NHS staff have had the chance to have liver tests while at work – as part of a campaign to raise awareness of liver health and any underlying issues people may have.
The liver specialist team at North Tees and Hartlepool NHS Foundation Trust were available for a whole day to provide a drop-in service.
Staff were asked to fill in a questionnaire from the British Liver Trust, before having the opportunity to have a fibroscan, which is a non-invasive medical test that assesses liver health.
It measures its stiffness, to find any presence and severity of scarring on the liver, while also measuring fat content.
Hayley Tranter, the trust’s alcohol lead nurse, said: “We were overwhelmed by the demand – we scanned more than 100 staff.
“Staff were eager to know the health of their liver and to gather advice and support about how they could make improvements to their lifestyles.
“When appropriate, we asked staff further questions to find out about why they may have an issue, while for a small number we referred them on for follow up treatment.
“For many of us, it is just about knowing about the lifestyle changes we can make to have a healthier liver. We do drink and eat the wrong things at times and many of us could exercise more. It is a positive thing to think more about changes we can make.
“I want to thank our experienced liver team for giving up their time as well as our staff for taking that time to find out more about their livers.”
“Due to popular demand, we will be holding another two days of fibroscans in July at both of our hospital sites with two fibroscan machines, which is fantastic news.”
Advice for liver health
The liver carries out a number of important roles including digesting food, producing and storing energy, storing vitamins, iron and nutrients, fighting infection, removing toxins and helping the body heal.
Advice for having a healthy liver:
- A well balanced diet
- Keeping to a healthy weight
- Supplements and vitamins
For more information visit the British Liver Trust.