Liver Disease – Did you know?

• Liver mortality rates in England increasing by 43% between 2001 and 2019 (400% since 1970) [1]
• For adults 35-50 years, Liver disease is the 2nd most common cause of death, responsible for 9.8% overall [2]
• Liver disease is a greater cause of working life years lost than ischaemic heart disease, colon cancer, breast cancer or strokes, but treatable if identified early[2]
• Alcohol related liver disease (ARLD) deaths increased by 21% during the 2020 pandemic, marking the highest levels ever recorded. High levels of alcohol consumption, are a key contributor to the burden of ARLD [3]​​

Introducing the Liver Disease Transformation Programme

The Liver Transformation Programme aims to improve outcomes for patients with liver disease by coordinating efforts across NHS England and external partners. It focuses on the entire care pathway—from prevention to specialised treatment—ensuring a more integrated and effective approach to liver care.

The programme aims to increase awareness of liver disease and its contributing factors, while coordinating and aligning NHS initiatives across the adult liver care pathway to improve diagnosis and treatment. It seeks to address health inequalities by improving access to services across the system. Additionally, the programme supports broader system transformation by promoting a shift from hospital-based care to community-led and digital-first models.

The programme aims to deliver system-wide benefits as patients gain improved awareness ,  earlier diagnosis, faster access, better disease management, reduced stigma, and improved outcomes with care closer to home. Commissioners should benefit from reduced costs, fewer acute admissions, improved care pathways, and enhanced economic productivity with providers experiencing reduced pressure on urgent and emergency care services, fewer and shorter hospital stays, and greater operational efficiency. All regions have been sent a Liver Disease briefing pack (July 2025) to support local strategy and commissioning development.

Liver Disease FutureNHS Resource Hub

We are pleased to launch the Liver Disease FutureNHS Resource Hub—a collated resource designed as a one-stop shop for everyone involved in improving outcomes across the liver disease pathway.

This site brings together the core elements of the Liver Transformation Programme, whose vision is clear:
to improve liver health and outcomes by supporting high quality, consistent liver services across the whole patient journey.

The FutureNHS space provides a central location where colleagues can easily find and share key national priorities, best‑practice resources, and programme updates relating to the full adult liver pathway, from:

• Awareness and Prevention
• Detection and Diagnosis
• Treatment and Specialised Care

This resource hub has been intentionally designed to help teams access the latest guidance, tools, and materials.

Join Us:        Liver Disease FutureNHS Resource Hub

Contact Us:    england.liver.transformation@nhs.net 

---

[1] Liver disease profile, April 2024 update – GOV.UK

[2]  Liver disease: applying All Our Health – GOV.UK

[3] Alcoholic liver deaths increased by 21% during year of the pandemic – GOV.UK