Medical appointments are often stressful. For stress awareness month, we are sharing some tips on managing this stress. Different things will work for different people. Give them a go and see what helps you. Before your appointment If you can already feel the stress rising there are some things you can try to help you prepare. Tick off some to dos If you have a lot of tasks crammed in your mind it can be hard to focus on any of them. Writing them down can help. Then try to do a few of the quick and easy ones. It could be that email you’ve been meaning to reply to for weeks or some birthday car ..read more

New figures released today revealed that alcohol-specific deaths have continued to surge in the UK beyond the pandemic with over 10,000 peple dying from alcohol-related causes 2022. 76% (7635) of these deaths were attributed to alcohol-related liver disease, an alarming 31% increase since 2019 and 46% increase since 2012, underscoring the critical need for immediate action to address the serious harm caused by excessive alcohol consumption across the nation. The figures released by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) also revealed that there has been a 32.8% increase in all alcohol-relate ..read more

Today is World Liver Day, an opportunity to cast a global spotlight on an organ that often flies under the radar, despite its critical role in our wellbeing, and raise awareness of the significance of maintaining good liver health. Nestled snugly under the right side of your ribcage, the liver, weighing around 1.8 kg in men and 1.3 kg in women (about the size of a rugby ball), is a powerhouse of activity. It tirelessly performs over 500 crucial functions, including filtering toxins, aiding digestion, and regulating metabolism. What sets the liver apart is its remarkable ability to regenerate a ..read more

The British Liver Trust welcomes today’s vote in the Holyrood Parliament to renew and uprate minimum unit pricing to 65p. Minimum unit pricing is a way of setting a baseline price below which no one can sell an alcoholic drink. The price is based on how much alcohol is in each drink. Vanessa Hebditch, Director of Communications and Policy at the British Liver Trust said: "‘Over 70% of liver disease deaths are attributable to alcohol in Scotland. Alcohol specific deaths in Scotland are over five times higher in the most deprived areas, compared to the least deprived areas. Alcohol causes 7 diff ..read more

It is with much sadness we reflect on the life of Dr Alison Brind, who has passed away from pancreatic cancer.  A passionate and committed Hepatologist, she dedicated her life to the liver, with incredible care and much humour. Alison was an amazing marathon runner, and raised funds for the British Liver Trust through sponsored treks and events, as well as being a very generous personal donor to the charity. She cared deeply that liver patients could get the treatment they needed – knowing there are so many myths about the liver, and often patients are stigmatised and ignored. By the time ..read more

Dame Sheila Sherlock was a world-renowned hepatologist who founded the British Liver Trust. Her daughter, Amanda has kindly shared the story of her mum’s life and the legacy she created. "Mum was born on the 31st of March 1918 in Dublin, and her early years were shaped by both challenges and triumphs. Following her family's move to London and later to Sandgate in Kent on the south coast, my mum's academic brilliance began to shine through. Despite the adversity of being raised by a single parent, she excelled at Folkestone Grammar School, demonstrating a keen intellect and a thirst for knowled ..read more

People with severe liver cirrhosis can spend a lot of time in hospital because of complications. Now researchers are looking at a new way to tackle this. Using technology at home to find problems sooner and manage these in the community. Severe liver cirrhosis can cause a number of complications. These include a build up of fluid in the tummy (ascites), confusion and memory problems (hepatic encephalopathy), and an increased risk of infections. These complications often need to be treated in hospital. But they can come back. Almost 4 in 10 people will be readmitted to hospital within 4 weeks ..read more

We are pleased to announce the launch of a new comprehensive resource hub for anyone affected by a liver condition, providing a wealth of information, support, and practical advice to empower individuals to manage their condition and improve their quality of life. The new “Living with a Liver Condition” section on our website ensures patients and their families can access whatever information they need at every stage of their condition. Being diagnosed with a liver condition not only impacts on a person’s physical wellbeing, but often affects every aspect of life. From the moment of diagnosis ..read more

The British Liver Trust welcomes today’s news from the Scottish Government announcing plans to increase the Minimum Unit Price for alcohol to 65 pence. Responding to the announcement, British Liver Trust Chief Executive, Pamela Healy OBE, said: “The introduction of minimum unit pricing has already demonstrated its effectiveness in tackling alcohol-related harm in Scotland, saving hundreds of lives., The planned increase in minimum unit price of alcohol is a critical lever to further reduce avoidable deaths and hospital admissions caused by alcohol. "With deaths due to chronic liver disease in ..read more

January was Love Your Liver Awareness Month, dedicated to promoting promoting good liver health and raising awareness on the steps we can all take to reduce our risk of liver disease. We’d like to say a huge thank you to everyone who helped us raise awareness and/or took steps to improve their liver health in January 2022. Highlights from the month We held a Parliamentary Liver Health Awareness Day, where we were joined by over 80 MPs, Peers and Parliamentary staff, including the Health Minister, Andrew Stephenson MP and the opposition Health Minister, Preet Kaur Gill MP. They were given an o ..read more