More procedures in scope for Charters Towers community

More Charters Towers patients can now have endoscopic procedures closer to home thanks to a state-of-the-art equipment upgrade at the Charters Towers Health Service.

Director of nursing Ben Lawrence said the upgrade was a welcome addition to the health service.

“Wherever possible we ensure that patients are able to have their procedures done here in their local community,” he said.

“Our endoscopy procedures are completed by a visiting staff specialist from Townsville once a month and this upgrade cuts the time it takes to perform certain procedures, meaning they will be able to see more patients during each visit.

“The upgrade also means we will be able to complete more complex procedures here in Charters Towers, rather than referring the patient through to Townsville.”

Ben said the team closely monitored service demand to ensure the health service continued to cater to community need.

“Each month we complete around six or seven endoscopy procedures here in Charters Towers; however, we continue to keep our eye on those numbers and may increase the visiting frequency as necessary,” he said.

"We are all delighted to have this state-of-the-art equipment in our health service so we can continue to provide exceptional care to our community."

An endoscopy is a procedure that gives doctors a direct view of the body’s internal organs. This can provide diagnosis and treatment of some conditions.