Endoscopy
Important information for endoscopy patients following recent fire at University Hospital Southampton
Many of you may have seen recent news reports following the fire in our endoscopy unit.
Unfortunately, the unit has been significantly damaged, and we will not be able to provide patient care in this location for several months - as a result, some appointments have had to be cancelled or delayed.
All affected appointments have been logged, and our clinical team is carefully reviewing each case to prioritise patients based on clinical need. This ensures that patients who need investigations or treatment most urgently are seen first.
We understand that this news may be worrying, and we want to explain what this means for you and what we are doing next.
We are working closely with the wider organisation and external providers to ensure that patients can continue to receive care as safely and quickly as possible, including providing temporary endoscopy capacity at other sites. We are also hoping to take delivery of temporary unit accommodation on our own site in the coming months.
We will contact patients directly, in order of clinical priority, to arrange alternative appointments at one of the temporary sites. The location offered will be based on your clinical needs and will be appropriately staffed and equipped to provide your care. For this reason, we kindly ask that you accept the location offered where possible, as alternative locations may not be available.
We are very sorry for the delays and uncertainty this situation may cause. Please be assured that we are doing everything we can to support our patients and to resume services as fully and safely as possible.
If you condition gets worse or deteriorates, please contact your GP or 111.
Thank you for your understanding and patience.
Opening times
- Monday to Sunday, 8am to 6pm
- In hours emergency cover until 8pm
- 24/7 emergency endoscopic cover - please call 111 or 999 depending on the situation
Find us
We are currently operating across multiple sites. You will be contacted with your location by our booking team. If you are told your appointment is at Southampton General Hospital, this will be on G level, East Wing.
From the main entrance, turn left at the M&S café, take the lifts or stairs up to G level, then follow the signs for endoscopy which is at the entrance to East Wing area.
You can see a floor plan for G level here.
Contact us
For out-of-hours emergencies, please ring 111 and/or attend ED as appropriate.
For in-hours or urgent enquiries, please call the endoscopy department on 023 8120 6066.
For general enquiries about your appointment, please call the endoscopy booking office on 023 8120 6066.
About us
Our unit is JAG accredited and provides a range of both diagnostic and therapeutic gastrointestinal (GI) endoscopic procedures, including a 24/7 acute gastrointestinal bleeding service supported by a gastroenterologist and nurse team.
Find out about the facilities we have in the unit here.
We are active in training, teaching and research, and are fully equipped with video endoscopes and associated equipment.
We also have an endoscopy users group. This is our governance and education platform, acting as a forum where all service users can get regular updates and ask questions, in an open and supportive environment.
Our team
Our gastroenterologists, surgeons and nurse endoscopists are supported by nursing staff, technicians, and clerical staff. Find out more about our team here.
The unit works closely with other specialist medical and surgical teams, departments, wards in the hospital, and our colleagues in primary care.
We also work with other hospitals in the region to deliver high quality tertiary endoscopy services and endoscopy training.
JAG accreditation
We're proud to be accredited by the national endoscopy regulatory body (JAG). This means we're nationally recognised as providing a high level of service. Accreditation is based on satisfactory demonstration of all aspects of the quality of patient experience, quality and safety, training, and workforce.