WELCOME TO THE BRITISH ASSOCIATION FOR THE STUDY OF THE LIVER
Dame Sheila Sherlock Award Winner - Dr Wenhao Li
Andy Burroughs Young Investigator Award Winner - Dr Felicity Williams
BASL ANNUAL MEETING
7th-10th October 2025
BASL ANNUAL MEETING 2025 - SAVE THE DATE
Tuesday 7th - Friday 10th October 2025
Including: BLTG Transplant Meeting 7th & 8th (am) and BLNA Nurse meeting - dates TBC
Venue: International Convention Centre, Belfast
BASL ANNUAL MEETING
BLNA
MEETING
BLTG
MEETING
BASL AND BASL SUB-GROUPS
 |
The British Association for the Study of the Liver is a multi-disciplinary society with around 900 members composed of interested individuals from clinical medicine, clinical and basic research and allied professions. |
 |
British Liver Nurses' Association is a professional nursing organisation aiming to develop knowledge and understanding of liver disease, in order to improve the quality of patient care. |
 |
The British Viral Hepatitis Group aims to improve the management and study of patients with chronic viral liver disease, bringing together UK hepatologists, gastroenterologists, infectious disease physicians, virologists and interested epidemiologists. |
 |
The BLTG (British Liver Transplant Group) was launched in 2014 to represent the professional interests of liver transplantation in the UK and promote strategic and academic development. The BLTG will foster close relationships with BTS (British Transplant Society) and LICAGE (Liver Intensive Care Group of Europe) and will build on the role of the UK and Ireland Annual Meeting by delivering structure and authority to the group. |
 |
Is a professional pharmacy organisation aiming to develop knowledge and understanding of liver disorders including viral hepatitis, in order to improve the quality of patient care, through medicines optimisation, collaborative and multi-disciplinary working and promoting patient-focused research. |
 |
British Association for Allied Health Professionals in Liver is a professional group for AHP’s specialising or working with patients with liver conditions. Bringing together specialist hepatology AHP’s from across the four Nations. Their aim is to promote excellence through the provision of AHP care to all patients with liver disorders. |
News
From Professor Lingford-Hughes – Priority Setting – James Lind Alliance Survey
Read moreAs Chair of the Addiction Mission, Office of Life Sciences, I have been working with the James Lind Alliance to set top priorities for addiction research from the perspective of those with lived/living experience, families & carers and staff working in treatment and recovery services. More information can be found at https://www.jla.nihr.ac.uk/priority-setting-partnerships/addiction-mission/ .
Once the priorities have been determined, they will be discussed with funders to inform their strategy/funding calls. We have already had some preliminary discussions with NIHR and MRC are aware also.
The survey is now live and can be completed online or in paper form. The links are the above website and are also below:
• Complete an online survey
• Complete an easy read online survey
• Download a copy of the easy read survey print it out, write your answers on it and send it back to us by freepost at the address shown in the survey. Or download the easy read survey, type your answers in it, and email it back to us at the address shown in the survey.
The closing date is 8th October 2024.
Professor Anne Lingford-Hughes,
Professor of Addiction Biology,
Head, Division of Psychiatry
Dept of Brain Sciences,
Imperial College London,
Level 2, Commonwealth Bldg
Hammersmith campus,
160 Du Cane Road,
London W12 0NN.
Tel: 020 7594 8682
Chair of the Addiction Mission, Office of Life Sciences
Survey on MASH diagnostic pathway
Read moreNHS England is currently gathering information on the current landscape, approaches and service models for diagnosing Metabolic Dysfunction-Associated Steatotic Liver Disease (MASLD) formerly known as non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD).
We are sharing a link that leads to a short survey to help us understand the barriers, challenges and opportunities from a clinical perspective.
Please complete the survey that takes approximately 10 minutes and can be found here.
Thank you for taking part.
UK first – telehealth SME to supply digital prehab services to liver transplant patients
Read more- QuestPrehab to begin working with 50 patients requiring liver transplantation
- First prehab service to work remotely with patients waiting on a transplant list
- The year-long trial to focus on anxiety reduction and improvement of liver frailty scores
- Potential to expand the service to patients with other liver diseases
Wednesday 17th July 2024: Kent-based telehealth company QuestPrehab has signed a contract with the University Hospitals Plymouth NHS Trust to deliver digital prehabilitation (‘prehab’) services to liver patients across Devon, Cornwall and Somerset.
The year-long trial with the South West Liver Unit at University Hospitals Plymouth NHS Trust will see QuestPrehab work with 50 patients undergoing assessment and listing for liver transplant. If successful, the service may be expanded to patients living with other liver diseases and who currently are not on the list.
The digital programmes and resources run by the team at QuestPrehab will be specially developed to cater for the clinical and holistic needs of liver patients in collaboration with the Plymouth-based hospital team.
Prehab is a relatively new area of healthcare that focuses on improving the general health and activity of patients before surgery / treatment as a way of aiding their recovery.
Patients who complete their prehab course prior to planned surgery are less likely to be readmitted to hospital, enjoy improved health-related quality of life, return to work earlier and need less involvement with social and primary care providers.
The aim of the trial is to demonstrate two pivotal elements:
- the feasibility of remote delivery of prehab and the benefits in health-related quality of life for patients awaiting liver transplant
- how the usually long waiting time can be utilised in a positive and clinically effective manner … 50% of patients listed for transplant typically have a wait of six months or more
“We’re very excited to have the opportunity to expand much-needed support to our patients here in the south west,” said Professor Matthew Cramp, Consultant Hepatologist at the South West Liver Unit, UHP.
“Liver transplant patients face many challenges and to be able to provide a personalised prehab service while they wait for their surgery is something we’ve been keen to offer for some time. Having the consistency of supervision by a prehab specialist we hope will lead to a lower risk of complications post-transplant and improve quality of life both pre and post-operatively.”
“The signing of this ground-breaking contract with the University Hospitals Plymouth NHS Trust will see us working hand-in-hand with the South West Liver Unit at Derriford Hospital to improve quality of life for their transplant patients,” said QuestPrehab founder Professor Tara Rampal. “Waiting for a liver transplant is an extremely anxious time for all patients. They face the uncertainty of when they will be called up for the transplant whilst also dealing with the consequences of advanced liver disease and the worry that their condition may deteriorate during this time.”
“Patients will receive a highly personalised programme based on four key areas – physical activity, anxiety management, diet advice and lifestyle modifications – with a goal of alleviating their level of anxiety and improving their liver frailty score.”
Each patient will be able to access their individualised programmes via QuestPrehab’s app. Exercise classes and support sessions will be delivered by a combination of phone, Zoom or Skype calls. Those patients who do not have access to suitable technology will be able to loan equipment from the South West Liver Unit during the trial at no cost to themselves.
The 12-month trial will be evaluated through standardised patient reported outcome measures and physical assessment scores.
News of the contract – the first of its kind in the UK – follows QuestPrehab’s recent deal to supply prehab services to two hospitals in China, along with its success in working with NHS oncology patients over the past four years.
Professor Tara Rampal explains: “Our service is scalable and cost efficient, making wide-scale adoption of digital prehab possible. It doesn’t require any modifications to pre-existing infrastructure, processes, patient pathways, or systems, so can be easily inserted into any healthcare provider.”
ENDS
Developing Quality Standards for the Management of Liver Disease - Invitation to Take Part in a Delphi Process
Read moreWe would like to invite all members with an interest in the study of the liver to take part in a Delphi process to develop a Quality Standards Framework for management of liver disease in the UK.
A multi-disciplinary group was set up in order to develop quality standards for the management of people with chronic liver disease, in order to improve and standardise liver disease care across the UK. The group comprised hepatologists, gastroenterologists, trainees, specialist liver nurses, pharmacists, physiotherapists and dieticians, and also included patient/lay representatives. A writing group has developed a set of proposed standards, and we would now like to seek involvement from the wider community of professionals involved in the care of patients with liver disease.
The process will consist of a series of Delphi rounds responding to the proposed standards, including ranking them in terms of importance, relevance and reach.
On behalf of the BSG, BASL and BLNA, we would like to invite all those with interest in the study of the liver to participate in this process.
Participants must be able to commit to the following:
- Completing multiple rounds of Delphi survey (2-3 rounds expected), over the next few months.
All members of the Delphi panel who participate in all rounds will be acknowledged as co-authors on any subsequent publication.
UK National Screening Committee Annual Call for Topics 2024 is now open
Read moreThe UK National Screening Committee’s (UK NSC’s) 2024 Annual Call for Topics is now open.
During the 3-month annual call, which closes on 30 September 2024, any individual or organisation can submit proposals to the UK NSC for:
- new screening topics
- modifications to, or the ceasing of, existing screening programmes
- early updates to screening topics that the UK NSC has considered in the past 3 years
Proposals can cover population, targeted or risk-stratified screening programmes.
Please refer to the UK NSC annual call: submitting a screening proposal guidance before making a submission.
The 2024 annual call runs from 1 July 2024 to 30 September 2024.
Please email uknsc@dhsc.gov.uk if you have any queries about the annual call process.
Events
Following the success of last year’s inaugural UK HBV meeting (over 100 attendees), we are delighted to announce that the registration desk for the 2nd UK Hepatitis B meeting is now open.
Dates: 21st and 22nd October
Venue: Milton Hill House, Abingdon, Oxfordshire OX13 6AF (same venue as last years meeting)
The meeting agenda will again be driven primarily by submission of titles from those wishing to present their research, and we aim to accept all titles on all aspects of HBV, including clinical virology, epidemiology, basic science, molecular virology, immunology, vaccinology, HDV.
This year’s meeting will also have a session with 3 invited UK speakers specifically to cover current “hot topics” – ED testing (a hepatologist’s view), new WHO treatment guidelines (how will these be implemented in the UK?), and UK progress towards WHO viral hepatitis elimination goals. Our overseas speaker will be Fabien Zoulim from Lyon, France.
Through generous sponsorship from Gilead Sciences and Roche Diagnostics, we have been able to keep to registration fees for PhD students and below to £50, with a small rise in those for post-docs and above to £120. This includes accommodation and meals.
The early-bird registration runs up until 1st October.
For more information visit the meeting website by clicking > Here.
REGISTER HERE
Join us at the BASL School of Hepatology meeting that will be held face to face on Friday 1st November at Southampton General Hospital.
The event is FREE to attend for BASL medically qualified members in training (a £45 refundable deposit will be taken at the time of booking).
The non-member rate for this meeting is £72 (none refundable.) Not a BASL member? Then why not join today for £55, attend for free and have free or reduced registration fees at other member events - join HERE
The BASL School of Hepatology offers an excellent platform for trainees in hepatology, with lectures delivered by leading speakers from the UK. There will be ample opportunities for interaction with case presentations and group discussions.
Numbers are restricted to 40 delegates so book early to avoid disappointment.
Subject which will be covered:-
- General Hepatology MDT
- Achieving HCV elimination and lessons for addressing inequalities in liver disease – community experience
- Early diagnosis is a good diagnosis? Truth or scare
- Endo Hepatology - Interactive cases - MDT approach
- Endoscopic ultrasound - a multi shaded gray scale
View the programme here > Download Programme - BASL School Hepatology 2024 (4).pdf
REGISTER HERE
Contact Kim@basl.org.uk if you have any questions.
06/11/24
The RCPE will be delighted to welcome you to this year's Gastroenterology Symposium, which has been developed in association with the American College of Gastroenterology and the Scottish Society of Gastroenterology.
Experts will cover a range of topics on current and practical relevance, including:
• Obesity: shared responsibility
• Medical management of obesity and metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease
• The era of disease modification in inflammatory bowel disease has arrived
• Hepatocellular carcinoma
• DEBATE: Artificial intelligence (AI) in endoscopy will solve it all
Programme details, and how to book, is available here: https://events.rcpe.ac.uk/rcpe-association-acg-ssg-gastroenterology-global-perspective
We hope this symposium is of interest to you and look forward to welcoming you to the RCPE in person or online.
Please save the date for the annual EOL SIG meeting taking place at Austin Court in Birmingham on the 7th November 2024.
Places for this meeting are limited, so please contact sigs@basl.org.uk to secure your place.
Date: Thursday 7th November
Time: 9:30AM - 4:00PM
Location: 80 Cambridge Street, Birmingham B1 2NP
What3Words: ///float.roof.orbit
Travel information can be found here
For online registration please see here
Agenda: Download BASL EOL SIG Meeting - 7 11 24 Programme FINAL for circulation.pdf
AstraZeneca would like to invite you to the AZ HCC Educational Summit 2024!
The Hepatocellular Carcinoma (HCC) Educational Summit 2024 – The future of hepatocellular carcinoma care: optimising the patient journey.
This is a non-promotional, educational meeting intended for UK hepatology and oncology clinicians, fully funded and organised by AstraZeneca.
Join us for a one-day, educational event to collaborate with clinicians from a range of specialisms working within HCC care, with an agenda and content co-created by our expert faculty.
When and where?
Saturday 9 November 2024, 9:30–16:45 (GMT), AstraZeneca Office, 2 Pancras Square, King’s Cross, London.
Who is this event aimed at and what is the cost?
This continuing professional development (CPD)-accredited event is free to attend and aimed at clinicians involved in the management of patients with HCC in the UK.
Who is our expert faculty?
• Prof Tom Bird (Chair) – Consultant Hepatologist, Edinburgh Royal Infirmary
• Katharine Caddick – Consultant Clinical Nurse Specialist, Southmead Hospital
• Prof Brian Davidson – Consultant Hepato-Pancreato-Biliary and Liver Transplant Surgeon, The Royal Free Hospital
• Dr Naureen Starling – Consultant Medical Oncologist, The Royal Marsden
What will I get out of it?
This face-to-face meeting is a unique opportunity to explore hot topics in HCC care from a
multi-disciplinary perspective, to equip you with practical strategies to enhance your ways of working and reduce inequalities in HCC care.
Through the patient perspective, expert presentations, immersive case scenarios and interactive
group discussions, we will explore how to optimise the patient pathway from surveillance to diagnosis
and treatment.
Please register your interest via our registration page here, where you can also find our full event agenda.
Don’t miss out on this unique opportunity to engage in lively discussions, connect with peers and gain insights from experts in the field!
GB-59919| DOP: October 2024
Quick Links
