WELCOME TO THE BRITISH ASSOCIATION FOR THE STUDY OF THE LIVER

If you  are nurse member of BASL member you are entitled to nominate new members for the BLNA Committee.

The scope and remit of liver nurses is diversifying year on year and we remain constant in the care and management of people with and at risk of liver disease. Our diverse skills that we possess, such as being person centred, collaborative, advocates, being solution focused and proactive and demonstrating emotional intelligence in response to changing needs continues to be showcased by liver nurses locally across all four nations of the UK.

The BLNA are seeking liver nurses with a drive and enthusiasm to be involved on a national level in supporting, educating and demonstrating leadership for the liver nurse community.

The BLNA Committee require 4 new committee members from April 2025 due to planned demitting, and are now seeking nominations for the following posts:

• 2 x 2-year tenure post
• 2 x 3-year tenure post

This is an exciting opportunity for liver nurses to get involved with our friendly committee and share their skills and experience. You will gain experience working collaboratively and strategically at a national level to ensure that the needs of people with or at risk of liver disease and liver nurses are represented at the highest levels in the UK. The BLNA are key participants in the UK Liver Alliance, IQILs refresh, BSG liver section etc.

Please read some of the testimonials from BLNA members who have joined the committee:  Download BLNA Committee Testimonials 2025_final.pdf

Committee members are expected to attend a monthly committee meeting held via Zoom, these take place usually on either the first or second Monday of each month from 12:00 – 13:30pm. In addition commitment is also requested from committee members to attend 2-3 other meetings each year, these may be held face to face or virtually.

If you are interested in joining the BLNA Committee, you must be a registered nurse with an interest in liver care and be a BLNA member.

BLNA Committee Member Nomination Process

Candidates wishing to be considered for election require one BLNA member to propose them, and a second BLNA member to confirm their suitability for the role in writing, by email.

Please note to be eligible to nominate, both the proposer and seconder must be a registered nurse and any nomination should include your NMC PIN number.

Email your nominations, including your NMC PIN number, to Judy at the BASL Secretariat at judy@basl.org.uk by the deadline of 09:00 on Monday 3rd February 2025.

It would be helpful when proposing a candidate if you can advise if they prefer to stand for a 2 year or a 3-year tenure.

A personal statement, containing no more than approx. 300 words, will be requested at the time of nomination from the candidates. Permission will be requested to share the personal statements with the BASL BLNA membership. (Personal statements are intended for this purpose only.)

If more than 4 candidates are nominated, the BASL Secretariat will arrange for an election of all BLNA members. 4 candidates will be elected by a simple majority of those BLNA members voting.

Important information -

• Newly elected BLNA committee members will be required to attend an on-boarding meeting via Zoom on Monday 24th March from 2-4pm.
• Newly elected BLNA Committee members will take over in post from 1st April 2024 and will be expected to be available to join the monthly committee meeting via Zoom which is taking place on Monday 7th April 2025 from 12:00 – 13:30pm.

BLNA Committee “Taster Experience”

Due to the success of a 1 year “taster experience”, the BLNA will be offering this role again for 2025. This role will be to join the BLNA committee on a 1-year term commencing in April 2025.

This “taster experience” would suit a registered nurse who is either under 5 years qualified, or new to the area of liver care, may be working in a ward environment (liver or gastro), or newly appointed liver related CNS. You will receive mentorship and support to assist you to gain insight, experience and develop skills in educational delivery and support for liver nurses; as well as increase your knowledge and understanding of strategic working at a national level.

The dates set out above in the important information also apply to this post.

BLNA Committee Taster Experience Application process

To apply for this “taster experience”, please complete the application form and submit it by email to Judy at the BASL Secretariat at judy@basl.org.uk by the deadline of 09:00 on Monday 3rd February 2025.

Download BLNA Taster Experience Application Form 2025.pdf

NB: a word copy of the application form is available from admin@basl.org.uk .

The BLNA committee will make a decision based upon the information included in the application form as to a suitable candidate for the 1-year term.

Dianne Backhouse, BLNA Chair Elect, is happy for members who are interested in joining the committee or applying for the taster experience to contact her if they have any questions, you can reach Dianne at dianne.backhouse@nhs.net or you can speak to one of the BLNA committee members, see the testimonials for members contact email addresses.

BASL is committed to promoting equality, diversity and inclusion in all aspects of its work. It is actively promoting equal opportunities and access for all our members regardless of their background. We would, therefore, encourage you to consider joining the BLNA committee to help to shape the future of BASL, BLNA and liver nursing in the UK, and increase our inclusivity/inclusiveness.

If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact admin@basl.org.uk .

NICE is developing a guideline on Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease/Metabolic dysfunction-associated Steatohepatitis (NAFLD/MASH).

They are seeking a topic advisor who will attend all meetings and contribute expertise throughout the development process.

This is an online application process and details related to this role can be found here: http://healthjobsuk.com/job/v6894128 

Online applications close on 20 January 2025.

Friday 11th October 2024

Latest data reinforces calls for extension of opt-out hepatitis B testing and highlights need to resolve inequalities

New data presented today at The British Association for the Study of the Liver Annual Meeting in Harrogate has added weight to calls from the British Liver Trust for opt out blood testing to be made routinely available in all emergency departments across the UK. The research also highlights the urgent need for improvements to ensure adequate follow up and monitoring of patients who have been diagnosed with hepatitis B (HBV).

The British Liver Trust has been calling for the roll out of opt-out testing across all emergency Departments in the UK since testing for HIV, hepatitis B and hepatitis C launched in April 2022 in Emergency Departments in areas of very high HIV diagnosed prevalence. All Emergency Department attendees over 18 years of age who were having blood tests done for any reason, were tested for HIV, hepatitis B and hepatitis C, unless they opted out. The initiative has unearthed a lot more cases of undetected hepatitis B than expected, resulting in a 30% increase in estimated prevalence and surge in demand for hepatitis B services.

Opt-out blood borne virus testing in Emergency departments was rolled out in areas of extremely high HIV prevalence in April 2022. This research described the cases identified through testing at two Emergency Departments in King’s College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust. In the first 18 months, out of the 837 patients who tested positive for viral hepatitis (hepatitis B or C), the majority, 715 (85%) tested positive for hepatitis B. Although 351 (42%) were already in care, almost a quarter (24%) were new diagnoses of hepatitis B, which can cause liver fibrosis, cirrhosis and liver cancer and other serious health complications if left untreated.

56 patients (8%) had previously been diagnosed but were not receiving care or treatment, and a further 40 patients (6%) could not be contacted after the positive test to check that they were aware of their diagnoses. This highlights the need for strategies to ensure that patients with hepatitis B are followed up adequately, which requires information, education and patient involvement. It also identifies the need for research into barriers to accessing care which may include stigma, discrimination and language barriers.

Pamela Healy OBE, Chief Executive at the British Liver Trust said:
“If left undetected, the hepatitis B virus can cause liver damage and increase an individual’s risk of developing liver cancer, yet thousands of people in the UK are asymptomatic and unaware they are infected with it.

This latest research reinforces what we already knew – that opt-out testing is highly effective at identifying people living with previously undiagnosed blood borne viruses, such as hepatitis B and hepatitis C, so that they can receive treatment, prevent further complications and ultimately reduce NHS spending in the long term.”

In England alone, over 200,000 people are estimated to be living with chronic hepatitis B (HBV) – the majority are undiagnosed, unlinked to care and at higher risk of premature death from cirrhosis and liver cancer.

Professor Raj Mookerjee, Secretary of the British Association for the Study of the Liver said:
“The opt-out testing programme in Emergency Departments in England has identified an unprecedented number of new cases of hepatitis B, particularly from disadvantaged groups who are less likely to come forward for routine testing, and whose only interaction with healthcare services has been via emergency departments.

Although the surge in demand for services and access to treatment has added to NHS pressures, wwe must continue to work with policy makers to identify affected patients and address the health inequalities to ensure that everyone has access to the treatment and care that they need.”

Senior author of the research, Dr Kate Childs, King’s College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust said:
“This program has successfully identified a large number of patients with hepatitis B infection, who were either undiagnosed or not in care. Many of those tested live in areas of deprivation and have difficulty in accessing healthcare. This program empowers this group of individuals to attend for hepatitis B care, prevent onwards transmission and reduce the long-term risk of complications including liver cancer. Adequate resources are needed to ensure that hepatitis services are able to review and treat these patients in a timely manner.”

In November 2023, NHS England expanded the scope of opt-out testing for HIV and viral hepatitis in emergency departments to 47 sites across England. The British Liver Trust is calling for opt-out testing to be made routinely available across the UK.

ENDS

FOR MORE INFORMATION OR INTERVIEW REQUESTS CONTACT media@britishlivertrust.org.uk