Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he has taken to improve pathways for the early detection of liver disease in (a) Stockport, (b) Greater Manchester and (c) England.

In Stockport, the local National Health Service has an established non-alcoholic fatty liver disease programme, with a detection and investigation programme including lifestyle intervention to support behaviour change of those patients who are identified as high risk or harmful drinking patterns. At Salford Royal Hospital, there is a seven-day service to provide interventions for those patients attending from the North West of England, including Stockport and Greater Manchester. These patients are referred to the hospital’s Well Liver Clinic and undergo clinical assessment and liver elastography.

In the Spending Review 2021, £2.3 billion of capital funding has been allocated for investment in diagnostic services, to increase capacity for the diagnosis of liver disease. NHS regions will work with integrated care systems, diagnostic networks and primary care services on the location and configuration of community diagnostic centres, based on the needs of the local population.