Island health bosses have launched a new service to help diagnose bowel issues.
NHS Western Isles is introducing Colon Capsule Endoscopy (CCE) – a small capsule with a camera at either end.
Each capsule can be swallowed by the patient, with each one taking tens of thousands of pictures as it travels through the bowel, before being passed and flushed away.
Officials are hopeful the ground-breaking technology will ensure such procedures are less invasive for patients.
Traditionally, patients who present with symptoms affecting the lower gastrointestinal tract (large bowel or colon) would require to have a colonoscopy to check for abnormalities.
However, this procedure is known to be unpleasant combined with a shortage of surgical time to match demand.
‘Ground-breaking technology’
Dr Dave Rigby said the capsule will be a game changer for this area of medicine.
He said: “The Colon Capsule Endoscopy (CCE) is ground-breaking technology which will mean that those at highest risk will gain access to colonoscopy quicker, and others will not require colonoscopy at all.
“The success rate of the test has been found to be as good as that for the traditional colonoscopy.”
The technology will now be used in patients’ own homes as part of a pilot project within the health board’s Hospital at Home service.
How does it work?
The procedure will begin very much the same way as a colonoscopy by clearing the bowels.
Patients will then be fitted with a recording belt before being asked to swallow the capsule along with a fluid to help push it through the bowel.
The cameras within the capsule will then tens of thousands of pictures as it travels through the bowel before being passed and flushed away.
All the images will be stored on the recording belt and analysed in a national centre where a report is generated and referred to the clinician within a matter of days.
NHS Western Isles chief executive Gordon Jamieson said: “We are so very proud as a health service to be able to provide this ground-breaking new service to our patients.
“I would like to congratulate and commend the staff involved in planning and establishing this ground-breaking new service, which has the potential to deliver a significantly improved service for patients.”
Health Secretary Humza Yousaf visited Stornoway on Friday to hear from NHS Western Isles clinicians about how the technology works.
He said: “It has been inspiring to hear from the team and learn more about this innovative service, Colon Capsule Endoscopy. This ground-breaking technology is one of the ways we can adapt to make procedures less invasive and quicker for patients, improving the overall outcome for patients.”
Mr Yousaf also praised NHS Western Isles for the extensive range of services being provided through the Hospital at Home scheme, which provides outreach care for the whole of Lewis and Harris by facilitating hospital level care at home.
He said: “From the success of the scheme so far, we can see that there is a real benefit to treating people at home where possible. It is our aim to double virtual bed capacity across Scotland by the end of the year.”
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