Introduction
Endoscopy is a vital department in any hospital as it enables medical practitioners to see and diagnose a wide range of conditions affecting internal organs and cavities, particularly the digestive and respiratory systems. Essentially non-invasive and generally carried out under sedation and local anaesthetic rather than a GA, it can be used in therapies such as removal of polyps or to take samples for biopsies.
In every such department, a key item of equipment is the patient platform — and hundreds of hospitals across the country use stretchers designed and built by British clinical equipment manufacturer Anetic Aid.
Always striving to improve their products, the company's account managers and engineers listen out for comments and feedback to inform developments and refinements. The result of a recent project has been a new QA3 Treatment Stretcher, 12 of which are now in use at the newly built Midland Metropolitan University Hospital (MMUH) in Smethwick — located about four miles west of Birmingham City Centre and part of the Sandwell and West Birmingham NHS Trust.
QA3 Treatment Stretcher
From the original concept over 30 years ago, the QA3 has always been designed to be manoeuvrable, compact, light weight and robust.
Early models were chiefly used for patient transport, but over time, the company's portfolio has expanded to included dedicated Emergency Department versions and options specifically designed to support lifting and handled such as powered functions and inbuilt motorised drive.
The new QA3 Treatment Stretcher, which launched in 2022, is a combination of these features and options designed to provide an optimum treatment platform. As Product Manager Mark lee explains: 'Procedures like Endoscopy are often carried out in treatment rooms where space is a premium, so keeping our compact design was a priority.
'Good head end access is important and a new feature is the extended height capacity. The platform can now be raised to 875mm — a development following feedback that doctors and practitioners standing alongside the trolley to carry out a procedure didn't want to be bending down so far.
'However, we have maintained the low height of 495mm (excluding the mattress) and store away side rails to allow for easier mount/dismount, particularly for frail or elderly patients.'
A key innovation is powered functions - six in all - including platform raise and lower, Trendelenburg, Reverse Trendelenburg, back rest and KneeFlex, as well as a CPR feature which returns the trolley swiftly to a horizontal, optimal height position for CPR treatment. In addition to the handset controls, there is also a control panel at the foot of the stretcher for ease-of-use.
Endoscopy at MMUH
MMUH currently has two major Endoscopy rooms operating five days a week, supported by a formalised 24/7 on-call rota for emergency Endoscopy. There is also one X-ray room used for image-guided Endoscopy procedures such as ERCPs.
Staff Nurse Juliet Adeeko, who has been working in Endoscopy for 10 years explained: 'Typical procedures are: ERCP (for diagnosing and treating problems in the bile and pancreatic ducts) and EBUS (used to examine and sample lymph nodes and other structures within the chest cavity, specifically around the airways).'
Now using the new Treatment Stretcher in the department, she said: 'The stretcher is fit for purpose, and the extra height stands out and makes a real difference.' She also commented on the knee break feature which aids patient positioning and comfort.
Midlands Endoscopy Training Academy
MMUH is proud to be part of the Midlands Endoscopy Training Academy, which was set up in 2021 following the publication of the Richards Review for Diagnostic Services for NHS England.
The model was a collaboration by senior endoscopy clinicians, workforce leads in trusts, universities involved in endoscopy training, cancer alliance workforce leads, Health Education England (HEE) and National Health Service Education and Improvement (NHSE&I). The Academy's Director/Clinical Lead is Dr Aravinth Murugananthan, a Gastroenterologist with specialist interests in Endoscopy training and therapeutic Endoscopy, who has been director of the JAG West Midlands Endoscopy Training Centre for the last five years.
The aim is to build on the existing expertise in the region and create a training environment to support the development of the whole of the Endoscopy workforce: Endoscopists-in-training from all disciplines and backgrounds, established Endoscopists, Endoscopy support and administrative staff.
Delivered in partnership with Birmingham City University and NHS England, the Academy's mission is to:
Accelerate the time to independent Endoscopy practice for Endoscopists-in-training
Provide intensive training to support the acquisition of a high standard of skill, knowledge and behaviour by the Endoscopy workforce
Improve the quality and capacity of Endoscopy training and supervision
Improve the patient experience of Endoscopy throughout the complete journey.
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