Small imaging technology that patients swallow is being trialled across the NHS. The miniature cameras are being used to spot early signs of cancer, and is said to help support a diagnosis within a few hours.
The technology, known as a colon capsule endoscopy, is no bigger than the average pill, and means patients can now use the technology to get a diagnosis without visiting a hospital or traditional endoscopies. Across the country, 11,000 patients will receive the cameras in 40 parts of country, as part of the trial.
University College London Hospitals NHS FT endoscopy team have started using the tool. Clinical lead Ed Seward said: “Colon capsule is a new innovation that has recently become available and involves swallowing a camera pill that takes pictures of the bowel as it passes through. These pictures are beamed to a recording device that the patient wears at their waist.
“Not only does colon capsule increase our diagnostic capacity, because it doesn’t require the resources of a dedicated hospital space to do the examination, it also allows us to do the examination in the patient’s home, so patients who may be shielding or cautious about going to a hospital, can perform the procedure in the comfort of their own homes.”
Genevieve Edwards, Chief Executive at Bowel Cancer UK, added: “This has the potential to make a huge difference for people with bowel cancer symptoms and could help the NHS to prioritise those who urgently need further tests.”
NHS Chief Executive Sir Simon Stevens said: “As we come out of ‘peak COVID’ and the disruption of the pandemic, the NHS is now pushing ahead with genuine innovation to expand services for many other conditions.
“That’s why we’re now trialing these ingenious capsule cameras to allow more people to undergo cancer investigations quickly and safely. What sounds like sci-fi is now becoming a reality, and as these minute cameras pass through your body, they take two pictures per second checking for signs of cancer and other conditions like Crohn’s disease.”
In December 2020, 200,000 people were checked for cancer, 13,000 more than December 2019.
