WELCOME TO THE BRITISH ASSOCIATION FOR THE STUDY OF THE LIVER
Dame Sheila Sherlock Prize Award Winner - Dr Wenhao Li, NIHR Academic Clinical Lecturer & Specialist Registrar, Barts Liver Centre
Andy Burroughs Young Investigator Prize Award Winner - Dr Felicity Williams, Honorary Consultant Physiotherapist in Hepatology, UHB
BASL ANNUAL MEETING
7th-10th October 2025
BASL ANNUAL MEETING 2025 - SAVE THE DATE
Tuesday 7th - Friday 10th October 2025
Including: BLTG Transplant Meeting 7th & 8th (am) and BLNA Nurse meeting - dates TBC
Venue: International Convention Centre, Belfast
BASL ANNUAL MEETING
BLNA
MEETING
BLTG
MEETING
BASL AND BASL SUB-GROUPS
The British Association for the Study of the Liver is a multi-disciplinary society with around 900 members composed of interested individuals from clinical medicine, clinical and basic research and allied professions. |
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British Liver Nurses' Association is a professional nursing organisation aiming to develop knowledge and understanding of liver disease, in order to improve the quality of patient care. |
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The British Viral Hepatitis Group aims to improve the management and study of patients with chronic viral liver disease, bringing together UK hepatologists, gastroenterologists, infectious disease physicians, virologists and interested epidemiologists. |
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The BLTG (British Liver Transplant Group) was launched in 2014 to represent the professional interests of liver transplantation in the UK and promote strategic and academic development. The BLTG will foster close relationships with BTS (British Transplant Society) and LICAGE (Liver Intensive Care Group of Europe) and will build on the role of the UK and Ireland Annual Meeting by delivering structure and authority to the group. |
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Is a professional pharmacy organisation aiming to develop knowledge and understanding of liver disorders including viral hepatitis, in order to improve the quality of patient care, through medicines optimisation, collaborative and multi-disciplinary working and promoting patient-focused research. |
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British Association for Allied Health Professionals in Liver is a professional group for AHP’s specialising or working with patients with liver conditions. Bringing together specialist hepatology AHP’s from across the four Nations. Their aim is to promote excellence through the provision of AHP care to all patients with liver disorders. |
News
Vacancy - Senior Staff Specialist or Staff Specialist - Clinical and Research Lead Hepatology
Read moreJob Reference: QLD/RBH597575
Position status: Permanent
Position type: Full-time
Location: Royal Brisbane and Women's Hospital, Herston
Salary: $357,998 - $447,015 per annum (total remuneration)
Closing Date: 18-Nov-2024
Permanent full time opportunity to provide leadership and oversight of both clinical activity and research in the field of hepatology on the Herston campus.
Visit > Here and > Here for the full job description and how to apply.
BASL - Press release: Latest data reinforces calls for extension of opt-out hepatitis B testing and highlights need to resolve inequalities
Read moreFriday 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
Survey on MASH diagnostic pathway
Read moreNHS England is currently gathering information on the current landscape, approaches and service models for diagnosing Metabolic Dysfunction-Associated Steatotic Liver Disease (MASLD) formerly known as non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD).
We are sharing a link that leads to a short survey to help us understand the barriers, challenges and opportunities from a clinical perspective.
Please complete the survey that takes approximately 10 minutes and can be found here.
Thank you for taking part.
UK first – telehealth SME to supply digital prehab services to liver transplant patients
Read more- QuestPrehab to begin working with 50 patients requiring liver transplantation
- First prehab service to work remotely with patients waiting on a transplant list
- The year-long trial to focus on anxiety reduction and improvement of liver frailty scores
- Potential to expand the service to patients with other liver diseases
Wednesday 17th July 2024: Kent-based telehealth company QuestPrehab has signed a contract with the University Hospitals Plymouth NHS Trust to deliver digital prehabilitation (‘prehab’) services to liver patients across Devon, Cornwall and Somerset.
The year-long trial with the South West Liver Unit at University Hospitals Plymouth NHS Trust will see QuestPrehab work with 50 patients undergoing assessment and listing for liver transplant. If successful, the service may be expanded to patients living with other liver diseases and who currently are not on the list.
The digital programmes and resources run by the team at QuestPrehab will be specially developed to cater for the clinical and holistic needs of liver patients in collaboration with the Plymouth-based hospital team.
Prehab is a relatively new area of healthcare that focuses on improving the general health and activity of patients before surgery / treatment as a way of aiding their recovery.
Patients who complete their prehab course prior to planned surgery are less likely to be readmitted to hospital, enjoy improved health-related quality of life, return to work earlier and need less involvement with social and primary care providers.
The aim of the trial is to demonstrate two pivotal elements:
- the feasibility of remote delivery of prehab and the benefits in health-related quality of life for patients awaiting liver transplant
- how the usually long waiting time can be utilised in a positive and clinically effective manner … 50% of patients listed for transplant typically have a wait of six months or more
“We’re very excited to have the opportunity to expand much-needed support to our patients here in the south west,” said Professor Matthew Cramp, Consultant Hepatologist at the South West Liver Unit, UHP.
“Liver transplant patients face many challenges and to be able to provide a personalised prehab service while they wait for their surgery is something we’ve been keen to offer for some time. Having the consistency of supervision by a prehab specialist we hope will lead to a lower risk of complications post-transplant and improve quality of life both pre and post-operatively.”
“The signing of this ground-breaking contract with the University Hospitals Plymouth NHS Trust will see us working hand-in-hand with the South West Liver Unit at Derriford Hospital to improve quality of life for their transplant patients,” said QuestPrehab founder Professor Tara Rampal. “Waiting for a liver transplant is an extremely anxious time for all patients. They face the uncertainty of when they will be called up for the transplant whilst also dealing with the consequences of advanced liver disease and the worry that their condition may deteriorate during this time.”
“Patients will receive a highly personalised programme based on four key areas – physical activity, anxiety management, diet advice and lifestyle modifications – with a goal of alleviating their level of anxiety and improving their liver frailty score.”
Each patient will be able to access their individualised programmes via QuestPrehab’s app. Exercise classes and support sessions will be delivered by a combination of phone, Zoom or Skype calls. Those patients who do not have access to suitable technology will be able to loan equipment from the South West Liver Unit during the trial at no cost to themselves.
The 12-month trial will be evaluated through standardised patient reported outcome measures and physical assessment scores.
News of the contract – the first of its kind in the UK – follows QuestPrehab’s recent deal to supply prehab services to two hospitals in China, along with its success in working with NHS oncology patients over the past four years.
Professor Tara Rampal explains: “Our service is scalable and cost efficient, making wide-scale adoption of digital prehab possible. It doesn’t require any modifications to pre-existing infrastructure, processes, patient pathways, or systems, so can be easily inserted into any healthcare provider.”
ENDS
Developing Quality Standards for the Management of Liver Disease - Invitation to Take Part in a Delphi Process
Read moreWe would like to invite all members with an interest in the study of the liver to take part in a Delphi process to develop a Quality Standards Framework for management of liver disease in the UK.
A multi-disciplinary group was set up in order to develop quality standards for the management of people with chronic liver disease, in order to improve and standardise liver disease care across the UK. The group comprised hepatologists, gastroenterologists, trainees, specialist liver nurses, pharmacists, physiotherapists and dieticians, and also included patient/lay representatives. A writing group has developed a set of proposed standards, and we would now like to seek involvement from the wider community of professionals involved in the care of patients with liver disease.
The process will consist of a series of Delphi rounds responding to the proposed standards, including ranking them in terms of importance, relevance and reach.
On behalf of the BSG, BASL and BLNA, we would like to invite all those with interest in the study of the liver to participate in this process.
Participants must be able to commit to the following:
- Completing multiple rounds of Delphi survey (2-3 rounds expected), over the next few months.
All members of the Delphi panel who participate in all rounds will be acknowledged as co-authors on any subsequent publication.
Events
Register here: https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZIsdumrqjotHdG6e2MR417PIklORbfw-fqs
Time: 5:00pm - 7:00pm
Date: 5th December 2024
Location: Zoom
Programme: TBC
Professor Aftab Ala invites you to attend the face-to-face meeting in Central London, from 09:30 to 16:30 approximately. Refreshments and lunch will be provided.
The meeting will cover recent updates on Wilson’s Disease UK.
Venue details and a full programme will follow shortly.
Registration: please email georgia@basl.org.uk if you would like to attend the meeting.
Please confirm:
• your job title
• your place of work; and
• if you have or have not got any special dietary or access requirements.
Places will be on a first-come, first-served basis.
Save the Date
Webinar title: Approaches to Stricturing Biliary Disease in 2025
Date: 13th January 2025
Time: 7pm - 8pm
Platform: Zoom
Speakers: Dr Emma Culver and Dr George Webster
Chairs: Dr Deepak Joshi and Dr Louisa Vine
Further details and registration link to follow.
Are you a budding Hepatologist? Or a new consultant wanting to know more about specific areas of Hepatology? Do you want to improve your hepatology knowledge to permit Hepatology curriculum sign off? Have you got questions but not had the opportunity to ask them?
If yes then please join us for the BASL Virtual School of Hepatology Webinar Series 2024/5. The BASL Virtual School of Hepatology Sessions offer an excellent platform for trainees and consultants interested in hepatology, with talks delivered by UK Hepatologists, followed by a Q&A session.
Further information on the January webinar and the registration link will be available shortly.
05/03/25 - 07/03/25
The Royal Free Sheila Sherlock Hepatology Postgraduate course has gained an excellent reputation for its curriculum-focused, interactive, and clinically relevant content. It is intended for consultants, nurse specialists, and trainees in acute medicine and gastroenterology who are looking for a refresher on the most encountered hepatology scenarios in their day-to-day work, as well as a consolidation of hepatology knowledge prior to specialty exams.
The aim of the course is to equip medical professionals with confidence in managing liver disease patients.
Covering hepatology topics pertinent to the acute medical take, chronic clinics, intensive care unit, and liver transplant settings, the program has kept its traditional core classes and has been updated with new lectures for the 2025 edition.
This is the 11th edition of the course, and each year the delegate feedback has been consistently excellent.
This year's course will take place virtually, featuring lecturers that will be broadcast live and lots of chances for audience participation and Q&A sessions.This year the course will be held virtually, with live-streamed speakers and plenty of opportunities for audience interaction and questions.
BASL Trainee/Nurse/AHP Member £98.00
BASL Consultant Member £147.00
View the course programme and Register through UCL's online store > Here
For all queries in regards to this course please contact Lynn Knight at l.knight@ucl.ac.uk .