DOCTORS at Epsom Hospital have a new weapon to add to their arsenal – a camera the size of a pill.

Patients suffering with digestive problems are being given a capsule containing a video camera to swallow, which will allow staff to see inside their digestive tract.

The capsule, which costs £450, is designed to pass though the patient's system naturally, with no surgical procedures needed.

Clinicians can assess the whole of the digestive tract, including the small bowel, which was previously impossible to look at without an operation.

Consultant gastroenterologist Dr Pritash Patel said: "Sadly, conditions that affect your digestive health, such as Crohn's disease, can have a huge impact on the lives of our patients.

"Being able to diagnose these conditions quickly and without the use of surgery is important to our patients' health, wellbeing and quality of life.

"Patients may have suffered for years before the cause of their pain is discovered, but with the help of these new cameras, we are providing an invaluable service at Epsom Hospital."