NDM8171 Welsh Conservatives Debate - Liver disease

NDM8171 Darren Millar (Clwyd West)

To propose that the Senedd:

1. Notes the recent publication of the Quality Statement on Liver Disease by the Welsh Government.

2. Regrets that while 90 per cent of liver disease is preventable, liver disease deaths have doubled in the last two decades and 9 in 10 liver cancer patients die within 5 years of being diagnosed.

3. Recognises that alcohol, obesity and viral hepatitis are the main risk factors for liver disease which is projected to increase with over 3 in 5 people in Wales being overweight or obese and 1 in 5 people in Wales drinking alcohol above recommended levels.

4. Calls on the Welsh Government to publish a clear timetable for the delivery of the outcomes and targets in the quality statement, including:

a) the doubling of the hepatology workforce, including liver nurse specialists, to address huge variation in access to specialist care;

b) when all health boards will have seven-day alcohol care teams in place to meet local need;

c) when and how the all-Wales abnormal liver blood test pathway will be adopted by all GPs to improve the early detection of liver disease.

The following amendment was tabled:

Amendment 1 Lesley Griffiths (Wrexham)

Delete point 4 and replace with:

Recognises the need for the Welsh Government, health boards and the emerging NHS Executive network structures to work closely together to drive forward implementation of the liver disease quality statement and deliver better outcomes on the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of liver disease in Wales.