Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what assessment he has made of progress in reducing avoidable deaths from liver disease as set out in his call to action to reduce avoidable premature mortality; and what further steps his Department will be taking.

Improving outcomes for people with liver disease is a priority and tackling it is reflected in the NHS Outcomes Framework, the Public Health Outcomes Framework and in the Government's mandate to the National Health Service.

Building on last year's ‘Call to Action', Living Well for Longer: National Support for Local Action to Reduce Premature Avoidable Mortality brings together the national actions which will be taken by the Department and wider Government, NHS England and Public Health England (PHE), to reduce premature mortality in England. It focuses on the five big killers including liver disease and includes a system wide delivery plan for 2014-15. This plan reflects the key actions which will be taken to reduce premature mortality taking into account the commitments that each of these organisations have made in their 2014-15 business plan. Progress against these commitments will be tracked and reported on next year.

In addition, PHE is meeting with the All-Party Parliamentary Hepatology Group, and other stakeholders, in July to discuss the recommendations of its recent report into liver disease.