TORBAY Hospital’s endoscopy service has been awarded full accreditation by the Joint Advisory Group for Gastrointestinal Endoscopy (JAG), recognising the high quality of care provided to patients.

The accreditation follows a detailed assessment on December 16, 2025, during which the service demonstrated that it meets all national best practice standards covering safety, patient experience, workforce, leadership and training.

Accreditation is awarded for five years and is subject to annual review.

JAG assessors commended the team for exemplary leadership and a strong focus on patient centred care, as well as the collaboration between medical, nursing, administrative, managerial and decontamination teams.

Assessors also praised efficient patient flow and a calm, well managed environment; strong nursing leadership and positive team culture; high quality education and training, with a nationally recognised programme and a motivated booking team and excellent management of waiting times.

Two recommendations were made for ongoing development: reviewing job planning after the new Electronic Patient Record goes live in April 2026, and auditing inpatient capacity to support timely procedures.

Dr Sandip Bhatt, Endoscopy Clinical Lead, said: ‘Achieving full JAG accreditation means a great deal to our whole team.

‘Endoscopy is a genuinely multidisciplinary service, and this recognition reflects the skill, compassion and professionalism of colleagues across medical, nursing, decontamination, administration, managerial and the wider clinical teams.

‘We are committed to giving every patient a safe, respectful and calm experience and I’m incredibly proud of the way we work together to make that happen every day’.

Joe Teape, Chief Executive, said: ‘I am really proud of our endoscopy team for achieving full JAG accreditation.

‘This is a big moment for them, and it reflects the professionalism, skill and care they show every single day.

‘What stood out to me in the assessment is exactly what we see all year round — a calm, well run service, great teamwork across all parts of the unit, and a real focus on giving people the best possible experience.

‘This accreditation is well deserved’.

The Endoscopy Unit at Torbay Hospital carries out around 12,000 procedures every year, including upper gastrointestinal endoscopy, colonoscopy, flexible sigmoidoscopy and specialist therapeutic procedures.