A private endoscopy with Dr Ganesh Sivaji is a gastroscopy: a thin, flexible tube with a camera checks your food pipe (oesophagus), stomach and the top of your small intestine. Dr Sivaji, a consultant gastroenterologist in Harrogate, carries out the test himself and explains what he saw before you go home. You can refer yourself, so no GP letter is needed.
What Is a Gastroscopy (Upper GI Endoscopy)?
It is a camera test of the upper gastrointestinal (GI) tract. The endoscope goes into your mouth or nose and down into the stomach. A little air opens up the stomach so the lining can be seen, and small tissue samples (biopsies) can be taken without you feeling them.
Diagnostic and therapeutic endoscopy is one of Dr Sivaji’s three specialist areas. Symptoms lower down, such as a change in bowel habit or bleeding from the bottom, need a different test: a private colonoscopy.
Upper GI Symptoms That Need Urgent Help, Not a Booked Endoscopy
Some symptoms should not wait for a private appointment. This table follows NHS advice:
| Symptom | Before or after a test? | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| Bringing up bright red blood, or dark vomit like coffee grounds | Any time | Call 999 or go to A&E |
| Black, sticky, very smelly poo | Before a test | Call 999 or go to A&E |
| Severe tummy or chest pain that started suddenly | Any time | Call 999 or go to A&E |
| Repeated vomiting, breathlessness, or worsening stomach or chest pain | After a gastroscopy | Call 999 or go to A&E |
| High temperature, shivering, or dark, tar-like poo | After a gastroscopy | Call NHS 111 or the hospital that did the test |
| Difficult or painful swallowing, or weight loss without trying | Before a test | Urgent GP appointment or NHS 111 |
See the NHS guide to gastroscopy for more. Heading to A&E? Let someone else drive, or ring 999 for an ambulance.
Conditions a Gastroscopy Can Diagnose
Dr Sivaji may recommend the test to find the cause of:
- Indigestion (dyspepsia): discomfort that keeps returning despite medicine. See indigestion (dyspepsia) for when testing is needed.
- Heartburn and acid reflux (GORD): when medicines do not help or symptoms are severe.
- Stomach inflammation (gastritis): often linked to H. pylori infection, anti-inflammatory painkillers or alcohol.
- Peptic ulcers: open sores in the stomach lining or the duodenum.
- Swallowing difficulty (dysphagia): food that feels stuck in your throat or chest.
- Coeliac disease: a small-intestine biopsy can confirm it after a positive blood test, so keep eating gluten until then.
- Iron deficiency anaemia: bleeding in the stomach, for example from an ulcer, is a common cause.
Many gastroscopies find nothing worrying. If the lining looks normal but symptoms carry on, the cause may be functional dyspepsia. His article on whether dyspepsia can cause dizziness covers another common question.
Treatment Options During and After Your Endoscopy
Some problems can be treated during the test, and an endoscopy is not the only route.
Biopsies
Tiny samples are examined under a microscope, for example to confirm coeliac disease or check an ulcer.
Treatment in the Same Procedure
A narrowed food pipe can be widened, growths removed or bleeding stopped through the endoscope. He explains this before you consent.
Botulinum Toxin Injections for Swallowing
Injections that relax the oesophageal muscles can help food reach the stomach in some swallowing problems. Dr Sivaji gives these at endoscopy.
Feeding Tube (PEG) Placement
For people who cannot eat safely for a long time, a feeding tube can go through a small opening into the stomach. He places these tubes.
Medicines or Simpler Tests Instead
Without warning signs, NICE guidance (CG184) suggests 4 weeks of a full-dose proton pump inhibitor (an acid-reducing medicine), or a breath or stool test for H. pylori and treatment if found. Lifestyle changes, GP care or waiting to see if symptoms settle are reasonable too, and he will say if you do not need an endoscopy.
Why Patients Choose Dr Sivaji for Private Endoscopy
- The consultant you meet does the test: he performs your gastroscopy and talks you through the findings himself.
- Endoscopy is central to his work: diagnostic tests plus treatments such as feeding tubes and swallowing injections.
- He teaches the skill: he also trains other endoscopists.
- NHS post: consultant gastroenterologist with Harrogate and District NHS Foundation Trust from 2010.
- Memberships: Fellow of the Royal College of Physicians; British Society of Gastroenterology; European Society of Gastrointestinal Endoscopy.
Meet Dr Ganesh Sivaji, Your Endoscopist
He qualified (MBBS) in Chennai in 1995 and moved to the UK in 1998, gaining MRCP (UK) in 2002. After specialist training in Yorkshire he received his CCT in Gastroenterology in 2010, the year he became a consultant in Harrogate, and was awarded FRCP (Fellowship of the Royal College of Physicians) in 2015. A patient once told him the frightening part was not the diagnosis but not understanding it, which is why he takes time to show you what he found and what it means.
Sedation or Throat Spray: Choosing What Suits You
- Throat spray: a local anaesthetic numbs the back of your mouth and throat. You stay alert; wait an hour before eating or drinking.
- Conscious sedation: medicine through a small tube in your arm relaxes you and eases gagging. You may remember little of it.
- Deeper sedation: on request, arranged with an anaesthetist.
After sedation, someone must take you home and stay with you for 24 hours, and you should not drink alcohol, drive, use machinery or sign important documents in that time. If you feel anxious, mention it when you book.
What Happens on the Day of Your Gastroscopy
- Before: stop eating at least 6 hours beforehand (small sips of water may be allowed), follow the advice about your medicines, and tell the hospital if you are pregnant.
- Bring: photo ID, insurance details, recent letters or results and a list of your medicines.
- Checks and consent: a nurse reviews your health, then Dr Sivaji goes over the likely benefits, the risks and other options before you sign.
- The test: you may retch briefly and feel bloated from the air. You can ask him to stop at any time. It usually lasts 15 to 45 minutes.
Recovery, Results and Risks After a Gastroscopy
You rest in a recovery room and most people go home within a few hours. A sore throat or stomach discomfort is normal and passes within hours.
Before you go home, he shows you the key findings and hands you a written summary. If a biopsy were to show cancer, he would refer you to a specialist cancer team.
Complications are rare: a reaction to the sedation, bleeding in the stomach or infection. The urgent table above shows when to call NHS 111 or 999.
Where Dr Sivaji Sees Patients for Endoscopy in Harrogate
Your test is done in the endoscopy unit of the hospital where it is booked; the team confirms which.
| Hospital | Address | Good to know |
|---|---|---|
| The Duchy Hospital, Harrogate | Queen’s Road, HG2 0HF | A Circle Health Group hospital |
| Harrogate Harlow | Harrogate, North Yorkshire | Second Harrogate site; address confirmed when you book |
He holds evening and morning clinics; your time is confirmed when you book. Out of hours, call NHS 111, or 999 in an emergency.
Private or NHS Endoscopy?
Alongside private work, Dr Sivaji holds a consultant post in the Harrogate and District NHS Foundation Trust gastroenterology service, and the test is the same either way. NHS gastroscopy comes through your GP or a hospital team and is free. Private care lets you refer yourself, choose your consultant and date, and see one doctor throughout, at a cost unless insured.
Private Endoscopy Cost and Insurance
| Part of your care | What to know |
|---|---|
| First consultation | About 30 minutes with Dr Sivaji |
| Gastroscopy, sedation and biopsies | Quoted in full before you book; ask what laboratory fees are included |
| Insurance | Aviva, AXA, BUPA, Vitality and most major health insurers, with pre-authorisation from your insurer first |
| Self-pay | Welcome; full fee known before your appointment |
Your 2026 endoscopy fee reaches you in writing before anything is booked, and where possible the team claims directly from your insurer.
Frequently Asked Questions About Private Endoscopy
How much does a private endoscopy cost?
Private endoscopy cost varies with the hospital, sedation and whether biopsies are taken. Rather than publish one price, the practice quotes your full fee in writing first. If insured, check your cover and get pre-authorisation.
Where can I have a private endoscopy near me in Harrogate?
If you live in or around Harrogate, Dr Sivaji sees private patients at The Duchy Hospital on Queen’s Road and at Harrogate Harlow. The team tells you which endoscopy unit your test is booked into.
Can an endoscopy show stomach inflammation?
Yes. A gastroscopy lets a gastroenterologist look directly at an inflamed stomach lining (gastritis) when it is not improving or symptoms are severe, and biopsies can be taken during the same test.
What is gastroenterologic endoscopy?
It is a mainly American term for camera tests of the gut done by a gastroenterologist. In the UK the upper test is a gastroscopy. Dr Sivaji also performs colonoscopy, flexible sigmoidoscopy and small bowel capsule studies.
Can I book a private endoscopy without a GP referral?
Yes. You can book directly as a self-referring patient, and the team can write to your GP about the findings if you wish. Bring recent letters or results so he can see what has been checked.
Will I be awake during a gastroscopy?
With throat spray alone, yes. Conscious sedation leaves you relaxed and drowsy rather than unconscious, and many details may not stay with you. Ask about an anaesthetist if you want deeper sedation.
How long does a gastroscopy take?
The camera part usually takes between 15 and 45 minutes. Checking in, preparation and recovery take longer, which is why the NHS suggests expecting a stay of around 4 hours.
Does a gastroscopy hurt?
It should not be painful. You may gag briefly as the tube passes the back of your throat and feel bloated from the air. Biopsies are not felt, and a sore throat usually fades within hours.
When can I eat, drink and drive afterwards?
After throat spray only, you can usually eat and drink an hour later. With sedation, an adult must collect you and stay with you for 24 hours, and driving or alcohol must wait until that time has passed.
How long do biopsy results take?
It depends on the laboratory and the tests requested, so Dr Sivaji gives you an expected date. NHS guidance says results can take up to 2 months, or usually within 2 weeks if doctors suspect cancer.
Book a Consultation with Dr Sivaji About Your Endoscopy
Use the Book a Consultation form for yourself or a family member, and the team will contact you to agree a time. For questions about sedation or insurance first, use the contact form.
If you are vomiting blood, have black, tarry poo or sudden severe chest or tummy pain, ring 999 or get to A&E straight away. For urgent advice that is not an emergency, call NHS 111.
At a glance
Which parts are examined?
Oesophagus, stomach and duodenum (first part of the small intestine)
How long is the test?
Usually 15 to 45 minutes
Throat spray or sedation?
Your choice; deeper sedation with an anaesthetist on request
Time at the hospital
Around 4 hours
When will I hear the findings?
Before you leave; biopsy results follow later
Do I need a GP referral?
No
Book this treatment
Same-week appointments available. Our coordinator confirms within 2 hours.