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Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust has become the second centre in the UK, and one of only 21 in the world, to be awarded Centre of Excellence status by the World Endoscopy Organisation.

The international honour, which is awarded for a period of five years, highlights the outstanding research, education and care doctors and nurses from the Trust and the University of Sheffield deliver in the field of endoscopy.

An endoscopy is a medical procedure that involves doctors and nurses attaching a long thin flexible tube to a video camera to visually inspect the digestive system. This can be used to help diagnose precancerous abnormalities, ulcers, coeliac disease and blockages, as well as in certain types of surgery, including keyhole surgery, to help with treatment.

Sheffield Teaching Hospitals’ is the largest gastrointestinal unit of its kind in the country, undertaking thousands of endoscopy procedures a year. It is also the home to the largest small bowel endoscopy service in Europe, and together with the University of Sheffield delivers internationally leading research, training and education in the field of digestive endoscopy. Sheffield is the only UK centre to have won the National Endoscopy Prize, the British Society of Gastroenterology Hopkins Prize three times in its history (2012, 2017 and 2019).

As well as running specialist national and international conferences, the Centre was one of the original sites invited to run the national specialist practitioner bowel cancer screening training programme on behalf of the British Society of Gastroenterology and the Joint Advisory Group and is one of only a handful to conduct accredited examinations on behalf of these centres.

The Centre was also one of the first centres in the UK to adopt double balloon endoscopy, an advanced type of endoscopic procedure which allows doctors to examine and treat parts of the small bowel which are usually impossible to reach without surgery. This led to the establishment of visiting fellowship across most of the other UK centres, who are now trained in the technique as a result, with expertise being established further afield in Jordan, Malta, Turkey and Italy through this arrangement.

Dr Kumar Basu, Clinical Director Gastroenterology for Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, said: “We are delighted that our gastrointestinal unit has been recognised through this international honour. This is the culmination of many years of hard work to provide patients with the best possible care and continue to be at the forefront of teaching, training and research. This cements our reputation as a world leading centre of gastroenterology and is a fantastic acknowledgement of the commitment and expertise of every member of our team.”

Each Centre works closely with the World Endoscopy Organisation to promote high quality endoscopy.

ENDS

Photo: Sister Anna Hawley, Professor David Sanders (background), Professor Mark McAlindon (background), Professor Reena Sidhu (background), Dr Kumar Basu (foreground) and Dr Mo Thoufeeq (background).