Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to help (a) early diagnosis and (b) prevention of liver disease.

Alcohol identification and brief advice (IBA) is undertaken through the NHS Health Check. Where appropriate, individuals are given advice on reducing alcohol consumption or referred to specialist support. IBA is also included at new general practitioner registrations and within the standard contract for secondary care.

We are piloting community liver health checks in 12 areas to provide earlier identification of patients with liver disease. Since April 2022, NHS England has introduced a new Commissioning for Quality and Innovation indicator to incentivise testing for cirrhosis or advanced liver fibrosis for alcohol-dependent in-patients in acute and mental health services. We also have a range of approaches and interventions to address the major risk factors for liver disease, including addressing obesity and preventing hepatitis C.