The Dudley Group NHS Foundation Trust has become one of the first in the UK to be awarded a top training status.

The accolade has been awarded by the International Bowel Ultrasound Group (IBUS), which is a non-profit organisation that aims to advance intestinal ultrasound (IUS) research and education in the area of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD).

The procedure has been used in several countries, including Canada, the USA, Australia, China, and India, but has only recently been introduced in the UK.

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Consultant gastroenterologist Dr Shanika De Silva established the bowel ultrasound service at the group earlier this year, following her successful completion of a training programme.

This has made Dudley one of the first active training centres for bowel ultrasound treatments in the UK.

The bowel ultrasound is a non-invasive procedure for managing patients with IBD, offering an alternative to the traditionally invasive colonoscopy and MRI scans.

Dr De Silva has treated approximately 90 patients at the Bowel Ultrasound Service in Dudley, with numbers expected to increase as the service grows.

Lucy Ford, directorate manager for gastroenterology and endoscopy services at the group, said: "This is a fantastic new service that we are offering to our IBD patients here in Dudley.

"These patients will receive a consultation, their bowel ultrasound scan, and the results of that scan in a single outpatient appointment."

Diane Wake, chief executive of the trust, said: "We are delighted to be one of the first trusts in the country to be awarded this prestigious training status from IBUS.

"It demonstrates how we are paving the way for new and innovative treatments here in Dudley to ensure our patients get the highest possible standard of care."

Dr De Silva hopes to start training a cohort of external trainees from other parts of the UK who want to become accredited in bowel ultrasound scanning in 2025.