Lindsey Scarisbrick is an Advanced Nurse Practitioner and Clinical Lead for Endoscopy Services at University Hospitals of Morecambe Bay, as well as Secretary/Deputy Chair of BSG Nursing.

What attracted you to a career in gastroenterology/hepatology?

It’s actually endoscopy that attracted me. It’s predominantly a nurse-led service and that element of autonomy really interested me. I had the first taste of endoscopy as a student, and I had a lot of admiration for the nursing teams because even though it initially came across as a bit of a conveyor belt process, it wasn’t. Each one of those patients felt like they would be the only patient the nurses would be seeing today and that therapeutic relationship that those nurses could develop very quickly with those patients was something I really admired.

What advancement in gastroenterology/hepatology are you most excited about and why?

I think it’s the advanced techniques that we can use within the endoscopy environment. There are so many opportunities for the clinical endoscopist teams to develop their knowledge and skills and become highly skilled practitioners and I think for nursing teams this is really good, it’s a really positive aspect for the future. Although Covid-19 has given us a lot of issues and problems to overcome, it’s actually presented us with some really good opportunities to develop our nursing teams moving forward.

What do you enjoy most about your work?

I like the constant task of finding solutions, it makes you think on your feet. Endoscopy is never static, there is always some challenge that it presents and it’s that problem solving nature that I really enjoy.

What is the one thing you would change?

Endoscopy just never stops! If there are more hours in the day and more bodies on the ground to help you achieve what you want to achieve, that’s the best thing. It’s about investing back into the service.

What’s the best advice you’ve been given in your career?

If something’s not working, have the courage and conviction to change it, given by my dad.

What does being a BSG member mean to you?

I think it’s about being part of the wider community and having the opportunity to see what’s happening in other areas. It’s also about adapting and adopting that in your own area and developing service, as well as working together to try and achieve those changes that we need to have going forward.

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