Bendigo Health Website

What we do

Colonoscopy – a procedure to look at the inside of the large bowel (colon) using a flexible telescope. See resources below for a link to further information.

Gastroscopy (upper GI endoscopy) – a procedure to look at the inside of your oesophagus and stomach using a flexible telescope. See resources below for a link to further information.

Gastroscopy (upper GI endoscopy) and colonoscopy – both of the above procedures. See resources below for a link to further information.

Who we care for

Patients with stomach or bowel symptoms who have discussed these with their GP or medical specialist. The symptoms require further investigation by colonoscopy, gastroscopy or both.

How to access this service

A referral to Bendigo Health is required from either your GP or medical specialist.

Commonly asked questions

Where is my referral?
Your referral will have been sent to Bendigo Health clinics where it will be reviewed for acceptance and prioritisation.

Will I see a surgeon or will I be given an appointment directly for my endoscopy?
Some patients will receive an appointment time to see a surgeon in clinic. Other patients may be able to go straight on to the waiting list for their procedure. This decision will be made by the hospital staff dependent on individual situations. If an appointment with a surgeon in a clinic is not required, a patient medical questionnaire will be sent to you to complete. This additional information needs to be assessed before a date can be given for the procedure.

How do I prepare for the endoscopy?
Information about preparation for your endoscopy is found in the resources below.

Resources View All Patient Resources

Colonoscopy - Patient Information Brochure PDF
660.01 KB

AM and PM procedure colonoscopy preparation information PDF
339.82 KB

Gastroscopy Information PDF
606.41 KB

Gastroscopy and Colonoscopy Information PDF
651.88 KB

MR86 Patient Medical Questionnaire 2019 PDF
238.85 KB

Day of Surgery Admissions (DOSA)

Level 1, Bendigo Hospital

Location

100 Barnard Street
Entry via Mercy Street, Bendigo, VIC, 3550

Bendigo Health provides a comprehensive range of diagnostic and therapeutic endoscopy procedures for inpatients and outpatients. Procedures included are:

Gastroscopy
Colonoscopy
Flexible Sigmoidoscopy

Clinical service overview

Bendigo Health aims to provide high quality, safe, accessible and timely endoscopic services. High demand is experienced for this service. All requests for procedures are triaged according to clinical need. Patients with significant pathology will be prioritised.

All patients require a referral from their medical practitioner including documentation of significant contributing factors indicating the need for the procedure.

Bendigo Health offers a ‘direct access endoscopy’ service bypassing the need for specialist consultation and avoiding delay where the need for endoscopy is clear. To facilitate this, it is important that referring practitioners include all relevant information in the referral form. This includes:

Comprehensive medical and social history
Current medication list
Previous endoscopy reports
Relevant pathology report

E-referral and use of the endoscopy specific template is preferred.

Where it has been identified that patients have increased risks or the indication for endoscopy is not clear, specialist consultation will be required.

How to refer your patient

Referral for gastroscopy, colonoscopy or both procedures should be by e-referral using the specific endoscopy template.

If e-referral is not an option, the fax number is 03 5454 8922.

Further information can be obtained by ringing the specialist clinics liaison nurse on (03 5454 8742). Referrals with inadequate information for accurate triaging will be rejected and further information will be requested.