Concerns raised about 'huge increase' in liver disease deaths
The warning comes from The British Liver Trust
Action is needed to tackle "huge increases" in deaths from liver disease, ministers have been told.
The British Liver Trust said while progress was being made in Scotland in both earlier diagnosis and effective treatment for liver disease, more work is needed to reduce deaths from the disease.
These rose by more than a fifth (21%) in the period between 2019 and 2023, going from 821 deaths to 1,036.
'Urgent change' needed
Now the British Liver Trust is calling for urgent change to identify and monitor all those at risk, saying this could prevent deaths and also help to reduce NHS spending.
Across the UK more than 12,000 people die of liver disease each year, with it described as a "silent killer" because it can be symptomless in the early stages, leading to people often only being diagnosed when it is an advanced stage.
A survey by the British Liver Trust, however, found that Scotland now has comprehensive primary care pathways - where diagnostic tests and other processes are in place to identify and monitor those most at risk of the disease - in 69% of areas, compared with 42% in 2020.
But with England performing worse than both Scotland and Wales on this, the British Liver Trust said there was a "postcode lottery" in the UK.
Speaking as the research was published in the British Journal of General Practice, Dr Helen Jarvis, clinical advisor to the charity and lead author of the research, said: "Everyone with liver disease, or at risk of developing it, should have access to essential medical care and advice, no matter where they live in the UK.
"GPs and primary care professionals are working tirelessly under challenging conditions, but often within a system that limits their ability to properly diagnose and treat liver disease."
Dr Jarvis continued: "Many GPs also admit to lacking the confidence and knowledge needed to diagnose and manage this condition effectively.
"This has led to far too many cases being identified too late and at a point when treatment options are limited, resulting in thousands of avoidable deaths."
British Liver Trust chief executive Pamela Healy said: "Our research shows that when it comes to the early detection of liver disease, there is a postcode lottery.
"Although there have been some improvements since the last survey and there are pockets of good practice - this variation is not good enough and widespread preventative measures are woefully inadequate.
"We need to ensure that there is an effective pathway right across the UK so that everyone has equal access to care."
She added: "The liver is an incredibly resilient organ, but only up to a point. Symptoms of liver disease often only appear once damage has progressed, and the liver is starting to fail.
"If found early, disease progression can often be halted or sometimes even reversed."
Consultant hepatologist Professor Stephen Ryder stated: "If we are to tackle the huge increases in the numbers of people dying from liver disease then prevention and early diagnosis are key.
"We need joined-up effective pathways that link primary care and secondary care together to ensure more people are diagnosed early and receive treatment as soon as possible."
What has the Scottish Government said?
Health Secretary Neil Gray said: "I'm encouraged that this research commends progress on dealing with liver disease, but we know there is more to do when it comes to diagnostics, which is why we are making the transformation necessary to deliver sustainable and equitable diagnostic services.
"Service innovation and redesign, creating additional capacity, and digital technology is central to this.
"The Scottish Government is focused on reducing alcohol-related harm.
"We are considering targeted restrictions on alcohol marketing and research commended by internationally renowned public health experts estimated that our world-leading policy has saved hundreds of lives, likely averted hundreds of alcohol-attributable hospital admissions and contributed to tackling health inequalities."
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