Government urged to screen for liver disease to save NHS £600m

The British Liver Trust has called on the Government to overhaul funding into liver disease by putting more money into early detection, when it is still possible to reverse liver damage.

If no action is taken, the charity predicts spend on combating liver disease will reach £1bn a year within the next decade.

Liver disease is the fifth biggest - and fastest-growing – killer in the UK but a lack of obvious symptoms means it can be diagnosed at a late stage. The Trust recently published figures showing that the number of over-60 admitted to hospital with alcohol problems has tripled in a decade.

Among those aged 45 and above, the numbers admitted to hospital as a result of drinking have more than doubled in the last ten years.

Figures from the charity show that a third of people in the UK with liver disease have obesity-related non alcoholic fatty liver disease.

The condition is behind a growing number of liver transplants and the problem is expected to get worse as obesity levels continue to rise.

Andrew Langford, chief executive of the British Liver Trust, said: “Overindulging in fatty food too frequently, having an alcoholic drink every night and not making time for regular exercise are major contributing factors for liver disease. Having a dry January, although a good start, is not good enough if you then drink excessively for the rest of the year.

“To repair the liver and keep it healthy, people need to take at least two to three consecutive days off alcohol every week, and drink within the recommended limits at other times, affecting a permanent lifestyle change.”

Alcoholic liver disease was responsible for around 66 per cent of all alcohol-related deaths in 2011, up from 64 per cent in 2010. Another contributor to liver disease is the hepatitis C infection. About 216,000 people in the UK are infected with hepatitis C.

Mr Langford said if disease is caught early, the liver can repair itself. He added: “Everyone is affected differently, and symptoms can be almost unrecognisable until the damage is beyond repair – the Government needs to take this seriously. The cost to the nation could be reduced by £600m and more than one million lives could be saved if we invest in early diagnosis.”

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