Liver Health Check Team hits 10,000 scans milestone | News

Royal Surrey’s mobile Liver Health Check Team carried out its 10,000th potentially life-saving liver health scan on Monday 24 November.

The community outreach team is one of just 19 operating in England, offering targeted screening for liver disease via non-invasive scans to screen at-risk individuals for fibrosis and cirrhosis. 

People diagnosed with cirrhosis are enrolled in structured surveillance programmes with the aim of early diagnosis of liver cancer.

Commissioned by NHS England, the programme targets specific risk groups, including those with high alcohol consumption, people with current or previous Hepatitis B or C and suspected metabolic liver disease secondary to or Type 2 diabetes and obesity.

Joanne Dowse, Hepatitis C and Liver Health Checks Manager, said: “The team goes out and about across a wide geographical area covering Surrey. It offers a simple, quick and non-invasive test called a fibro scan to anyone aged 35 to 70 who might be at risk of liver disease.

“In its early stages, liver disease has no symptoms, so early detection is really important. It means the chances of a patient receiving successful treatment are higher and we can save more lives.” 

There are more than 11,000 deaths each year in the UK due to liver disease. People with cirrhosis are at risk for primary liver cancer - hepatocellular carcinoma, but only 20 per cent of cases are diagnosed at an early stage. With targeted screening and structured surveillance, the team aims to increase the proportion of early diagnoses for our residents.

Joanne added: “Our team works closely with local community organisations and charities to identify people most in need of tests and support, so the mobile service visits key locations such as shopping centres, GP practices, and homeless shelters.”

If the results of a fibro scan indicate cirrhosis of the liver or advanced fibrosis (a build up a scar tissue), which increases a patient’s risk of liver cancer, they can then be referred for further hospital tests and monitoring.

The liver scanning team led by Dr Michelle Gallagher, Consultant Hepatolgist, includes four Royal Surrey staff members working in the community, supported by the dedicated hospital HCC surveillance team, hepatology consultants and radiology services.

If you would like to find out if you are eligible for a liver health check and find out where mobile liver screening team are visiting next, please visit our website.