Hepatology and Liver Disease (GP information)
Introduction
The L&D provides a hepatology clinical service covering all aspects of liver disease, with dedicated liver clinics as well as endoscopy lists for variceal treatment.
Treatment for hepatitis B and hepatitis C patients is available locally, including the newer hepatitis C treatment regimes with Direct Acting Agents. Other liver diseases such as alcoholic & non-alcoholic liver disease, auto-immune hepatitis as well as metabolic liver disease (such as iron or copper overload conditions) are managed here too.
The hospital has a Hepatology Nurse, Therese Moore, who conducts the Hepatitis C clinics, which commenced early in 2011. Therese works on Tuesday and Thursday at the L&D.
Email: marie.moore2@ldh.nhs.uk
Please follow these links for more information about Liver Disease and Hepatology:
British Liver Trust
Addenbrooke’s Hospital
Referral Process
GP referral process by ER-S only.
Procedures Provided
- Teaching session about viral hepatitis to internal and external staff
- Weekly nurse lead clinic on a Tuesday am and pm only
- Provides education about viral hepatitis
- Conducts assessment of all Hepatitis C patients prior to commencing treatment
- Starts Hepatitis C patients on antiviral therapy (pegylated interferon and ribavirin and where appropriate triple therapy (additional telapravir or bocepravir)) to try and eradicate the virus
- Telephone helpline
- Buddy scheme support (introducing patients on similar background to ex-patients prior to starting treatment)
Clinics
Clinic name: Liver – New patient Wed AM, Liver follow-up – Tues PM, Mon AM
Clinic Type: Adult
Joint clinics with the Hepatology team from Addenbrooke’s are conducted quarterly, where potential transplant candidates can be assessed at an early stage and patients who have already been transplanted are followed up.
Quarterly Joint clinics are also conducted with Genito-urinary medicine for patients with viral hepatitis & HIV.
Links to tertiary centres:
The Hepatology team has strong well-established links with Addenbrooke’s Hospital in Cambridge, where complex liver patients, including those with acute liver failure, liver cancers & potential candidates for a liver transplant are referred.
Joint clinics with the Hepatology team from Addenbrooke’s are conducted quarterly, where potential transplant candidates can be assessed at an early stage, and patients who have already been transplanted are followed up.