Adam Dance MP backs campaign to improve liver health for all

Adam Dance, MP for Yeovil, joined the British Liver Trust at their Parliamentary Love Your Liver Day in January. The event is part of the Charity’s Love Your Liver Awareness Month and was attended by 90 MPs and Peers, who met clinicians and patient advocates and learnt about the alarming rise in liver disease across the UK and the urgent need for early diagnosis and prevention.

This event follows the release of new data by the British Liver Trust, which highlights significant disparities in the diagnosis, treatment, and care of liver disease across the UK. The research, published in the British Journal of General Practice, reveals that 80% of England does not have an effective liver care pathway, highlighting the pressing need for change.

Liver disease is the third leading cause of death in people under the age of 75, and mortality rates have doubled in the last 20 years. Alarmingly, three-quarters of people diagnosed with cirrhosis are only identified when it is too late for effective intervention or treatment. 

During the event, which took place on Wednesday 21st January, to mark Love Your Liver month, MPs and their staff had the opportunity to take a non-invasive liver scan, which measures the stiffness of the liver, and to learn about the British Liver Trust’s vital work to improve early detection of liver disease and liver cancer.

Adam Dance MP said:

"Liver disease is a growing health crisis, and it’s clear that early diagnosis and prevention are crucial in tackling it. I was pleased to support the British Liver Trust’s Love Your Liver campaign and learn more about the urgent need for better liver care pathways across the UK. With liver disease mortality rates doubling in the last 20 years, we must act now to improve access to early detection and ensure patients receive the care they need before it’s too late. I fully support calls for better prevention measures and a comprehensive approach to liver health."

The British Liver Trust is calling for all health bodies across the UK to commission a comprehensive pathway for the early detection of liver disease.
 

Pamela Healy OBE, Chief Executive of the British Liver Trust, said:

“We were delighted to have the support of so many parliamentarians who are passionate about improving liver health for all and driving change.

“Liver disease is a key indicator of the nation’s health – improving prevention, early diagnosis, and patient care is essential to reducing the number of lives lost to liver disease and turning the tide on its rising prevalence in the population.”