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Mar
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Join this webinar on Tuesday, 9th April at 5pm for an exclusive update from the UK Liver Alliance, a coalition of more than 30 organisations who are committed to improving liver health.
From pioneering efforts in early detection within primary care to initiatives aimed at reducing variation in hospital care and driving policy change, this event promises insights that are both informative and inspiring. Speakers include Professor Phil Newsome, Dr Rebecca Jones, Dr Andrew Yeoman and Dr Helen Jarvis.
Mar
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The SHiNE-UK study (Surveillance and Care for HCC: A National Evaluation) is now live.
Further information and all study docs are available on REDCap dashboard here; www.REDCap.link/SHiNE-UKdashboard.
Do you want to help to research an increasingly important clinical question in hepatology? Do you want to get involved in a large national collaborative project with PubMed-cited collaborative authorship?
SHiNE-UK (Surveillance and care for Hepatocellular carcInoma: a National Evaluation) is a multi-centre project aiming to understand HCC surveillance adherence and outcomes, routes to diagnosis and treatment utilisation across the UK.
SHiNE-UK is a trainee-led multicentre retrospective study that is led by the Trainee Collaborative for Research and Improvement for Hepatology (ToRcH-UK) and hosted by Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust. I
This project comprises of 3 threads:
• Survey of the current provision of HCC surveillance and care (site leads only)
• To assess HCC surveillance adherence and outcomes for patients active in surveillance (all sites – projected 20-60 cases per site)
• To assess routes to diagnosis and first line treatment utilisation for incident HCC (network HPB MDT sites only – projected 30-90 cases per site)
All clinicians, including specialist nurses and allied health professionals are encouraged to take part. Local project teams will gather retrospective data between February and July 2024. All data will be submitted anonymously on REDCap. Each site will have a site lead (registrar) with a supervising gastroenterology/hepatology consultant. The study can be registered via your local Audit Department and will not require R&D approval.
If you would like to take part, please access the SHiNE-UK study dashboard which provides the protocol and supporting materials www.REDCap.link/SHiNE-UKdashboard.
Key Dates
27-Nov-2023 - Site registration opens
19-Feb-2024 - REDCap data collection opens
30-Apr-2024 - Site registration closes
31-Jul-2024 - REDCap data collection closes
Download SHiNE-UK Promotional Poster v1.0 04-Feb-24.pdf
If you have any questions, please contact us via committee@torchuk.org. We look forward to working with you on this exciting project!
Best wishes
SHiNE-UK Project Management Group
X @SHiNEUK_study
Jan
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As many in the hepatology community are aware, HCV Research UK has been operating for more than a decade, providing clinical data and biological samples from a national cohort to support research studies into HCV infection. In total, more than 100 applications for accessing data and samples have been approved, enabling unique insight into the characteristics of infection, pathogenesis and the mechanisms underlying treatment response.
With the advent of direct acting antivirals and the progress towards elimination, there are now few applications requesting access to the resources. In addition, the clinical database has not been updated for several years. As a consequence, the HCV Research UK Management Group has decided to close provision of data and samples by the end of this year. Therefore, we would urge anyone who may wish to use the clinical data and biological samples to lodge applications by the end of May 2024. The process for applying to access HCV Research UK resources can be found at www.hcvresearchuk.co.uk . We also suggest contacting either Will Irving (will.irving@nottingham.ac.uk) or John McLauchlan (john.mclauchlan@glasgow.ac.uk) in the first instance. This would allow sufficient time to process the applications, complete the necessary MTAs, prepare the clinical data and set aside any samples that would be needed for any research studies.
The Management Group wishes to express its gratitude to the clinical teams and HCV Research UK staff whose commitment and efforts enabled the creation of a national cohort. Finally, we will be forever grateful to the individuals living with the virus who generously provided their clinical data and samples to the benefit of studies that have deepened our knowledge of HCV infection.
HCV Research UK Management Group
Professor Will Irving (University of Nottingham)
Professor John McLauchlan (University of Glasgow)
Professor John Dillon (University of Dundee)
Professor Sharon Hutchinson (Glasgow Caledonian University
Jan
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January is Love Your Liver Awareness month a campaign ran by the British Liver Trust. The key aim of the month is to put a spotlight on liver disease risk factors and the steps we can take to keep our livers healthy.
The liver is a vital organ with an amazing ability to regenerate. Performing over 500 jobs, including producing energy and fighting infection, it works hard and can tolerate a lot of abuse. But like an elastic band – it can only stretch so far before it breaks. Taking steps to look after your liver will give it the chance to replace damaged tissue with new cells.
One in three of us is at risk of liver disease. While there are over 100 types of liver disease, with some conditions caused by genetic and autoimmune factors, a staggering 90% of cases are linked to alcohol consumption, excess body weight, diet and viral hepatitis.
Pamela Healy, Chief Executive at the British Liver Trust, said: “Liver disease has been a growing public health concern in the last twenty years during which time deaths have more than doubled with more than 10,000 people dying from the disease every year. Ninety per cent of liver disease is avoidable and sadly, the numbers of people being diagnosed have been increasing at an alarming rate".
The British Liver Trust’s Love Your Liver campaign has three simple but effective steps to improve your liver health:
- Drink less than 14 units of alcohol and have three consecutive days off alcohol every week.
- Cut down on sugar, carbohydrates and fat, and take more exercise.
- Know the risk factors for viral hepatitis and get tested or vaccinated if at risk. There are now highly effective cures for hepatitis.
(Blog supplied by the British Liver Trust)
Jan
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The British Liver Trust is looking for new Trustees to join their Board.
Their Trustees play a pivotal role in providing governance and guidance to ensure they are delivering for people with liver disease and liver cancer. They are involved in setting the strategic direction of the organisation, as well as holding the senior management team to account. The trustees work closely as a team with the senior management team of the charity, playing an active role advising and mentoring as required.
The British Liver Trust is a small charity with big ambitions. They want liver disease to have the same profile and awareness as the other big killer diseases such as heart disease, stroke, and cancer.
They are looking to recruit trustees to help the charity grow and develop to meet this challenge. At this time, they would particularly like:
- to recruit a clinician with specialist Hepatitis B knowledge, and
- to broaden the diversity of their Board, particularly ethnic diversity which they recognise as limited currently
The British Liver Trust is committed to improving equality, diversity, and inclusion across the organisation and to building a Board with a variety of backgrounds, skills and views, so that their leadership reflects the population at large and the communities they serve. They also welcome applications from people who have personal experience of liver disease. Please tell us if there may be any barriers to your engagement with us and we will actively work with you to remove these.
They currently have 4 Board meetings a year, usually virtually, Trustees may be asked to sit on a Board sub-committee relevant to their skill set and are invited to get involved in other ways from time to time.
If you have the skills, knowledge and experience required, please ask for a pack from helen.westhead@britishlivertrust.org.uk .
If you would like an informal chat with the British Liver Trust Chief Executive, Pamela Healy, please email Helen with your availability so that she can arrange this.
Applications close midnight on 14 February 2024.
Oct
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New research reveals late detection of liver disease crisis with more than a third dying within a year of diagnosis:
"Alright My Liver?" screening programme in the South West finds hundreds with liver damage, potentially saving lives:
Aug
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More information can be found in the Media Release here > Download Pathway Improvement Project-Media Release-August 2nd 2023.pdf
Feb
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Obesity Health Alliance (OHA) Publishes Health Inequalities Position Statement - February 2023.
To read the Statement on the OHA website please click > Here .
The document outlines the key evidence on the relationship between excess weight and inequalities in health outcomes for a range of different socio-economic groups. Furthermore, it explores the policy recommendations that represent the most viable first step to close these inequalities.
The document brings together a consensus on this issue from all of the members of the Obesity Health Alliance, representing over 50 of the leading health charities, campaign groups and medical royal colleges in the UK.
Dec
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After the original NCEPOD Report into the care of patients dying with alcohol-related liver disease (ArLD) published in 2013, a survey conducted by NCEPOD has re-evaluated the problems highlighted in the initial Report. This focused on the detection and management of alcohol dependent patients as well as those admitted with alcohol-related liver disease.
The survey Report – ‘Remeasuring the Units’ was published by NCEPOD on 15th December 2022 and highlights where there is further work to be done. It shows that the majority of hospitals still do not have Alcohol Care Teams, that the use of the BASL/BSG Care Bundle needs to be in routine use more widely, and that in over a quarter of Trusts patients with decompensated cirrhosis are not routinely under the care of a gastroenterologist or hepatologist.
For the full Report please click on the link > Here .
Dec
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This article contains headline information about the recruitment process and timings for posts offering advanced hepatology training starting in 2023. These training opportunities are for 12 months and will form a major part of the hepatology training theme within the 2022 Gastroenterology Curriculum, including experience in a transplant unit. The recruitment process covers posts in England, Scotland and Wales and will enable successful applicants to take up a post in any region.
Eligibility
Only current gastroenterology NTN holders who meet the criteria below can be considered:
• Either at the start of and at least ST6 level of training at post commencement, with evidence of satisfactory progress via ARCP OR
• At the start of ST7 level of training at post commencement, and have completed 12 months of hepatology training, with evidence of satisfactory progress via ARCP. Any outstanding GIM commitment will need to be accommodated by the training centre during ST7.
• CCT date should not be before August 2024
Timeline
• Applications will open from 10am on 1 December until 4pm on 20 December; applications will be made on the Oriel system. Now live: https://www.oriel.nhs.uk/Web/PermaLink/Vacancy/21EDC26D
• Shortlisted candidates will be invited to interview in mid-January.
• Interviews take place online on 1 February.
• Offers will be made later in February
Information about the expected posts available and further details about the process are available on the BASL website > Here.
If you are considering applying, it is strongly recommended that you speak to your current training programme director to discuss your plans and the effect it will have on your training.
