Learn to love your liver with free check

The Bedford area has the highest premature death rate from liver disease in the East of England, the highest rate of hospital admissions due to the Hepatitis C virus and the highest number of deaths from obesity related liver disease according to the most recent Public Health England statistics.
County councillors fear the funding cut will place greater pressure on GPs and hospitalsCounty councillors fear the funding cut will place greater pressure on GPs and hospitals
County councillors fear the funding cut will place greater pressure on GPs and hospitals

The British Liver Trust’s ‘Love Your Liver’ campaign is visiting the town to help raise awareness of all kinds of liver disease and to offer advice and screening to local people.

Residents and local workers can take part by completing the Trust’s online ‘At Risk’ screening questionnaire, and those people who are found to be at risk of liver disease may have the opportunity to receive a free, non-invasive liver scan.

Everyone can get expert advice on how to keep their liver healthy at a ‘lifestyle hub’ where dietitians and occupation health specialists will be on hand to provide advice on diet, exercise and healthy living.

Funded by the Frank Branston Charitable Trust, the events are free to attend and will be at Bedford Hospital on Wednesday 8 March between 10am and 4pm.

As well as the premature deaths, liver disease in Bedford resulted in 203 hospital admissions in 2014/15, of which 20% were attributed to alcohol.

Therese Moore, Clinical Nurse Specialist in Viral Hepatitis from Bedford Hospital NHS Trust said: “This is an excellent opportunity to offer free screening and advice to people here in Bedford about this very important health issue.”

>To take the online ‘Love Your Liver’ health screener, visit www.britishlivertrust.org.uk.