The WASH Study: Water Assisted Sigmoidoscopy in NHS BSSP
Research type
Research Study
Full title
The WASH Study: Water Assisted Sigmoidoscopy in NHS Bowel Scope Screening Programme: a Randomised Multicentre Study.
IRAS ID
219639
Contact name
Matthew Rutter
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
North Tees and Hartlepool NHS Foundation Trust
Duration of Study in the UK
2 years, 1 months, 1 days
Research summary
We plan to assess whether using water to minimise bowel distension during Bowel Scope Screening sigmoidoscopy, instead of gas, will make the procedure more comfortable. Early studies suggest this may be effective, but we need to know whether it works in UK practice.
We hope that by reducing pain, people will have a better experience, which may increase public participation in screening. Currently only 43.7% of people participate – we can prevent more cancers if we increase participation.
We wish to recruit 1100 people for the trial. Half will have normal sigmoidoscopy using carbon dioxide, and half will have sigmoidoscopy using water. We will then ask patients how comfortable they found the test, so that we know which is better. We will also measure which technique finds more adenomas. We have surveyed patients about this, leading to the trial being designed mainly around patient comfort.
Results of the study will be published in an international journal and will be communicated to the BCSP and to patients and doctors internationally.REC name
North East - York Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
17/NE/0309
Date of REC Opinion
10 Nov 2017
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion