The British Liver Trust has launched a new initiative to bring liver disease experts, screening and liver scanning directly into workplaces nationwide, helping to improve liver health and identify more people at risk.
One in three people are in danger of developing liver disease in the UK and the Love Your Liver workplace events aim to highlight the risks in a supportive environment while offering employees on-the-spot assessments and expert guidance.
Liver disease affects more people of working age than any other major disease, yet 90% is preventable. The main causes are alcohol, excess weight, unhealthy diets and viral hepatitis, which can be avoided or reversed in the early stages through lifestyle measures.
To help employers safeguard their workforce, the British Liver Trust offers Love Your Liver Wellbeing Events which can be tailored according to budget and location.
Love Your Liver Information and Awareness Events: can be held online or in person. Hosted by a member of the Trust’s specialist outreach team, attendees complete an Online Liver Health Screener before benefitting from an informative discussion surrounding the risks associated with liver disease and prevention.
Full Love Your Liver Screening and Scanning Event: The British Liver Trust’s mobile scanning unit, equipped with Online Health Screeners and Non-Invasive Liver Scanners, visits a sponsor’s workplace for a full day. Attendees complete the Online Liver Health Screener and up to 100 employees can receive a scan. They can then have a private consultation with a nurse and, if needed, are given a letter to take to their GP for further investigation.
Energy giant EDF has booked three Full Love Your Liver Screening and Scanning Events at its Hinkley Point site in Somerset. Angela Young, Occupational Health and Wellbeing Manager at EDF said: “When we arranged the first event the interest among our workers was immediate. Scanning appointments were booked out in within a couple of hours and everyone was asking if we could do it again.
“The event was very well organised. Jonathan and Emma from the British Liver Trust are very knowledgeable, and the ease with which they set everything up really surprised me. They were ready to start scanning within minutes of arrival and although the scans were quick, they provided a lot of information to our people at a level that they understood. 382 scans were carried out over two days, with 31 people being referred on for further support to their GP, Somerset Drug and Alcohol or to internal coaching.
“The events gave people a chance to learn about their livers, the causes of liver disease and what they could do to love their liver back to health. They also made our workers feel valued because we brought it onto site. We’ve booked two further Screening and Scanning Events since and the interest from our workers has been very high each time.”
Jonathan Worsfold, director of the British Liver Trust’s Service Delivery said: “Workforce health has never been higher up the agenda and our Love Your Liver Screening and Scanning Events offer a vital opportunity for employers to ensure their colleagues are aware of liver disease risk factors and how to love their liver back to health.”
Find out more about the British Liver Trust’s Love Your Liver Wellbeing Events and make an enquiry.
