Appointments and preparation

Your Endoscopy appointment

Your GP, hospital doctor or another healthcare professional can refer you for an endoscopy procedure.

Your appointment letter and procedure-specific patient information leaflet will tell you which procedure you are having, where to attend and any preparation you need to complete.

Before your appointment

Please read your appointment letter carefully and follow all preparation instructions. Your procedure may need to be postponed if you have not completed the required preparation.

Depending on your procedure, you may need to:

• change what you eat and drink before your appointment
• take bowel-preparation medicine
• complete a health questionnaire
• arrange for someone to take you home if you are having sedation
• bring details of your medicines with you.

Read information about preparing for your procedure and what to expect:

• Gastroscopy/OGD patient information leaflet
• Transnasal Endoscopy (TNE) patient information leaflet
• Colonoscopy with PLENVU patient information leaflet
• Colonoscopy with CitraFleet patient information leaflet
• Colonoscopy with enhanced CitraFleet patient information leaflet
• Colonoscopy with MOVIPREP patient information leaflet
• Flexible sigmoidoscopy patient information leaflet
• Cholangioscopy patient information leaflet
• Endoscopic Ultrasound (EUS) patient information leaflet
• ERCP patient information leaflet
• Flexible sigmoidoscopy with PLENVU patient information leaflet
• Flexible sigmoidoscopy with CitraFleet patient information leaflet
• Gastroscopy/OGD and flexible sigmoidoscopy patient information leaflet
• Gastroscopy/OGD and flexible sigmoidoscopy with PLENVU patient information leaflet
• Gastroscopy/OGD and flexible sigmoidoscopy with CitraFleet patient information leaflet
• Gastroscopy/OGD and colonoscopy with PLENVU patient information leaflet
• Gastroscopy/OGD and colonoscopy with CitraFleet patient information leaflet
• Gastroscopy and colonoscopy with enhanced CitraFleet patient information leaflet
• Gastroscopy and colonoscopy with MOVIPREP patient information leaflet
• Advanced endoscopic resection of polyps in the large bowel with PLENVU patient information leaflet
• Advanced endoscopic resection of polyps in the large bowel with CitraFleet patient information leaflet
• Oesophageal balloon dilatation to patient information leaflet
• Small bowel capsule endoscopy with PLENVU patient information leaflet

To review lung related or paediatric endoscopy patient information leaflets, click on this link (takes them to the Paediatric patient information leaflets and Respiratory patient information leaflets)

Consent Forms

A consent form will be provided with your appointment letter to review before your procedure. To view the consent forms, follow the links below:

• Transnasal Endoscopy Consent Form
• Gastroscopy Consent Form
• Flexible Sigmoidoscopy Consent Form
• Colonoscopy Consent Form
• Endoscopic ultrasound (EUS) Consent Form
• Endoscopic Retrograde Cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) Consent Form

Where to attend and contact details

Please check your appointment letter carefully, as it confirms which location you need to attend.

St George’s Hospital – Endoscopy Unit
Address: St George’s Hospital, Blackshaw Road, London, SW17 0QT
Unit location: Endoscopy Unit, first floor, St James’ Wing. St James’ Wing is signposted throughout the hospital. Find your way around our hospitals

Parking: Car park entrance: Blackshaw Road

Endoscopy Unit – general enquiries and appointments
Telephone: 020 8725 1913
Hours: Monday to Friday, 8:30am to 3pm
For medication queries, ask for the pre-admission nurses.

Opening hours: Monday to Friday, 8am to 6pm

If you recently had an endoscopy procedure and feel unwell, please contact us.

Queen Mary’s Hospital – Day Case Unit
Address: Roehampton Lane, Roehampton, SW15 5PN
Unit location: Ground floor. Follow signs to the Day Case Unit / Endoscopy.

Parking: Car park entrance: Roehampton Lane

Day Case / Endoscopy Unit – general enquiries
Telephone: 020 8487 6466
Hours: Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm
For medication queries, ask for the pre-assessment nurses.

The Nelson Health Centre
Address: 220 Kingston Road, London, SW20 8DA
Unit location: Second floor, Area 7, Endoscopy and Minor Ops.

Parking: Pass The Nelson on your left; the car park is the first left turn.

Endoscopy and Minor Ops – general enquiries
Telephone: 020 8725 8135 for enquires and appointments
Telephone: 020 8725 8140 for the Nurse in Charge
Hours: Monday to Friday, 8am to 6pm

Please arrive at the time shown on your appointment letter and go to the location stated in the letter.

A member of the team will check your details, discuss the procedure with you and answer any questions. You may be offered sedation, pain relief or throat spray, depending on the procedure you are having.

We are a teaching hospital. Students may be involved in your care under the supervision of qualified staff. Please tell us if you do not want students involved in your care. We will always respect your wishes.

Feeling unwell after your endoscopy?

If you have recently undergone an endoscopy procedure and are feeling unwell, please follow the advice below.

During working hours (Monday to Friday, 8.30am–6.00pm)

For urgent concerns relating to your procedure, please contact the Endoscopy Nurse in Charge at St George’s Hospital on 020 8725 1491 or 020 8725 2310. These numbers are for urgent issues only.

Outside working hours

Please contact the out-of-hours nursing team using the emergency telephone numbers provided on your endoscopy discharge information leaflet.

Attending A&E

If you require urgent medical attention, please attend your nearest A&E department. Do not drive yourself to hospital. Ask someone to take you and bring a copy of your endoscopy report with you.

If you attend A&E following your endoscopy, please inform the Endoscopy Unit during working hours.

In a life-threatening emergency, call 999 immediately.