Lead Nurse Endoscopist Ricardo Alves has become one of just a few non-medical endoscopists in the country accredited to deliver procedures as part of the national bowel cancer screening programme.

Bowel cancer is the fourth most common cancer in the UK and the second most common cause of cancer death. Screening helps to detect bowel cancer, or early signs of it, at a stage when there is a better chance of a person being successfully treated.

Colonoscopy is a highly effective way to diagnose pre-cancerous polyps and bowel cancer and is a test to look inside the body, using a small camera, often at the end of a long tube. The camera is passed into the body through an opening such as the anus. Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells NHS Trust is also the only trust in Kent and Medway taking part in a pilot programme where patients swallow a tiny camera known as a Colon Capsule Endoscopy (CCE), to check for signs of cancer. The colon capsule reduces the time a patient needs to spend in hospital and provides a diagnosis within hours.

To ensure endoscopists working within the bowel cancer screening programme are of a consistently high standard, they must be accredited. Only excellent specialists achieve the qualification and Ricardo has achieved the accreditation after carrying out more than 1500 procedures and passing a series of demanding tests.

Ricardo described the accreditation as “a natural progression” having started his role at the Trust as a Nurse Endoscopist and progressing in his career to treat more complex cases. Explaining his desire to complete the qualification, he said he wanted to provide the best possible service for patients, and to continue to progress in his own career.

Talking about the preparation needed for the very challenging assessment process, Ricardo described how colonoscopy had always been part of his role, which helped him develop the necessary skills. He also thanked the medical and surgical teams – particularly Dr Adrian Barnardo, Consultant Gastroenterologist and Clinical Lead for Endoscopy – for providing advice and support and allowing him to shadow their work, giving him invaluable experience.

Dr Barnardo said: “Bowel Screening accreditation is a huge challenge and this is a fantastic achievement for Ricardo. In accrediting as a screening colonoscopist, he is extending the boundaries of non-medical endoscopist practice, helping us meet the increasing demand for endoscopy in priority areas such as cancer. As a team, and as a trust, we are immensely proud and look forward to working with him to continue to provide outstanding patient care.”