WEDNESDAY, 11 DECEMBER, 2024

Photographs attached: 1 – senior clinical nurse specialist Sarah Huggett, 2 – members of the outpatient hysteroscopy team (back from left) student nurse Isla Urquhart, healthcare assistant Yvonne Merchant, Sarah Huggett, consultant gynaecologist Dr Refaat Youssef, ward clerk Avril Walsh, healthcare assistants Ellie Petrie and Debbie Burns, student midwife Jess Palin and charge nurse Kirsteen Henderson (front from left) staff nurses Pam Campbell and Marzi Strang

Tayside nurse first in Scotland performing operative hysteroscopy

A Tayside nurse is the first in Scotland to carry out operative hysteroscopy procedures to diagnose and treat gynaecology patients.

Senior clinical nurse specialist Sarah Huggett was amongst the first in the country to undertake training to become a nurse hysteroscopist and since qualifying has been performing diagnostic tests to assess and identify any abnormal changes to the womb lining, such as endometrial cancer. She has since further upskilled to become the first in Scotland to offer advanced hysteroscopy treatments.

Sarah, who is based in the gynaecology outpatient department at Perth Royal Infirmary, can also diagnose polyps and fibroids which can then be removed at the same time, making it a ‘see and treat’ service. In addition, the service can carry out other treatments such as endometrial ablation, which is a surgical procedure to treat heavy periods, and can manage issues with intrauterine devices (IUDs) like the coil.

Previously, the hysteroscopy service was run solely by gynaecology consultants, with the majority of cases 20 years ago being carried out under a general anaesthetic. With the introduction of a new nurse-led outpatient service, including the nurse hysteroscopist role, the team can now see double the number of patients each week, leading to a reduction in waiting times and improved outcomes for patients. The nurse-led hysteroscopy service is also more cost effective and helps free up the senior medical team to manage more complex patients.

Sarah said, “We know that gynaecology examinations can be daunting and nerve-wracking for individuals. The nurse-led service has created a safe and supportive environment which prioritises patient-centred care and encourages patients to be involved in decision making, such as pain relief options. This is evident through our patient feedback with more than 85% of patients saying they would opt to have the procedure done in the outpatient hysteroscopy setting again if needed.

“The introduction of this new role has been a team effort and would not have been successful without the teaching and patience from the dedicated outpatient hysteroscopy consultants and support from the clinical nursing team.

“Personally, this new role has given me great job satisfaction and has made me determined to continue to improve the experience of patients attending the hysteroscopy clinic. Moving forward, I hope there will be more awareness and discussion around what and how we offer care in the hysteroscopy service and how to make it a more positive experience for our patients.”

Consultant gynaecologist Dr Refaat Youssef added, “We are delighted and proud to introduce Sarah's role as the first nurse hysteroscopist providing operative hysteroscopy procedures in the country in our very successful outpatient hysteroscopy service in Tayside.

“Sarah worked incredibly hard through her training programme, going above and beyond to achieve her learning targets and to be able to confidently provide care for our service users in Tayside.

“She is able to provide integrated diagnostic and therapeutic procedures in our see-and-treat outpatient hysteroscopy clinic which saves our patients needing to have multiple assessments and helps to provide rapid diagnosis, prompt treatment and reassurance to our patients.”

Contact:

Louise Wilson

NHS Tayside Communications

(01382) 740718