Commons Sense

House of Commons · Westminster Hall

Liver Disease and Liver Cancer

25 April 2024 · 5 other contributors · 8,696 words

Opened by Navendu Mishra Lab Stockport

Responding minister: Andrea Leadsom

NHS

Summarised by AI from the official record, so it can contain mistakes.

Read the full transcript on Parliament.uk

At a glance

Navendu Mishra raised concerns about liver disease and liver cancer in Westminster Hall. A government minister responded.

Key points

  • Navendu Mishra is concerned about rising mortality rates from liver disease, with premature deaths surging to their highest levels in decades.
  • Hospital admissions for liver disease have increased by nearly 80% over the past decade, driven by obesity, alcohol consumption, and viral hepatitis.
  • Mishra calls for sustainable government funding to support new technology for early detection of liver disease in primary care and a nationally endorsed pathology pathway for early diagnosis.

Key requests to Government

Mishra calls on the government to commit sustainable funding for new technology to improve early detection of liver disease in primary care. He also urges the Minister to introduce a nationally endorsed pathology pathway to enhance early diagnosis and ensure that every community diagnostic centre has an assessment for fibrosis.

How the debate unfolded

MPs spoke in turn to share their views and ask questions. Here's what each person said.

Opened the debate

Navendu Mishra Lab Stockport

Navendu Mishra is concerned about the surge in premature deaths from liver disease, with mortality rates rising to their highest levels in decades. Hospital admissions due to liver disease have increased by nearly 80% over the past decade, driven primarily by obesity, alcohol consumption, and viral hepatitis. The north of England is disproportionately impacted, with Stockport having a higher than average premature mortality rate for liver disease. Mishra highlights that risk factors such as obesity, viral hepatitis, and alcohol are most prevalent in disadvantaged communities, leading to significantly higher mortality rates compared to affluent areas.

Other contributors (5)
  • Alison Thewliss SNP Glasgow Central

    Ms Thewliss discussed her personal experience with liver disease, noting the stigma associated with it and highlighting Scotland's progress in reducing alcohol-related deaths through minimum unit pricing. She called for similar measures in England, pointing out that alcohol-specific deaths rose more slowly in Scotland compared to England. She also emphasized the importance of early diagnosis and screening, advocating for cost-effective diagnostic pathways and national endorsement of early detection methods. Ms Thewliss highlighted an exemption in the sugar tax for milkshakes, despite their high sugar content similar to full-fat fizzy drinks. She asked if the Minister would consider including such products in future iterations of the scheme.

  • Gregory Campbell DUP East Londonderry

    He congratulates the hon. Gentleman and the hon. Member for Glasgow Central on securing the debate, noting society's expectation of improving mortality rates from serious conditions. He highlights the concern that mortality rates are worsening in liver disease and cancer cases.

  • Kirsten Oswald SNP West Tyrone

    Ms. Oswald highlighted the link between liver disease and deprivation, noting that someone from the most deprived area is four times more likely to die of liver cancer than those in affluent areas. She praised Scotland's introduction of policies such as minimum unit pricing for alcohol and the Scottish child payment, which has lifted an estimated 100,000 children out of poverty. She also mentioned a new intelligent liver function test developed by researchers from the University of Dundee that can refer patients to specialists earlier.

  • Preet Kaur Gill Lab Co-op Birmingham Edgbaston

    Ms. Preet Kaur Gill highlighted the rising mortality rates for liver disease and liver cancer, noting that over 17,000 people die annually from these conditions. She criticised the government's lack of action on alcohol consumption and public health measures, pointing out a significant decline in life expectancy in deprived areas compared to wealthier ones. Ms. Gill also questioned the allocation of fibroscans for early diagnosis and the dismantling of central public health functions.

  • Sharon Hodgson Lab Washington and Gateshead South

    She highlighted the high rates of liver disease in her constituency, where hospital admission rates were 84% higher than the national average. She criticised the Government's failure to address health inequalities despite a manifesto pledge to do so. She called for a holistic approach focusing on research, prevention and treatment improvement, including earlier diagnosis through new diagnostic pathways.

Government Response

Andrea Leadsom

It is a pleasure to serve under your chairmanship, Sir Christopher. I congratulate the hon. Members for Stockport and Glasgow Central on securing this debate; it is an absolutely vital one. The Government are taking significant steps in prevention, early intervention and diagnosis of liver disease and cancer, with 6,000 new cases each year and 5,000 deaths annually. The UK government is committed to improving early diagnosis and treatment, highlighting that economic and health inequalities go hand in hand and addressing disparities through a two-pillar strategy focusing on prevention and early detection. The minister notes that 90% of liver diseases are caused by alcohol dependency, obesity or viral hepatitis, with a five-year survival rate for liver cancer at only 13%, emphasizing the importance of early detection. The government's drug strategy includes an extra £780 million in funding—over £500 million going to local authorities in the most deprived areas—and is boosting screening capacity and referral pathways. Since its publication, more than 135,000 people are receiving treatment for alcohol use, compared with just over 117,000 under two years ago. NHS England is investing nearly £30 million to bring specialist alcohol care teams to hospitals in deprived parts of England. Regarding obesity, the government has reduced the average sugar content in soft drinks through the soft drinks industry levy and continues efforts to tackle childhood obesity post-COVID pandemic. Further restrictions on price promotions will come into force by the end of next year, with success seen in the NHS digital weight management programme that helped over 31,000 people achieve sustained weight loss. In tackling hepatitis, the number of people living with chronic hepatitis C has been reduced by more than half since 2015 and deaths related to hepatitis C have fallen by just over a third. The early diagnosis programme for liver cancer aims to detect liver disease in deprived areas, including 19 community liver health check pilot sites launched in 2022 which reached more than 7,000 people using mobile units equipped with fibroscans, diagnosing more than 830 patients with cirrhosis or advanced fibrosis. The minister is passionate about making the NHS faster, simpler and fairer for all users.

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