WELCOME TO THE BRITISH ASSOCIATION FOR THE STUDY OF THE LIVER
BASL is delighted to announce that the BASL2021 Annual Meeting will take place virtually on 21-24 September. We invite authors to submit abstracts for the event. Full information can be found on the BASL Events page of the website. Submit an abstract > here.
BASL2021 VIRTUAL ANNUAL MEETING
21st - 24TH September 2021
The BASL Annual Meeting 2021 will take place virtually again this year from 21st - 24th September. Abstract submission is now open and closes at 09:00 on 28th June. Read more here . Submit an abstract here . The BLTG meeting will take place on 21st and the BLNA meeting on 24th September. Registration is now open and a full programme will follow soon. Sponsorship opportunities are available please contact steve@basl.org.uk .
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BASL AND BASL SUB-GROUPS
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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 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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HCC UK is a multi-disciplinary organisation aiming to promote collaboration in research, education and clinical service development for primary liver cancer. We bring together leading oncologists, liver surgeons, hepatologists, basic scientists, radiologists, pathologists and specialist nurses to lead improvement in the quality of patient care. |
News
Opportunities: BASL Committee Members Elected Posts 2021 – Expressions of Interest - Closes 30 June
Read moreThe tenure of a number of committee member posts will come to an end in September 2021 and BASL are now seeking nominations for the following 3 positions on its Governing Board:
BASL Secretary Elect - elected by the membership and will shadow the BASL Secretary from October 2021, taking up the role of Secretary at the end of the Business Meeting of the Association in September 2022.
The Secretary is the Chief Executive of the Association and serves for up to two years. They are responsible for running the administrative tasks pertaining to his/her function and will work closely with the Secretariat, who are appointed by the Governing Board.
Research Lead - elected by the membership to serve for a period of up to three years and may be re-elected once. The Research Lead is responsible for basic science, research and portfolio development.
Services Lead - elected by the membership to serve for a period of up to three years and may be re-elected once. The Services Lead supports the development and implementation of Clinical Standards and the provision of Clinical Services, including preparation and delivery of advice to national health authorities concerning liver diseases.
The newly elected BASL members will take up their roles at the end of the BASL Annual Business Meeting in September 2021.
All of the above posts, with the exception of the Secretary Elect post, shall be registered with Companies House in the UK as a Director of BASL and registered with the Charities Commission as a Trustee.
BASL is committed to promoting equality and diversity and ensuring equal opportunities and access for all our members. Please consider joining the BASL committee and help to shape the future of BASL.
Nomination Process
Please send your nominations, clearly stating the position that your nomination is for, to the BASL Secretariat at judy@basl.org.uk by the deadline of 23:59 on Wednesday 30th June 2021.
Candidates wishing to be considered for nomination must be a member of BASL and will require one BASL member to propose them and a second BASL member to confirm their suitability for the role in writing. (Proposing and seconding of candidates is by email.)
If more than one candidate is nominated for a particular post, the Secretariat will arrange for an election of all members. He/she will be elected by simple majority of those members voting.
A personal statement, containing no more than approx. 300 words, will be required from the candidate should an election need to take place. Candidates will be contacted by the Secretariat if a personal statement is required.
The newly elected posts will be announced at the next Annual Business Meeting of the Association during BASL2021 which takes place from 21st – 24th September.
If you need any more information on any of the above, please do not hesitate to contact judy@basl.org.uk .
We look forward to hearing from you.
Opportunities: BASL Trainee Subcommittee – Expressions of Interest - Closes 30 June
Read moreBASL are looking to develop a Trainee Subcommittee to increase regional representation for hepatology interested trainees.
Key roles will be in the promotion of hepatology locally and assistance in delivering BASL Trainee Educational events.
The subcommittee will be formed of 8 regional representatives. Please download the BASL Trainee Subcommittee Aims document below for more information, including the regional areas:
Download BASL Trainee Subcommittee Aims June 2021v1.pdf
If you have any specific questions, please contact oliver.tavabie@nhs.net .
The post will be for 2 years and BASL members are invited to submit an expression of interest to judy@basl.org.uk detailing which region you are interested in representing, along with a 300 word personal statement explaining why you want to represent your region and what you can bring to the BASL Trainee Subcommittee.
Deadline - for expressions of interest is 23:59 on Wednesday 30th June 2021.
In the case of multiple applicants for a region the Secretariat will arrange for an election of the BASL In Training members. Representatives will be elected by simple majority of those members voting.
BASL is committed to promoting equality and diversity and ensuring equal opportunities and access for all our members. Please consider representing your region.
We look forward to hearing from you.
Consultant Gastroenterologist & General Physician s.i. Liver Disease - Dublin
Read moreConsultant Gastroenterologist & General Physician special interest in Liver Disease - Beaumont Hospital / Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital Drogheda/ RCSI
Closing date for applications: 12 noon Thursday 24th June 2021
Contract duration: Permanent
Contract Type: Type B
Hours per week: Beaumont Hospital (27.5 hours) / Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital Drogheda (8 hours)/ RCSI (3.5 hours)
Contact Details: ConsultantHR@beaumont.ie – for application queries.
Enquiries relating specifically to this post or informal visits should be directed to: Prof John Ryan, Consultant Gastroenterologist, Beaumont Hospital, johnryan2@beaumont.ie or 01 809 3000.
Concerned about Climate Change? BASL leading the way for Sustainable Hepatology
Read moreEnvironmentally Sustainable Hepatology - It’s time to make a start.
The Covid-19 Pandemic has precipitated a rapid re-think of how medical services should be provided in the UK and around the world. This reconfiguring of services is happening in parallel to the run up to the G7 conference in Carbis Bay, Cornwall where Climate is a key item on the agenda. As well as this the UK is hosting the COP26 climate conference later this year, this pivotal meeting taking place at a time when key decisions and investments are being made as part of the recovery from the pandemic. There have been many pleas to place Climate, Planetary and Human Health at the centre of the pandemic recovery.
Over the last few years the majority of us will have noticed gradual steps towards a more sustainable future, in what we eat, how we travel and almost every other aspect of our lives. These changes include a move to a more environmentally sustainable future for healthcare. The NHS is leading this change internationally with plans underway to deliver the world’s first net zero healthcare system [1]. This transformation requires a rethink of every aspect of NHS practice from heating and lighting to changes to the NHS constitution. This transformation delivers the potential to maintain or improve quality of care whilst lessening our impact on the planetary systems and natural world on which we all rely.
"It is not enough for the NHS to treat the problems caused by air pollution and climate change - from asthma to heart attacks and strokes - we need to play our part in tackling them at source."
NHS Chief Executive Simon Stevens
A number of specialities including Anaesthetics, Surgery and Nephrology are making progress with a move to more sustainable healthcare models, with help from organisation such as https://sustainablehealthcare.org.uk . Our Gastroenterology colleagues are also making progress with the recent appointment of a Fellow in Sustainable Endoscopy and an expanding international coalition: ‘The Green Endoscopy Network’ (Twitter @GreenEndoscopy).
It is overdue for Hepatology to start a journey towards a more sustainable future rather than be left on the sidelines at this time.
What is Sustainable Healthcare?
A sustainable healthcare system is achieved by delivery high-quality care and improved public health without exhausting natural resources and living within the ecological boundaries of our planet.
The 4 main domains of sustainable healthcare are set out below adapted from Mortimer et al.
How do we make a start on Sustainable Hepatology?
Maybe the best way to start is by recognising that some current practices already fit within the sphere of sustainable hepatology within one of the domains above. For instance non-invasive assessment of hepatic fibrosis whether it be by ELF test or FibroScan represent low carbon modalities of assessing severity of liver disease. Other more sustainable practices underway, such as telephone and video appointments where appropriate, represent a change to lean services delivery and such practices should be embedded where appropriate and feasible. These may sound like small steps, however with an increasing burden of liver disease they are significant and represent a beginning.
Where else might Sustainable Hepatology lead and what might be the next steps?
The next step may be to consider embedding sustainability in quality improvement framework (SusQI) and into the outcomes of a service measured against environmental, economic, and social cost to determine its sustainability value. This framework was developed by the Centre for Sustainable Healthcare with partners including the Royal College of Physicians [2]. This might lead to a new focus on healthcare preventive measures such as minimum unit pricing of alcohol or a greater focus on preventing metabolic liver disease both within childhood and adult services.
We might also consider:
• Form a multi-disciplinary group of interested others to define what Sustainable Hepatology should be.
• Consulting with https://sustainablehealthcare.org.uk at an early stage.
• Educate ourselves, our association, colleagues, departments and others where appropriate on climate, health and liver disease.
• Incorporate talks on climate and sustainability into gastroenterology and hepatology training and relevant meetings.
• The principles of sustainable quality improvement (SusQI) have been developed by a group including the Royal College of Physicians. These principles could be incorporated into guideline development and quality improvement in Hepatology.
• Appoint Fellows in Sustainable Hepatology (as is taking place in Endoscopy, Anaesthetics, Surgery, Dentistry and Psychiatry).
• A move to more sustainable Hepatology conferences.
In our opinion it is time for hepatology to look to a more sustainable future and we welcome the thoughts and opinions of colleagues in the UK around the world as to how to make this happen.
Join BASL’s Sustainable Hepatology Working Group
BASL is committed to being an inclusive organisation, offering equal opportunity for members to be involved in the work of the association. If you are interested in being part of a working group to develop ideas for Sustainable Hepatology and work with others to promote thinking about this is our future research and service developments, please contact our lead, Dr William Stableforth, by emailing william.stableforth@nhs.net .
References
1. https://www.england.nhs.uk/greenernhs/wp-content/uploads/sites/51/2020/10/delivering-a-net-zero-national-health-service.pdf
2. https://sustainablehealthcare.org.uk/susqi
Dame Sheila Sherlock Research Prize 2021 - Applications Open
Read moreEach year BASL presents the Dame Sheila Sherlock research prize, one of the highlights of the BASL Annual Meeting. This prize is awarded annually to recognise the enormous contribution of Dame Sheila Sherlock to the development of Hepatology as a discipline in its own right.
Dame Sheila was involved in the foundation of the British Liver Club in 1961, which subsequently evolved into The British Association for the Study of the Liver (BASL). She was one of our past presidents and the first recipient of The BASL Distinguished Service Award. In keeping with Dame Sheila’s enthusiasm for fostering young researchers, this eponymous research prize is awarded to young investigators without substantive posts in either medicine or science for their research contributions in the field of Hepatology.
Eligibility
In keeping with Dame Sheila’s enthusiasm for fostering young researchers, this eponymous research prize is awarded to young investigators without substantive posts in either medicine or science for their contributions in the field of hepatology research.
The winner will receive free registration to the meeting, an award and a prize of £1,000 and an invite to deliver the prize lecture and present their research at the BASL Annual Meeting.
To apply, please send one A4 sheet outlining your research and another A4 sheet listing up to 5 related publications.
Please send submissions to steve@basl.org.uk before the deadline of 09:00hrs on Monday 2nd August 2021
You must be a BASL member to apply.
Events
23/06/21 - 26/06/21
Visit the Congress website for all of the details and to register > https://easl.eu/event/the-international-liver-congress-2021/scientific-programme/
BASL ArLD SIG meeting
Date: 6th July2021
Time: 16:00 - 18:00
The meeting will take place via Zoom Webinar.
For full agenda click Download ArLD SIG meeting 6th July 2021 agenda.pdf.
REGISTRATION
Please read the BASL Events Data Protection Disclaimer below before registering: Download BASL Events Data Protection Disclaimer_2021.pdf
You can register HERE
Not a BASL member, you can join by clicking HERE
Please contact kim@basl.org.uk if you have any questions.
07/07/21
Professor Dhiraj Tripathi, Portal Hypertension SIG lead, invites all BASL members and Portal Hypertension SIG members to join what he hopes will be an interesting and informative webinar.
Date: 7th July 2021
Time: 18:00 - 19:00
Moderator: Prof Peter Hayes
1. Case presentation: “When is a TIPSS in acute variceal bleeding too late?”
2. Current guidelines and future directions: Speaker: Dr David Patch, Royal Free Hospital, London.
3. Service and economic implications: Speaker: Dr Jo Leithead, Forth Valley Royal Hospital, Larbert.
4. Conclusion by moderator.
CPD applied for.
REGISTRATION
Please read the BASL Events Data Protection Disclaimer below before registering: Download BASL Events Data Protection Disclaimer_2021.pdf
You can register HERE via the BASL website
Not a BASL member, you can join by clicking HERE
Please contact kim@basl.org.uk if you have any questions.
Thank you to our sponsor:
Endorsed by HCC-UK
Thursday 8 July 2021, 10:00 - 17:30 (BST)
Stereotactic radiotherapy for hepatocellular carcinoma is a flexible, effective, and safe loco-regional therapy and is fully commissioned for use in the English NHS. Over the last four years, leading HCC centres have set up SABR services and successfully integrated it into their treatment pathways. Liver SABR can be complex – case selection and careful radiation delivery are paramount – so join us in this multi-disciplinary workshop to discover how to implement SABR in your centre. Treatment of liver metastases will also be included in the contouring session.
Visit the Royal College of Radiologists (RCR) website for further details and to register:https://www.rcr.ac.uk/clinical-oncology/event/liver-sabr-workshop
14/07/21
Date: Wednesday 14th July
Title: Peri-transplant assessment and management of alcohol use
Speakers: Sister Liz Shepherd, Lead Specialist Substance Misuse Nurse and SMSLT Chair, Royal Free Hospital, London and Dr Jennifer Ryan, Alcohol Lead, Consultant Hepatologist, Royal Free Hospital, London.
UK Time: 18:00 - 19:00pm
About
This series of 6 webinars (hosted on Zoom) will discuss different elements of the management of a patient with an alcohol use disorder through an individual patient’s journey from initial presentation, through to the development of alcohol dependency, end stage liver disease and transplantation. The overall objectives of the series will be as follows:
- To define alcohol use disorders and the tools required to diagnose them
- To define what an early intervention is, how it can be delivered and the evidence base behind its efficacy
- To outline the best management of acute alcohol withdrawal, the differences between fixed and on demand regimens and the different settings that this can be managed in
- To discuss the different pharmacological interventions to prevent alcohol misuse or alcohol use relapse and define which populations are best suited for which regimen(s)
- To review the available psychological modalities used in the field of alcohol use disorders; including cognitive behavioural therapies, 12 step counselling, peer support based interventions, social networking and motivational interviewing
- To provide brief training on the practical application of motivational interviewing and how this could be implemented in the medical outpatient setting
- To define the parameter of alcohol history that are assessed to determine suitability for liver transplant with special emphasis of what information referrers should provide to the transplant centre.
Format
This series of free monthly 45-60 minute Zoom webinars will be based on a single clinical case. They will be chaired jointly by the organisers who will start the session with a brief presentation of aspects of the clinical case relevant to that session. The invited speaker(s) will then be asked to deliver their presentation with a Q&A session concluding the webinar. Participants will be in ‘attendee mode’ on the platform and can submit questions through the dedicated facility. They will not be able to speak directly to the panel and cameras will not be activated. The sessions will be recorded and made available on the BASL website after the event. Attendees will be reminded of this fact at the start of each session.
Who can attend?
Members of the multidisciplinary team involved in the management of patients with alcohol use disorders including but not limited to trainees in gastroenterology and hepatology, clinical nurse specialists, psychologists, dieticians, physiotherapists, pharmacists, general internal medicine trainees and transplant coordinators. In addition, we envisage this will be of interest to consultant colleagues. Whilst the sessions will discuss management in a UK setting, we would welcome and encourage participation from international colleagues.
CPD
Attendees at each webinar will be eligible for 1 external Royal College of Physicians Continuing Professional Development points. Certificates of attendance will be emailed directly to attendees following the webinars.
Register - https://plymouth.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_pcGD6kiRQIyzPAX1cNyHOg
Queries
All enquiries should be directed to Dr Ahmed Elsharkawy at ahmed.elsharkawy@uhb.nhs.uk .
Organisers
Dr Ahmed Elsharkawy, Consultant Hepatologist, University Hospitals Birmingham
Dr Ashwin Dhanda, Consultant Hepatologist, University Hospitals Plymouth and BASL ArLD Specialist Interest Group Lead
Dr Steven Masson, Consultant Hepatologist, Newcastle-Upon-Tyne Hospitals and BSG Alcohol Lead
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