Deadly delays in diagnosing liver disease

A survey by the British Liver Trust also shows that in the region: 21 per cent of people said their condition was dismissed as nothing to worry about when they were first seen by a doctor; 17 per cent were very dissatisfied with the care they received; and nearly half had no signs or symptoms of a problem before diagnosis.

The survey also shows that across the UK a third of patients were diagnosed after being tested for another condition; tiredness, abdominal pain and itching were the most common symptoms experienced by half of respondents; more than half felt they were given not enough or no information upon diagnosis; and 22 per cent of patients waited more than six months to be referred to a specialist.

Experts are warning that late diagnosis of liver disease is causing a liver disease crisis across the UK, denying many of these people the chance of getting the best possible treatment. Evidence shows the earlier a patient is diagnosed, the greater their chance of survival.

Prof Stephen Ryder, consultant at Nottingham University NHS Trust said, “We need to be diagnosing people with liver disease at a much earlier stage in primary care. We have equipped GPs with a very poor test for diagnosing liver disease - Liver Function Tests (liver enzymes).

“Repeat testing of liver enzymes just wastes NHS money and does not provide early diagnosis. We now have excellent tests for liver scarring, the process which matters in the liver, and those tests should now be universal in primary care.”

Over 14,000 people will die from liver disease this year.

The Love Your Liver campaign focuses on three simple steps to Love Your Liver back to health: drink within recommended limits and have three consecutive days off alcohol every week; maintain a healthy weight by eating well and taking more exercise; know the risk factors for viral hepatitis and get tested or vaccinated if at risk.