Authors' recommendations: York Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust is considering setting up a nurse led service to deliver elective diagnostic endoscopy. Endoscopy by nurses is becoming increasingly common and is approved, subject to appropriate training and management, by the relevant professional organisations. The available evidence suggests that appropriately trained nurses can perform diagnostic endoscopy safely and with similar outcomes to doctors. The largest study undertaken in the UK found that nurses can undertake diagnostic endoscopy safely and effectively, but that doctors were more likely to be cost-effective, although there was uncertainty underlying the cost-effectiveness analysis. Any loss of cost-effectiveness resulting from a transfer of elective endoscopy from doctors to nurses needs to be balanced against possible gains from using the doctors more effectively elsewhere and from potential better co-ordination of elective endoscopy services. The likely impact of released time is difficult to assess, particularly as it will be split between several specialties. Implementation of an elective nurse led endoscopy service will take time and require a substantial investment in training and supervision. Given these uncertainties, it will be important to plan carefully for implementation of any change to services and monitor costs and clinical outcomes during and after the change.

Project Status: Completed

Year Published: 2011

URL for published report: http://www.york.ac.uk/inst/crd/pdf/Nurse%20endoscopy%20evidence%20briefing.pdf

English language abstract: An English language summary is available

Publication Type: Not Assigned

Country: England

Organisation Name: University of York

Contact Address: University of York, York, Y01 5DD, United Kingdom. Tel: +44 1904 321040, Fax: +44 1904 321041,

Contact Name: crd@york.ac.uk

Contact Email: crd@york.ac.uk

Copyright: University of York