Gastroenterology team shortlisted for Hospital Doctor award

The gastroenterology team at the Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital has been shortlisted as specialist team of the year in this year's Hospital Doctor Awards.

The team, which in September launched a new bowel cancer screening service, is one of three to be shortlisted nationally for the gastroenterology award.

Consultant gastroenterologist Dr Hugh Kennedy said this was a tribute to the hard work of the entire multi-disciplinary team and showed that the department had developed from humble beginnings to become one of the most progressive in the country.

When he came to NNUH 20 years ago he was the first specialist in gastroenterology, assisted by only one endoscopy sister and a secretary. Today there are seven consultants, four nurse endoscopists and seven specialist nurse working in a department that in 2005/6 carried out nearly 12,000 clinical procedures – a figure that has nearly doubled in the last five years.

The gastroenterology department is equipped with excellent facilities both at NNUH and at Cromer Hospital, and is a national training centre for endoscopy.

Apart from undertaking complex clinical investigations, the team provides outstanding services in the treatment of inflammatory bowel disease, liver problems, irritable bowel syndrome and all the other aspects of gastroenterology. In September it became one of the first two centres in the country to launch a new bowel screening service which is expected to significantly reduce the number of deaths from bowel cancer in older people.

The team works closely other specialities and undertakes research with the University of East Anglia and the Institute of Food Research to study different aspects of liver and bowel disease, including the effects of diet and other contributory factors.

The service is continually improving with the help of feedback from patients, and support groups help patients with liver disease, inflammatory bowel disease and coeliac disease.

Dr Kennedy commented: “The gastroenterology department is one of the most cohesive, friendly and progressive in the country and its success can be attributed to the hard work of many people, both within the hospital and in the community. Despite the current financial constraints we are still moving forward and developing to improve services for our patients.”

The Hospital Doctor award winners will be announced in London on 23 November.