What steps is the Welsh Government taking to ensure IT systems remain in place to support GP education on the All-Wales Abnormal Liver Blood Test Pathway in 2024?
The Welsh Government continues to support early diagnosis of liver disease in at-risk populations. Funding was made available for health boards to recruit staff to reduce waiting times for non-invasive detection of chronic liver disease through Transient Elastography (TE). Work has also been done to roll out a blood profile test for those unsuitable for TE. In addition, funding has been provided to support the “Love your Liver” campaign run by the British Liver Trust. The campaign includes roadshows within the community with the offer of immediate TE to those at risk.
We have worked closely with the Value in Health team to develop a liver disease national dashboard for Wales. The dashboard was launched in January and provides insight into liver disease prevalence, incidence, and mortality link factors such as socioeconomic deprivation indices in Wales. As the dashboard is further developed, it will support better understanding of liver disease services in Wales and will provide valuable information to inform planning and resourcing, including regional approaches to service provision where appropriate.