The Warrington and Halton Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust has unveiled a new £5m ($6.5m) Endoscopy Hub in the Nightingale Building at Halton Hospital in Cheshire, UK.

This development is part of a comprehensive endoscopy transformation programme aimed at bolstering diagnostic and screening services for bowel cancer and other conditions for patients in the Cheshire and Merseyside (C&M) regions.

The new facility includes four endoscopy rooms, featuring the latest technology and equipment, as well as a revamped recovery area offering an additional five beds.

It is set to improve patient access to services, both in the local areas of Warrington and Halton as well as across the wider region, by providing more appointment options, reducing waiting times, and enhancing the overall patient experience.

Moreover, the hub will introduce less invasive alternative procedures, for instance, capsule colonoscopy, trans-nasal endoscopy, and the cytosponge or 'pill on a string' method.

The cytosponge procedure, according to the Trust, involves a capsule containing a sponge that patients swallow to collect cell samples, offering a quicker and sedation-free alternative to traditional endoscopy.

Warrington and Halton Teaching Hospitals acting chief executive Daniel Moore said: “Working together across regions is critical to delivering the best patient care and by providing additional services at a central hub we can offer more capacity to give patients quicker access to vital diagnostic procedures.”

The funding for Endoscopy Hub stems from the C&M Endoscopy Transformation Programme, which seeks to upgrade endoscopy services for a population of 2.7 million.

The programme's goal is to provide services that are fit for purpose and to create an 'endoscopy without borders' system, ensuring equitable access for all patients throughout C&M.

In addition to the Endoscopy Hub, Halton Hospital is undergoing further development, including the construction of a new £8m diagnostics centre and the second phase of theatre redevelopment, both projected for completion in 2025. 

C&M Endoscopy Network clinical lead Dr Neil Haslam said: “This new Endoscopy Hub will support all our trusts to work collaboratively as one service to make the best use of our resources to help diagnose and treat people sooner.

“As a network, we are committed to developing services that are fit for purpose, with equal access and shorter waiting times.”