A £1 million specialist endoscopy clinic has opened in Aberdeen and could prove vital to thousands of patients waiting for diagnoses.
The purpose-built suite on Wellheads Crescent, Dyce, is being operated by TAC Healthcare Group and will serve private and public patients.
During an endoscopy, a camera is inserted into the body to detect ulcers, cancer and Crohn’s Disease in areas like the stomach and bowels.
Nationally, the number of patients waiting for such a procedure has risen to the highest level in years.
The most recent figures, up to the end of September, show nearly 35,000 Scots were on the waiting list for an endoscopy.
This included almost 2,000 patients in the NHS Grampian area – with more than half having waited longer than six weeks.
Health bosses say endoscopy services across the country are under “unprecedented pressures” due to an increase in demand and difficulties providing them during the pandemic.
Clinical director Ken Park says the procedures are “key” to detecting serious illnesses at an early stage.
He added: “In other cases, this ease of access will also enable us to reassure others that there is no serious cause for the symptoms they have been worried about, which can ease anxiety and stress.”
‘No one particularly looks forward to an endoscopy, but…’
The opening of the £1m suite – Scotland’s first carbon-neutral endoscopy facility – follows a £2m investment made at the Aberdeen premises last year.
Chiefs used the cash to refurbish its occupational health centre and hire more staff, with the intention of becoming a “one stop shop” for diagnosing and treating certain conditions.
Mr Park, who has practised as a consultant general surgeon for 20 years, added: “Our endoscopy suite only undertakes endoscopy.
“We do this for both public and private patients and it means that we have specialist nurses and doctors undertaking large numbers of procedures.
“No one particularly looks forward to an endoscopy – but having it done by a team that is doing it all the time is the best way to ensure the procedure is done well, quickly and with the minimum of upset.”
