Digestive health (gastroenterology)

Don’t suffer in silence

Nearly everyone will suffer from some sort of digestive problem at some point in their lives, but few people actually speak to a doctor to help determine the cause and receive appropriate treatment. Our expert consultant gastroenterologists diagnose and treat men and women of all ages for a wide range of gastrointestinal conditions such as heartburn, constipation, bloating, colitis, indigestion (dyspepsia and Irritable Bowel Disease (IBD) or Irritable Bowel Syndrome. 

• We can arrange for you to see a consultant within 72 hours or at a time to suit you.
• Your consultant may recommend a gastroscopy (stomach examination) to aid diagnosis. This can be performed at Oaks usually within a week or two.
• Your consultant has access to other specialists within the hospital including our General Surgeons and dieticians to work with and refer to as appropriate.  
• Should further treatment be required, there is little or no waiting time for surgery, your treatment can start as soon as you are ready.  

Rapid access gastroscopy

A gastroscopy (sometimes referred to as an upper gastrointestinal endoscopy) is a procedure where a thin, flexible tube called an endoscope is used to examine the oesophagus, stomach and first part of the small intestine (duodenum).  A gastroscopy can be used to:

• investigate problems such as difficulty swallowing (dysphagia) or persistent abdominal pain
• diagnose conditions such as stomach ulcers or gastro-oesophageal reflux disease (GORD)
• treat conditions such as bleeding ulcers, a blockage in the oesophagus, non-cancerous growths (polyps) or small cancerous tumours

We offer a competitive fixed cost price for gastroscopy making it easy to pay for your own treatment.  Please see our price page or contact us on 01206 987669.

Next steps

1. A GP referral is always very helpful as it will provide your consultant with useful information, but you can usually self-refer without one.
2. Phone us on 01206 987669 to book an appointment.
3. Meet one of our specialists for an initial consultation and any diagnostic tests.
4. Arrange a date for further diagnostics or treatment, if required.