A hi-tech £400,000 unit which reduces the need for surgery has been opened at Colchester General Hospital.

The new endoscopy suite - which allows doctors to examine patients' internal organs without a conventional operation - will also help cut waiting lists and waiting times.

The suite is the hospital's second such facility and extra staff including a new consultant have been recruited to run it.

Because of an increasing demand for the procedure, the existing suite has been open on Saturdays for the last six months to reduce waiting times.

An endoscope is a long flexible telescope which enables doctors to examine the internal organs without exploratory surgery.

Anne Morris, of Essex Rivers Healthcare Trust, said the new equipment, which was opened in the Elmstead Day Unit earlier this month, would be a great benefit to patients.

She said: "It has greatly reduced the need for exploratory surgery which is carried out under a general anaesthetic and requires patients to spend at least one night in hospital.

"Endoscopy is performed under a local anaesthetic throat spray or sedation on a day care basis so patients go home the same day."

As well as the consultant, three Colchester GPs have been called in to help operate the unit.

Between April and the beginning of this month 2,795 patients underwent endoscopy at Colchester General Hospital.

There are currently 243 patients waiting and average of six months to undergo the procedure.

Endoscopy is used to examine many areas of the body including the intestines, lungs and pancreas. It can also take samples for a biopsy.

The procedure lasts from ten minutes to around an hour.

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