Trainee doctors at East Suffolk and North Essex NHS Foundation Trust (ESNEFT) are now able to perfect their endoscopy skills without touching a patient following the introduction of a new state-of-the-art virtual reality simulator.
The EndoSim equipment allows students to practice almost any procedure in a classroom environment. This includes endoscopy of the lower and upper gastrointestinal tract and bile duct. The equipment also allows students to practice bronchoscopies, which look into the lungs.
It gives the students the opportunity to master a variety of different skills safely and effectively. It accurately measures their progress until they achieve the necessary competencies to move into a theatre.
ESNEFT is one of just a handful of trusts across the country to invest in the equipment. The purchase was funded by Colchester & Ipswich Hospitals Charity. The EndoSim has been installed in the ICENI Centre, ESNEFT’s world-renowned medical education centre at Colchester Hospital.
Colorectal consultant Greg Wynn is lead clinical director of the ICENI Centre. Greg said: “We are delighted that ESNEFT is remaining at the forefront of innovation by investing in this cutting-edge technology.
“The EndoSim allows us to take a complete novice and give them they skills they need to start working safely on patients. Before we had this specialist equipment, the first time a trainee touched a scope would be when they were putting it into a patient.
“The technology uses metrics which allows us to measure the student’s progress objectively. The student can map their own development, until they are at the skill level required.
“As far as I am aware, this is the first piece of kit which can take someone from having zero experience to being sufficiently competent to safely scope a patient. It is incredibly exciting, and will make a real difference to the training our clinicians receive.”
Mandy Jordan is Associate Director of Charity and Voluntary Services with the Colchester & Ipswich Hospitals Charity. Mandy said: “We are delighted that the charity has been able to fund this fantastic piece of kit. It will make a real difference to the training of our next generation of endoscopists.”
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