"Experience of colonoscopy"

Thank you for your kind comments with regard to the efficiency of our staff and the preparation you received for your procedure. In response to your comment regarding the long wait, I would advise that the majority of Endoscopy lists do have staggered admission times to minimise the time the patients have to wait for their tests. However, time is allowed for them to be admitted by the nurse and to have any necessary preparation that is required for the test (eg. changing into a gown if required), and therefore the admission time will always be different from the actual scope time. Respiratory ask all the patients to attend at the beginning of the list to allow the Consultant to review the patients, obtain the necessary consent and then prioritise the list. The same is true for the general anaesthetic list, as the patients need to be seen by the anaesthetist prior to the list commencing. However, there are times where even though the patients are staggered the department experiences emergencies which then delay the patients in the waiting room further. Due to all of these factors we inform patients in the information leaflets that we send out, to be prepared to spend all morning or the whole afternoon in the department. Senior Matron Gastroenterology Royal Devon and Exeter Hospital (Wonford)