostic and therapeutic endoscopy procedures to the local population, as well as specialist endoscopy to the wider Peninsula community.
The Unit has close links with other services in the Trust: Nutrition, Hepatology, Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD), and Upper and Lower Gastrointestinal Cancer Clinical Nurse Specialists, as well as all wards for inpatient transfers.
We are a day-case unit, but we also operate a weekend service. In addition, we provide an out-of-hours on-call service for acute emergency patients.
The unit currently consists of the following:
- A welcoming reception with a waiting room for patients once checked in to the unit
- five admissions rooms where patients can get changed and wait for their procedures and two separate gender specific cannulation rooms
- One side room for privacy/infection control issues
- Five endoscopy procedure rooms
- One room three times a week in fluoroscopy for ERCP
- A recovery area segregated by gender with twelve trolleys
- A discharge lounge
- A private room for discharge
- Own decontamination suite where endoscopes are processed.
- Administrative spaces, storage areas and a kitchen and staff area.
The unit is fully accessible and can be reached by stairs or lift. We recommend that patients who have mobility issues either bring a wheelchair or ask at the main hospital entrance for the use of one. Unfortunately, due to the small waiting area at Exeter, it is difficult for relatives/carers to wait in the department unless prior arrangements have been made.
Patients with additional needs can often be scheduled first on the list, and carers may be able to stay with them with prior arrangement.
We provide procedures for children and young people on Tuesdays under general anaesthetic, where appropriate.
Bowel cancer screening is performed in the unit and is offered to people following a positive FIT result requiring further investigation, assessment/polypectomy after abnormal CT colon and surveillance post-polypectomy.
The Tiverton Endoscopy Diagnostic Unit provides a variety of diagnostic endoscopy procedures to the local population. Procedures undertaken at Tiverton Endoscopy Diagnostic Unit include: Gastroscopy (OGD), Colonoscopy and Flexible Sigmoidoscopy.
Endoscopy at Tiverton operates one room within the Day Case Unit. We are currently undergoing expansion and In Spring 2025 a new purpose-built unit is opening which will include:
- A welcoming reception with a waiting room for patients, once checked-in to the unit
- Three admission rooms where patients can get changed, cannulated and wait for their procedures
- Three endoscopy procedure rooms
- One side room
- A recovery area segregated by gender with eight trolleys
- A discharge lounge
- A private room for discharge
- Own decontamination suite where endoscopes are processed
- A training room
- Administrative spaces, storage areas and a kitchen and staff area.
The unit will be fully accessible, but unfortunately due to the small waiting area it is difficult for relatives and carers to wait in the department, unless prior arrangements have been made.
Patients with additional needs can often be scheduled first on the list, and carers may be able to stay with them with prior arrangement.
Additionally, we have a small unit at The Buttercup Outpatient Unit at The Nightingale Hospital. Trans-nasal Endoscopies (TNEs) are carried-out here by our Team of Clinical Endoscopists.
The Buttercup Unit opened its doors in June 2024 and provides one-stop clinics, with the aim of improving the overall experience for patients, whilst delivering efficient and safe clinical pathways.
The new facilities comprise of eight consulting rooms, a procedure room and various other more specialist rooms.
Information and about us
We are a day-case unit, but we also operate a weekend service. In addition, we provide an out-of-hours on-call service for acute emergency patients. The unit has five endoscopy rooms, with an additional (outpatient only) facility at Tiverton Hospital. There is one large recovery space at the Royal Devon and Exeter Hospital (Wonford) and this is split by gender.
We have an admission room for each endoscopy room where patients change and wait for their procedure. Patients undergoing a Gastroscopy procedure do not need to change.
The unit houses its own decontamination suite, which allows a continuous flow of endoscopes to the variety of lists and procedures which are performed in the unit.
Patients due to undergo colonoscopy or flexible sigmoidoscopy are pre-assessed in order to identify any individual patient needs. Inpatients undergoing endoscopy are also pre-assessed. This pre-assessment is performed by a member of the Endoscopy Nursing Team.
Patients with additional needs can often be scheduled first on the list, and carers may be able to stay with them if the Endoscopist agrees.
The unit is fully accessible and can be reached by stairs or lift. We recommend that patients who find walking difficult bring a wheelchair or ask at the main hospital entrance for the use of a wheelchair. Relatives/carers will be unable to wait in the department unless prior arrangements have been made.
Where to find us
Royal Devon and Exeter Hospital (Wonford)
Royal Devon and Exeter Hospital (Wonford)
Barrack Road
Exeter
EX2 5DW
Level 2, Area N
The Endoscopy Unit is located in Area N on the second floor of the Wonford Hospital site. Endoscopy procedures are also carried out in the Day-Case Unit at Tiverton Community Hospital.
The Endoscopy Unit provides services from 7.30am to 6.30pm, Monday to Friday, and 7.30am to 6.00pm on Saturdays.
We provide procedures for children and young people on Tuesdays.
Tiverton and District Hospital
Tiverton and District Hospital (Day-Case Unit)
Kennedy Way
Tiverton
EX16 6NT
Contact us on: 01884 235 400
The Unit provides services from 8:00 to 18:00, Monday to Friday.
The Buttercup Unit
The Buttercup Unit (Trans-Nasal Endoscopy (TNE) only)
The Nightingale Hospital
Osprey Road
Sowton
Exeter
EX2 7JG
Contact us on: 01392 404890
Our clinic provides services On Monday 13:00 to 18:00 and Thursday 08:00 to 12:00.
Meet the team
We have a multi-disciplinary team of Endoscopists from Gastroenterology, Hepatology, Colorectal and Upper GI Surgery, Radiology, biomedical scientists and a team of Clinical Endoscopists and Specialist Registrars. Dr John Rogers is our dedicated Clinical Lead and works alongside Dr Benjamin Hudson, our Training Lead, and Dr James Goodhand, our Clinical Governance Lead.
We have a large clinical team within the Wonford (Exeter) and Tiverton Hospital Endoscopy Units. The Clinical Nurse Manager for Wonford is Paula Anderson and the Clinical Nurse Manager for Tiverton is Jessica Robison.
The unit has its own decontamination suite led by Jesse Oliver, our Decontamination and Stores Service Manager, where all endoscopes used within the Trust are reprocessed. This enables us to provide an efficient turnaround of endoscopes, with improved flow to our clinical lists.
Our team includes core decontamination staff, healthcare support workers, senior healthcare support workers, assistant practitioners, sisters/charge nurses and registered nurses who will be looking after you pre, during and post-procedure.
Certain procedures performed in endoscopy require a pre-assessment, which is carried out by a member of the endoscopy nursing team prior to their appointment. In-patients are seen on the ward, where appropriate.
We believe that good education ultimately improves the care of patients and our unit has adopted a robust approach to training and research. To ensure expertise and competence exists within our nursing team, we have clinical educators facilitating education and practice development in a care setting for both inpatients and outpatients. We aim to provide the best possible care for our patients, this enables staff to deliver best practice. In some cases, procedures are performed by junior doctors/registrars that are training in endoscopic procedures, under the direct supervision of a consultant. However, the patient has the right to refuse if they do not wish to take part in this.
The unit has an administration team led by Matthew Wills, Operations Manager, who is supported by the audit and governance lead, admin line manager and rota co-ordinator.
The rota co-ordinator has responsibility for planning endoscopy list utilisation with the appropriate endoscopists relevant to patient waiting list requirements. This helps to ensure patients are seen within the appropriate timeframes against NHS targets.
The admin team leader and waiting list co-ordinators ensure that patients who are referred to the service are booked appropriate appointments, adhering to the trust guidelines. Greeting patients upon their arrival are our welcome/ward clerks, who also ensure reports and relevant paperwork are distributed appropriately.
Everyone in our team is highly skilled; we have adopted a competency-based approach to staffing. This means we ensure that every member of staff is competent to do the task that they are asked to do, independent of grade or nomination.
The Leadership Team consists of staff from multidisciplinary teams, including clinicians, nursing and administration.
- Rebecca Ody, Senior Operations Manager for Gastroenterology, Hepatology, Endoscopy & Bowel Cancer Screening
- Ben Brierley, Clinical Matron for Gastroenterology, Endoscopy, Diabetes & Endocrinology
- Dr Ben Hudson, Gastroenterology Lead Clinician
- Dr John Rogers, Endoscopy Lead Clinician
- Paula Anderson, Endoscopy Clinical Nurse Manager (Wonford)
- Jessica Robison, Endoscopy Clinical Nurse Manager (Tiverton)
- Thomas Mulazzani Clinical Nurse Manager for Bowel Cancer Screening
- Matthew Wills, Operations Manager for Gastroenterology, Hepatology, Endoscopy & Bowel Cancer Screening - Eastern Services
- Victoria Parker, Audit & Governance Manager, Gastroenterology.
Services and treatments
Endoscopy is a term that covers a number of diagnostic procedures where an instrument known as an endoscope is used to visualise inside of the body. An endoscope consists of a thin flexible tube with a light source and a camera.
Below are all of the procedures we carry out across our units:
Oesophago-Gastro-Duodenoscopy (OGD) / Gastroscopy – An examination that looks directly at the upper part of the gastrointestinal tract: the food pipe (oesophagus), the stomach and around the first part of the small intestine (duodenum) used to evaluate, diagnose and treat problems. You can access our information leaflet here.
Colonoscopy – An examination that looks at the lower part of the gastrointestinal tract used to evaluate, diagnose and treat problems of the inside of the large intestine (colon) and rectum. You can access our information leaflet here
Flexible Sigmoidoscopy – A ‘Flexi’ is an examination used to evaluate, diagnose and treat the lower part of the large intestine (colon). You can access our information leaflet here
EUS – Endoscopic Ultrasound – An examination with a camera that has an ultrasound probe, allowing the operator to scan the structures surrounding the food pipe and the stomach, like the liver and the pancreas. The procedure is used to diagnose different types of pancreas and liver disorders, including inflammation, infections or cancer. You can access our information leaflet here
ERCP – Endoscopic Retrograde Cholangiopancreatography – A procedure that uses X-ray and the scope to evaluate, diagnose and treat problems in the liver, gallbladder, bile ducts, and pancreas. You can access our information leaflet here
Direct Peroral Cholangioscopy – This procedure in conjunction with ERCP and allows direct visualisation of the biliary tract by introducing a further scope through the one already in use in an ERCP. It is a great tool for treating strictures and difficult biliary stones.
PEG – Percutaneous Endoscopic Gastrostomy – A procedure that allows a tube to be connected from inside the stomach to the exterior through the abdomen. PEG allows nutrition, fluids and/or medications to be put directly into the stomach, bypassing the mouth and food pipe (oesophagus).You can access our information leaflet here
Capsule Endoscopy – A procedure where a patient swallows a small capsule which contains a camera and light. The capsule sends images of the inside of a patient’s body to a computer for a doctor to look at. This can be used to see the large bowel or the small bowel.
Device-Assisted Enteroscopy – This procedure is used to investigate and treat conditions found in the small bowel. Additional tools such as a balloon is required to advance the scope due to the length of the small bowel.
Radio Frequency Ablation (RFA) – RFA is an incisionless endoscopic treatment option for Barrett’s Oesophagus. The system works by creating controlled heating and removal of tissue. It only targets the affected areas, without harming the healthy structures underneath it.
Trans-nasal Endoscopy – A examination through the nose into the upper gastro intestinal tract to look into the oesophagus (food pipe), the stomach and the duodenum (first portion of the small bowel).
Bronchoscopy – An examination via the nose or mouth and moved down the throat and windpipe (trachea), to evaluate and diagnose problems associated with the respiratory tract. You can access our information leaflet here
EBUS – Endoscopic Bronchial Ultrasound – This procedure is used to diagnose different types of lung disorders, including inflammation, infections or cancer. The EBUS scope has a video camera with an ultrasound probe attached, to create local images of the patient’s lungs and nearby lymph nodes, in order to accurately locate and evaluate areas seen on x-rays or scans that need a closer look. You can access our information leaflet here
Medical Thoracoscopy – Thoracoscopy (pleuroscopy) involves passage of an endoscope through the chest wall for direct visualisation of the pleura (the lining of the lungs).
Indwelling Pleural Catheter insertion/removal – This is a catheter drainage system, used to drain recurrent pleural effusions (liquid in the lungs) and ascites (liquid in the abdomen). You can access our information leaflet here
Cystoscopy – An examination that looks directly at the urethra and the bladder, used to evaluate, diagnose and treat problems.
POEM – Peroral Endoscopic Myotomy – A procedure which treats swallowing disorders caused by muscle problems such as spasms in the oesophagus.
Some of these procedures will involve therapeutic treatments including:
- banding
- dilatation
- polypectomy
- botox injections
Some of these may require the patient to have repeat procedures for ongoing treatment.
Patient information leaflets
We produce a wide range of leaflets which provide information about our services and about the treatment you might receive in our clinics or during your stay in hospital.
We also produce these in different formats including large print, please contact the department you are visiting for more information.