Whipps Cross University Hospital
About
Whipps Cross University Hospital, part of Bart’s Health NHS Trust, is located in the London borough of Waltham Forest in East London, and covers a population of approximately one million people. As one of the most diverse boroughs in the country with an estimated 53% of residents from a minority ethnic background, the area has relatively poor health outcomes. Endoscopy is the most commonly performed gastrointestinal procedure and 2 million procedures are performed each year in the UK. Whipps Cross made the decision to insource weekend activities to DMC Healthcare in 2016 in order to manage their waiting lists, improve patient safety and timeliness, which led to successful JAG accreditation and re-accreditation in 2022 on the 5-year cycle.
Challenges
Waiting lists at a critical point
The cancer screening target is a 2 week wait for patients referred directly from their GP and this was not being achieved locally in 2017.
JAG Compliance
Every endoscopy unit strives to have JAG accreditation – this is a seal of approval from the National Endoscopy Committee that inspects units all over the country. One of the key criteria required is the meeting of waiting times. Whipps Cross did not have JAG accreditation before DMC was onboarded.
Solutions
The majority of DMC’s weekend patients are 2 week potential cancer referrals, demonstrating the trust placed on DMC to deal with this particularly high risk patient group. This enabled waiting lists to be brought under control.
Since the publication by JAG of the RCP ‘Endoscopy In-Sourcing Guidelines and checklist’ in December 2019, DMC has been fully compliant. The Endoscopy service at Whipps Cross was the first unit in the East London area to be ‘JAG Accredited’. DMC Healthcare supported Whipps Cross in gaining their accreditation and successfully achieving their re-certification in 2022. This is based on clinical, operational and endoscopic domain thresholds.
Outcomes
✅ DMC Healthcare supported Whipps Cross in gaining their JAG accreditation
✅ 99% of patients said they were dealt with promptly and efficiently
✅ 98% of patients rated their endoscopy experience as excellent or very good
✅ DMC consultants are dedicated, substantive NHS consultants
✅ 984 patients were seen (1660 points) between January and May 2023
✅ 22 newly diagnosed cancers were detected between January and May 2023
✅ 97.5% caecal intubation rate (well above the national average of 90%)
Testimonial