Pill Cam
In what sounds like something straight out of a sci-fi film, some NHS patients will soon be able to swallow a pill with a tiny camera inside to get checked for cancer and other conditions like Crohn’s disease.
‘Pill Cams’ are being trialled across the NHS, with an initial group of 11,000 patients in England receiving the capsule cameras in more than 40 parts of the country.
Known as a colon capsule endoscopy, the cameras will enable patients to access cancer checks at home. The imaging technology can provide information and photos within a matter of hours.
Traditionally with endoscopies, patients need to attend hospital and have a tube inserted, often through their mouth. In the pandemic, however, infection control measures required to make endoscopies ‘Covid secure’ mean they take much longer to do, which has reduced the number of people undergoing checks.