Internal Reference Number: FOI_9556
Date Request Received: 16/07/2026 00:00:00
Date Request Replied To: 12/08/2026 00:00:00
This response was sent via: By Email
Request Summary: Endoscope Information
Request Category: Companies
| Question Number 1: Under the Freedom of Information Act, I would like to request information from SA国际传媒. Please could I request the following information: Regarding timing in endoscope reprocessing: 1. How many endoscopes are reprocessed at your trust per month? 2. Is the time interval between procedure and pre-cleaning recorded? 1. If so, how is this recorded? 2. What is the average time taken to reach a pre-cleaned state? 3. Is the time interval between pre-cleaning and manual cleaning recorded? 1. If so, how is this recorded? 2. What is the average time taken to reach manual cleaning? 4. Are there timestamps for individual stages of reprocessing? 1. How are timestamps recorded during reprocessing? 5. Is the duration of manual cleaning recorded? 1. If so, how is this recorded? 2. What is the average duration of manual cleaning? 6. Is endoscope turnaround time monitored? 1. If so, how is this monitored? 2. What is the average turnaround time now? 1. What was it 6 months ago? 8. How are critical time barriers monitored? 9. Is there a staff member responsible for time management? 1. If so, who undertakes this responsibility? 10. Has the Trust identified any challenges associated with monitoring elapsed-time? | |
| Answer To Question 1: Please see attached To accompany this answer to question 1 please also see the documents listed below:  FOI 9556 - Q1-5 (2026) response.xlsx | |
| Question Number 2: Regarding staffing and traceability: 1. How many staff members are designated for endoscopy reprocessing? 2. Are staffing levels for manual cleaning monitored? 1. How many staff members are involved in this process? 3. Are staffing levels for pre-cleaning monitored? 1. How many staff members are involved in the process? 4. How many staff members are involved in the transport process (from pre-clean to manual clean)? 5. Does your trust use an electronic tracking/traceability system? 1. If so, what is the name/type of the system? 6. How do staff know which scopes should be reprocessed first? 7. Would staff be interested in time-lapse indicator labels? 8. Has the Trust experienced staffing shortages within endoscope decontamination services during the last 12 months? 9. Does the Trust consider staffing pressures a risk to maintaining reprocessing turnaround times? | |
| Answer To Question 2: Attached in Q1 | |
| Question Number 3: Regarding delays in endoscope reprocessing: 1. Is delay information formally recorded? 1. If so, how is this recorded? 2. What are the most common causes of delays in reprocessing? 3. During the last 12 months, how many endoscopes required repeat or additional reprocessing due to delays between bedside pre-cleaning and manual cleaning? 4. How many scopes, on average, are not reprocessed within one hour per month? 1. What was this figure a year ago? 5. How many endoscopes are reprocessed out of sequence per month? 1. What was this figure a year ago? 6. What is the distance travelled by a scope in-between pre-cleaning and manual cleaning? 7. During the last 12 months, how many procedures were delayed due to endoscope unavailability? 8. During the last 12 months, how many procedures were cancelled due to endoscope unavailability? 9. Does the trust record causes of endoscope unavailability? 10. During the last 5 years, has the Trust investigated any incidents where delayed reprocessing contributed to an endoscope reprocessing concern? 11. Does the Trust recognise delayed reprocessing as a patient safety risk within its endoscope management procedures? 12. Has the Trust estimated the cost associated with endoscope reprocessing? 1. If yes, please provide any documented cost estimates. | |
| Answer To Question 3: Attached in Q1 | |
| Question Number 4: Regarding endoscope cleaning practices: 1. During the last 12 months, how many endoscopes were removed from service due to blocked channels? 2. Does the Trust record incidents involving blocked endoscope channels? 1. If yes, please provide the number of incidents recorded in the last 12 months. 3. Which endoscope channel(s) are most commonly reported as blocked? 1. Biopsy channel 2. Suction channel 3. Air/water channel 4. Auxiliary channel 5. Other 5. How many endoscopes required repeat manual cleaning during the last 12 months? 6. How many endoscopes failed cleanliness verification tests during the last 12 months? 1. Does the trust record reasons for failed cleanliness tests? 7. Has the trust assessed whether delays between pre-cleaning and manual cleaning contribute to cleaning difficulties or repeat processing? 8. During the last 3 years, has the Trust investigated any incidents involving: residual soil, channel blockage, inadequate cleaning or endoscope contamination? 1. If yes, how many incidents were recorded? | |
| Answer To Question 4: Attached in Q1 | |
| Question Number 5: Regarding documentation: 1. During the last 3 years, has the Trust received any audit findings relating to endoscope reprocessing compliance? 1. Were any findings related to documentation, traceability, timing or workflow controls? 2. Has the Trust implemented corrective actions relating to endoscope reprocessing workflow? 3. During the last 3 years, how many incident reports related to endoscope reprocessing have been recorded? 1. How many are related to: 1. Delayed reprocessing? 2. Documentation issues? 3. Scope traceability? 1. Cleaning failures? 2. Scope availability? | |
| Answer To Question 5: Attached in Q1 | |
| Please see Attachments: | |
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Our staff at SA国际传媒 Hospital have long been well regarded for the quality of care and treatment they provide for our patients and for their innovation, commitment and professionalism. This has been recognised in a wide range of achievements and it is reflected in our award of NHS Foundation Trust status. This is afforded to hospitals that provide the highest standards of care.
