The Love Your Liver roadshow visited Stormont in September, the seat of the Northern Ireland Assembly on a beautiful sunny day in September to highlight our call for increased awareness and stronger action on prevention, and to improve measures for earlier detection. Joining us on the day were six patients from the Royal Victoria Hospital Liver Support Group.
An impressive 45 MLAs, half of the 90-strong Northern Ireland Assembly, turned out to show their support including Mike Nesbitt MLA, Minister for Health and the Chair and Deputy Chair of the Health and Social Care Committee, Liz Kimmins MLA and Danny Donnelly MLA. We were also joined by Emma Little-Pengelly, the Deputy First Minister for Northern Ireland.
We scanned 133 people, which included members of the public and some MLAs and identified 5 individuals with a FibroScan score of 8+, who were advised to seek further help from their GP.
The event was sponsored by Nuala McAlllister MLA, who said: “I was delighted to sponsor the British Liver Trust’s first Love Your Liver Roadshow in Stormont. With liver disease often showing no symptoms in the early stages, screening is important in detecting and treating the often reversible disease. I would encourage anyone with 10 minutes free to get checked out.”
Northern Ireland has a significant liver disease crisis with around 350 deaths each year.
To improve the early diagnosis of liver disease across Northern Ireland, we are urging MLAs to write to their local Health and Social Care Trust to call for urgent improvements to pathways for the earlier diagnosis of liver disease. We are also calling on MLAs to write to the Minister of Health on the need to increase usage of existing FibroScan machines in each Health and Social Care Trust to identify liver disease cases more easily.
Please email public.affairs@britishlivertrust.org.uk for a template letter to share with the Minister of Health and/or your local Health and Social Care Trust.
With your support, we can save lives and improve outcomes for liver disease and liver cancer patients across Northern Ireland.
Across the UK, it is one of the leading causes of death in those under the age of 75.
Anyone can go along to the Love Your Liver mobile unit and take a free liver screener, which assesses the potential for liver damage against the three main risk factors of alcohol, obesity and viral hepatitis. A free FibroScan is offered to those at potential risk, and those with high readings are recommended to speak to their GP.
Pamela Healy OBE, Chief Executive of British Liver Trust, said: “With around 350 deaths each year in Northern Ireland as a result of liver disease, we were pleased to welcome half of the Northern Ireland Assembly members, who joined us to find out more about how we can increase awareness, understanding and diagnoses of liver disease.
The numbers of people being diagnosed have been increasing at an alarming rate, and unfortunately liver damage develops silently with no signs or symptoms and people often don’t realise they have a problem until it is too late. Although the liver is remarkably resilient, if left until symptoms appear, the damage is often irreversible.
“Our Love Your Liver roadshows are a great opportunity for people to find out their risk of liver disease and receive a free liver scan to see if there is any early damage.
Our visit to Belfast identified five people who were scanned and advised to have further checks.”
