About Us
Our Health Mission
Our mission is to provide high quality endoscopic and surgical services to the residents of the Sunshine Coast
catering for the needs of private patients both insured and uninsured according to their needs.
Experience and Professionalism
Noosa Surgical & Endoscopy was founded in 1999 and is an ISO 9001:2015 accredited and Licensed Private Health Facility. Equipment used is comprehensive, modern and state-of the art maintained and regularly serviced by Bio-Engineers.
People Who Care
Dr John Lancaster is Director and Principal Provider of surgical and endoscopic services. He is supported by a team of highly skilled and experienced anaesthetists and registered nursing staff
Our Partners
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Site Content
Our services - Noosa Surgical & Endoscopy
Colonoscopy
Gastroscopy
Flexible sigmoidoscopy
Banding of haemorrhoids
Our Endoscopic Services - Noosa Private Hospital
Colonoscopy
Gastroscopy
Flexible sigmoidoscopy
Interventional Endoscopy - stents, dilatations, resection adenomas
Our Surgical Services - Noosa Hospital
Laparoscopic Surgery: Gallstones - Appendicectomy - bowel resection - some hernia repairs
Hernia repairs
Intestinal surgery
Skin cancer - resections - grafts - flaps
Misc - Ingrown toenails - carpal tunnels - skin tumours
About Dr Lancaster
Born in Bristol UK and moved to Australia in 1989
Graduate Bristol University
Fellowship Royal College Surgeons England 1986
Fellowship Royal Australian College Surgeons 1992
Member Gastroenterology Society Australia (GESA)
Voluntary Re-Certification in Colonoscopy 2016 & 2019
Visiting Specialist Noosa Private & Buderim Private Hospitals
Clinical Examiner and Senior Instructor Royal Australasian College of Surgeons
Lived in Noosa since 1994
Noosa Surgical & Endoscopy - equipment
PENTAX Medical 90i series scopes
Soluscope SPRINT automated scope re-processor
Wassenberg 300D Drying Cabinet
Medivator EndoStratus CO2 insufflation and irrigation systems
FAQs
Do you do Gap Cover ?
Yes ! - No gap charges are made by Dr Lancaster for treatment of insured patients in Noosa Private Hospital for operation or endoscopy. In Noosa Surgical & Endoscopy Centre medical charges are bulk-billed but there is a facility charge to cover treatment costs which is currently $465 ($365 pensioner rate) for a single procedure or $665 ($565) for gastroscopy and colonoscopy if medically indicated.
Do I need a consultation before the procedure?
For most endoscopic examinations a consultation prior to the procedure is not required (open-access). The referral letter and a health questionnaire is carefully scrutinised - if all seems satisfactory admission arrangements can be made - if there are potential problems identified a telephone or face-to-face consultation may be required.
All surgical procedures and listing into the public system require a pre-procedure consultation.
Do I need a referral?
All procedure or consultations require a referral from your Family Doctor or occasionally from a referring Specialist.
What's the difference between the different endoscope examinations
An endoscopy is the term commonly used for examining the stomach. More precisely it is termed oesophago-gastro-duodenoscopy (OGD) or panendoscopy but it is more convenient to refer to it as gastroscopy :)
A colonoscopy is a full examination of the whole length of the large bowel including the rectum and may incorporate a peek into the terminal ileum. This requires a significant bowel cleansing regimen.
Flexible sigmoidoscopy uses a colonoscope but only examines the distal 1/3 of the colon (usually to the splenic flexure) - it doesn't require such an arduous bowel preparation as colonoscopy, usually just a suppository 2 hours before.
Rigid sigmoidoscopy is a examination principally of the rectum using a short plastic tube and light. It can be done during a consultation but s best prepared for with a suppository - it does not give such good views as a flexible sigmoidoscopy but is cheaper and quicker to organise.
Newsletter 2021 from the Director
UPDATE Feb 2021
CORONAVIRUS
Noosa Surgical & Endoscopy (NSEC) continues to provide colonoscopy & endoscopy services during the current pandemic in accordance with Chief Health Officer Directives.
We ask those with:
- Domestic travel within the past 2 weeks to CHECK that they have not been in notified hotspots
- Those with recent onset cough or fever
CORONAVIRUS
Noosa Surgical & Endoscopy (NSEC) continues to provide colonoscopy & endoscopy services during the current pandemic in accordance with Chief Health Officer Directives.
We ask those with:
- Domestic travel within the past 2 weeks to CHECK that they have not been in notified hotspots
- Those with recent onset cough or fever NOT to attend the surgery but to ring or email and ask for advice
- For more information from Qld Health click here
Besides our usual certified high level disinfection protocol we are instituting extra measures of environmental decontamination, disinfection and scheduling of appointments to minimise risk
Equipment
We have purchased two extra Pentax endoscopes with optical magnification capabilities for improved diagnosis in certain conditions.
Recertification
In February we will undergo our annual ISO9001 accreditation survey and also assessment to National Health Standards.
Infection Control
Recent water sampling revealed no evidence of legionella sp. We have had no documented instances of cross infection.
Patient safety
There have been no adverse events during our patient care in the last year.
Medicare changes:
With effect from November 2019 Medicare introduced strict requirements for qualifying for a rebate for colonoscopy, together with time intervals between examinations - this has proved a challenge for doctors and patients alike to get to grips with and unfortunately means colonoscopy is no longer available 'on demand' - for further details Google" MBS colonoscopy item numbers" or click here
Staff:
Dr John Lancaster FRACS - Director
Ms Katrina Ward RN - Nurse Unit Manager
Dr Steve Costello - Anaesthetist
Dr Dean Hayden - Anaesthetist
Ms Alison Simpson - RN
Ms Doungkaew Singhatongkul - RN
Ms MaryAnne McGovern - RN
Ms Renee Murer - ODA
Ms Carolyn Conroy - Senior receptionist
Ms Kathy Anchau - Receptionist
Ms Andrina Campbell - Receptionist
Ms Heather Payne - Community advisor
Thank you for reading this and a big thank you to all the staff and associated support personnel for their continued support as we enter our 22nd year!