St Mark’s Hospital lauded as international Centre of Excellence
09-Nov-2007
St Mark’s Hospital in Harrow has been recognised as a Centre of Excellence by the World Organisation of Digestive Endoscopy (Organisation Mondiale d'Endoscopie Digestive), OMED.
The hospital, run by The North West London Hospitals NHS Trust, is a national and internationally renowned referral centre for intestinal and colorectal disorders and a national centre for endoscopy training. It is the only hospital in the UK and one of 14 hospitals worldwide to become an OMED centre of excellence.
Dr Brian Saunders, director of the Wolfson Unit for Endoscopy at St Mark’s said:
“To be singled out in such a way is a major honour for St Mark’s and confirms our place as a world leader in clinical care and research for diseases of the bowel. This is good news for patients as we continue to be at the cutting edge of new treatments. Our mission is to prevent bowel cancer and treat pre-cancer with the most advanced minimally invasive endoscopic techniques.”
OMED President Anthony Axon said:
“OMED would like to recognise an elite group of endoscopic centres that have established an outstanding reputation for delivering international education in the field of digestive endoscopy. Membership is limited to centres with an outstanding track record.”
Last year St Mark’s Hospital was chosen as London’s first bowel cancer screening centre, serving more than a million people locally. It also provides follow-up care for people who have had an abnormal result.
Ends.
Note to Editors
- The North West London Hospitals NHS Trust manages Northwick Park and St Mark’s Hospitals in Harrow and Central Middlesex Hospital in Park Royal. We employ 4,200 staff.
- Every year The Wolfson Unit of Endoscopy at St Mark’s Hospital carries out more than 10,000 examinations in its state of the art endoscopy department. www.wolfsonendoscopy.org.uk
- Endoscopy is the direct visual examination of any part of the inside of the body, using an endoscope. This is a long, tube-like optical viewing instrument with a lens and light source. It is used to view the internal body organs. It may be inserted through the mouth, anus or small cut in the skin, which the endoscope can then be passed through. (Source: NHS Direct http://www.nhsdirect.nhs.uk/)
- The World Organisation for Digestive Endoscopy (Organisation Mondiale d'Endoscopie Digestive), OMED, is a world federation of national digestive endoscopy societies. For more information about OMED http://www.omed.org/