Raising standards in endoscopy

Endoscopy is one of the most common procedures carried out in hospitals today. Yet high levels of demand mean that NHS Trusts are under severe pressure to deliver. On top of this demand, there is also the challenge for all endoscopy services to achieve Joint Advisory Group on Gastrointestinal Endoscopy (JAG) accreditation. Top reasons for JAG deferral range from decontamination, environment and unit design; to patient-centred factors such as privacy and dignity, and workforce issues such as training. Striving to address the latter is the gastrointestinal endoscopy for nurses (GIN) training programme, which was first established to improve access to training for nurses and support workers in endoscopy in England. The programme has since been adopted by Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, and the independent sector and community sites are also taking part.

The aim of the programme has been to update the workforce on service development in endoscopy, improve the patient experience and contribute to sustainability by providing the personnel and tools to ensure a structured approach to training, assessment and appraisal. Originally funded as a national project through the National Endoscopy Programme, central funding for the GIN programme has now ended – going forward, there will be a charge per course. However, one of the key benefits of the training, to date, has been that it has enabled nurses to return to their units and identify areas of non-compliance with JAG accreditation, as well as suggest ways in which these can be addressed. Training has also been standardised across the country. Although it is difficult to measure how this has improved patient care, GIN reports that 68% of units improved their GRS (endoscopy global rating scale) scores, following the initial wave of training.

Improving quality