Grampians Health installs new endoscopy equipment at Horsham campus

Grampians Health has installed new equipment to conduct advanced endoscopic procedures at the Horsham campus as part of efforts to make care more accessible to local communities.

Using the new equipment, the staff will now be able to conduct endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography, a procedure that can help diagnose and treat issues affecting the liver, gall bladder, bile ducts and pancreas.

The ability to perform such procedures in Grampians Health’s Horsham campus will also eliminate the need for patients to travel to Ballarat or Melbourne to get treated for these problems, leading to substantial savings in time and costs.

“When gall bladders are removed, some patients could have a stone in their bile duct that can cause problems like jaundice or infection. If we can remove them here in Horsham, it will help patients get care at a quicker rate,” said James Gallagher, Grampians Health Director of Surgery – Horsham and Stawell.

Between 50 to 60 surgeries are required to be conducted annually at Horsham to remove gall stones.

“The new equipment extends the range of surgeries we can do in Horsham and eliminates the need for patients to travel too far to deal with retained gall stones,” said Mr Gallagher

“We can also help with the diagnosis of malignancies, like the cancers of bile duct or the pancreas, and we can put things like stents in through the new equipment.”

Enhancing clinical capabilities at Horsham to improve self-sufficiency is one of the key objectives set out in Grampians Health’s Clinical Services Plan released last year. By installing advanced surgical equipment, Grampians Health is enhancing the range of clinical services offered in Horsham.

In addition to benefitting patients, the new equipment will also enable the nursing staff to upskill as it provides a great learning opportunity. Grampians Health has trained two nurses at its Ballarat campus, who will assist surgeries being done in Horsham.

“From a nursing point, it is a real learning curve because using the new equipment is different from the previous endoscopies we’ve done. It is a brand-new skill for them. Once they’ve mastered this, it also gives the team an added confidence to use endoscopic equipment in general,” said Mr Gallagher.