Understanding the patient experience

The patient is number one! This notion applies not only to the current throughput of 1,116,000 endoscopy patients being treated at our hospitals each year,¹ but also the future patients that will eventually follow suit, as the NHS’ Bowel scope endoscopy screening programme grows to a predicted 60% roll out by March 2015 and a full roll-out by 2016.² 

As the NHS – and other healthcare systems – recognises not only the patient benefits of early diagnosis but the significant cost- savings of halting disease at its earliest point, there is a greater need for training in endoscopy services and more research, particularly as a result of the national screening roll-out. Potentially all UK residents will undergo an endoscopic procedure at some point in their life. Notably bowel cancer is the third most common form of the disease in the UK, with around one in 20 people developing the condition during their lifetime³ – and therefore it is crucial to understand the patient’s perspective of the care experience and streamline the essential diagnostic and detection process in order to make it more efficient and improve patient care. 

South Tyneside District Hospital is just one organisation set to play a vital role in the development of a patient experience research programme for the South Tyneside NHS Foundation Trust, supported by specialist Fujifilm endoscopy equipment provider, Aquilant Endoscopy.