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What we do

We offer endoscopy services at the Royal Blackburn Teaching HospitalBurnley General Teaching Hospital and Rossendale Primary Health Care Centre, collectively known as East Lancashire  Hospitals NHS Trust.

Endoscopy is a procedure that uses a long, thin, flexible, lighted tube called an endoscope, to diagnose or treat a condition within the gastrointestinal tract.

Here at East Lancashire Hospitals NHS Trust we offer a range of endoscopic procedures of the gastrointestinal tract.  This includes diagnostic and therapeutic procedures of the upper GI tract (gastroscopy), colon (colonoscopy or flexible sigmoidoscopy).

Endoscopy is performed by doctors and specially trained nurses (Nurse Endoscopists).  All  endoscopists have met the criteria set by the UK national endoscopy body JAG (Joint Advisory Group  on GI Endoscopy) and East Lancashire Hospitals NHS Trust Endoscopy Service has been fully accredited by JAG.  All  endoscopists are supported by specialist endoscopy nurses and health care assistants.

As an endoscopy team we aim to:

  • Make your visit to the unit as relaxed and as dignified as possible

  • Keep you fully informed of what is happening at all times to enable you to make informed choices

  • Provide an accessible, timely and high-quality patient-centred service

  • Provide you with a high standard of care based on current recommendations and protocols

We provide you with a full report of your procedure before you leave our unit. This means that you will be fully informed of the outcome of your procedure. We will also let you know if you need to have any further investigations.

On this web page you will find information about all the procedures and treatments we offer, including helpful links to external websites. You will be able to access information about the endoscopy units and the members of staff that will be looking after you on your visit.

This web page also offers information regarding any disease or disorder that you may be diagnosed with on your visit as well as providing information regarding improving your health and lifestyle.

We welcome patient feedback and undertake a regular patient satisfaction survey.

For any enquiries about this webpage please contact Stacey.Littler-Roberts@elht.nhs.uk

How to get access the service

E-Referrals

E referrals (formerly know as Choose and book) is the service that lets you book, change or cancel a routine hospital appointment either online or by phone.

When you and your GP agree you need a referral to a specialist, E-referrals shows your GP which locations provide appropriate treatment, and you can choose a date and time to suit you.

Most services at the East Lancashire NHS Hospital Trust are already directly bookable through E-referrals as part of our commitment to offer patients fast, efficient and reliable access to healthcare. We provide services at a number of locations so that patients can choose to be treated closer to home.

You will be given an Appointment Request Letter containing your Reference Number and Password. Make sure you have these in front of you when booking an appointment.

Where to find us

Our services can be accessed at the following locations: 

Service Lead

Dr Venkat Mahesh - Clinical Lead for Endoscopy

Key staff

We have a highly skilled and dedicated team at ELHT. You can find out who they are below:

Dr Fouad Alani -  Gastroenterologist

Specialises in all diagnostic endoscopy and specialist therapeutic endoscopy

Dr Mostafa Afifi - Gastroenterology Associate Specialist

Performs all diagnostic upper and lower GI endoscopies, haemostatic measures for GI bleeds, variceal band ligation and feeding tube insertions.

Special interest in Luminal procedures, polypectomies and EMR. 

Dr Joseph K Collum - Clinical Director for Digestive Diseases and Consultant Gastroenterologist

Specialises in diagnostic/therapeutic endoscopy and Bowel Cancer Screening

Dr Abdelrahman Farag - Consultant Gastroenterologist

Performs all diagnostic upper and lower GI endoscopies, haemostatic measures for GI bleeds, variceal band ligation and feeding tube insertions.

Special interest in Luminal procedures, polypectomies, EMR and Bowel cancer screening.

Dr Ioannis Gkikas – Consultant Gastroenterologist

Specialises in all diagnostic endoscopy and performs Endoscopic Retrograde Cholangio-Pancreatography (ERCP), Therapeutic Endoscopy, and Endoscopic Mucosal Resection of the Oesophagus and Stomach (EMRs)

Dr Charles Grimley - Consultant Gastroenterologist

Specialises in all diagnostic endoscopy, Upper GI EMR and Therapeutic Endoscopy and is a Bowel Cancer Screening Colonoscopist 

Dr Hassan Hatab - Consultant Gastroenterologist

Special interest in liver disease, Diagnostic and therapeutic endoscopy, Diagnostic EUS and training in ERCP

Professor Damien Lynch - Consultant Gastroenterologist 

Specialises in all diagnostic endoscopy and Endoscopic Retrograde Cholangio-Pancreatography (ERCP) 

Dr Venkat Mahesh - Endoscopy Clinical Lead and Consultant Gastroenterologist

Performs all routine diagnostic upper and lower GI endoscopy. Special areas of interest include all aspects of pancreaticobiliary endoscopy including ERCP, diagnostic and therapeutic Endoscopic Ultrasound, advanced endoscopy especially upper GI EMR and enteroscopy. 

Dr Georgios Marinopoulos - Consultant Gastroenterologist

Specialises in diagnostic and therapeutic endoscopy, advanced LGI polypectomy, leading consultant in video capsule endoscopy. 

Dr Stephen McClements - Consultant Hepatologist and Gastroenterologist

Performs diagnostic and therapeutic luminal endoscopy

Dr Chris Meaden - Consultant Gastroenterologist

Specialist in diagnostic and therapeutic upper and lower GI endoscopy, Endoscopic Retrograde Cholangio-Pancreatography (ERCP) and Bowel Cancer Screening

Dr Hamid Mushtaq - Locum Consultant Gastroenterologist

Performs all diagnostic upper and lower GI endoscopies, haemostatic measures for GI bleeds, variceal band ligation and feeding tube insertions.

Special interest in Luminal procedures, polypectomies and EMR.

Dr Mohamed Shibeika 

- Consultant Gastroenterologist with a specialist interest in Hepato-Pancreato-Biliary (HPB) disease.

- Specialist in diagnostic and therapeutic luminal endoscopy . 

- Performs ERCP and EUS.

Dr Muhammad Jan – Consultant in Acute Medicine

Upper GI Diagnostic Endoscopist, training in colonoscopy

 

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Mr Abdulmoniem Abdulgader - Locum General and Colorectal Surgeon 

Diagnostic Endoscopy 

Mr Haytham Abudeeb - General and Colorectal Surgeon

Specialises in all diagnostic endoscopy 

Mr Rami Ahmad, Locum Consultant General and Colorectal Surgeon 

Specialises in lower GI endoscopy, diagnostic and some therapeutic interventions.

Mrs Jennifer Binnington - Consultant General and Colorectal Surgeon

Specialises in colorectal and paediatrics.

Mr Andrew Evans - Consultant General and Colorectal Surgeon

Specialises in diagnostic flexible sigmoidoscopies, Diagnostic and some therapeutic upper GI endoscopy

Mr Michael Gill - Consultant General and Colorectal Surgeon

Specialises in colorectal and TAMIS (trans-anal minimally invasive surgery).

Mr Nick Heywood - Consultant General and Emergency Colorectal Surgeon

Specialises in colorectal surgery and diagnostic lower GI endoscopy

Mr Valampalayam Natarajan – Associate Specialist in General Surgery

Specialises in all diagnostic endoscopy procedures and selective EMRs.

Mrs Judith Salaman - Consultant General and Colorectal Surgeon

Specialises in all diagnostic endoscopy procedures

Mr Adnan Sheik - Consultant General and Colorectal Surgeon

Specialises in all diagnostic endoscopy procedures

Mr Louis Vitone - Consultant General and Colorectal Surgeon

Specialises in all diagnostic endoscopic procedures and transanal endoscopic microsurgery

Sister Sarah Alcock - Nurse Endoscopist Practitioner

Specialises in performing all diagnostic lower endoscopy and specialises in diagnostic upper GI

Sister Caroline Bartle - Nurse Endoscopist Practitioner

Specialises in all diagnostic lower GI endoscopy and bowel scope screening (BoSS)

Sister Jo Heffernan - Nurse Endoscopist Practitioner

Specialises in performing all diagnostic lower endoscopy and specialises in diagnostic upper GI.

Sister Stacey Littler Roberts - Nurse Endoscopist Practitioner

Specialises in performing all diagnostic lower endoscopy and specialises in diagnostic upper GI

Sister Helen Morrell - Nurse Endoscopist Practitioner

Specialises in performing all diagnostic lower endoscopy and specialises in diagnostic upper GI.

Sister Christie Mortimer – Trainee Nurse Endoscopist Practitioner

Specialises in all diagnostic upper GI endoscopy and training in lower GI endoscopy

Charge Nurse Benjamin Palmer – Nurse Endoscopist Practitioner

Specialises in performing all diagnostic lower endoscopy and specialises in diagnostic upper GI

Sister Michelle Stone - Lead Nurse Endoscopist Practitioner

Specialises in performing all diagnostic lower endoscopy and specialises in diagnostic upper GI

Sister Jessica Williams – Trainee Nurse Endoscopist

Specialises in all diagnostic upper GI endoscopy and training in lower GI endoscopy

Jackie Stanworth - Operational Manager

Charge Nurse Christopher Russell - Endoscopy Matron

Senior Sister Catherine Marshall - Unit Manager for Endoscopy A at Burnley General Teaching Hospital and Rossendale Primary Health Care Centre.

Senior Sister Nicola Rickwood - Unit Manager for Endoscopy B and the Endoscopy Pre-Op assessment team at Burnley General Teaching Hospital

Senior Sister Karen Higham - Endoscopy Unit Manager at Royal Blackburn Teaching Hospital

Charge Nurse Benjamin Horobin - Nurse Lead at Royal Blackburn Teaching Hospital

Sister Megan Gillson - Nurse Lead at Royal Blackburn Teaching Hospital

Sister Charlotte Lowe – Nurse Lead at Royal Blackburn Teaching Hospital

Sister Rachel Senogles - Nurse Lead at Royal Blackburn Teaching Hospital

Sister Suzanne Peaker - Endoscopy Practice Educator 

Sister Heather Wilkinson - Endoscopy Practice Educator

Sister Rachael Bird - Nurse Lead at Endoscopy A Burnley General Teaching Hospital

Sister Cath Fish -  Nurse Lead at Endoscopy A Burnley General Teaching Hospital

Sister Rachel Riley – Nurse Lead at Endoscopy A Burnley General Teaching Hospital

Sister Zahira Bhatti – Nurse Lead at Endoscopy A, Burnley General Teaching Hospital

Sister Angela Cardona – Nurse Lead at Endoscopy B, Burnley General Teaching Hospital

Sister Priyanka MacGregor – Nurse Lead at Endoscopy B, Burnley General Teaching Hospital

Sister Sarah Couch - Nurse Lead at Rossendale Primary Health Care Centre

Sister Megan Donnelly - Nurse Lead at Rossendale Primary Health Care Centre

Sister Marie Johnson - Endoscopy Pre-assessment Sister

General enquiries

Burnley General Teaching  Hospital  (Monday-Sunday)

8.00 am to 6.30 pm 01282 805117

6.30 pm - 8.00 am - 01254  263555 and ask for BLEEP 087

Royal Blackburn Teaching Hospital (Monday-Sunday)

8.00 am to 6.30 pm 01254 733191

6.30 pm to 8.00 am 01254 263555 and ask for BLEEP 087 

Rossendale Primary Health Care Centre (Monday-Friday)

8.00 am to 6.30 pm- 01706 235360

6.30 pm - 8.00 am - 01254  263555 and ask for BLEEP 087

Saturday and Sunday - (24 hours) 01254 263555 and ask for BLEEP 087

Additional Information

For accessibility information to help you get to the endoscopy department at Royal Blackburn Teaching Hospital please select the link below: