Love Your Liver roadshow

Our Love Your Liver roadshow travels the UK to help people check on their liver health, and take control of improving it.

All too often liver disease is only found when it is quite advanced. This means treatment is less likely to work. But the good news is that most cases of liver disease could be prevented.

Our roadshow events are for people who want to find out more about their liver health or are worried that they may be at risk of developing liver disease.

At the roadshow you can take our at-risk checker to see if you might be at increased risk of liver disease. You can also have a free, liver scan. This is a quick, simple, and painless test, carried out by one of our specialist liver nurses.

The results of your test are completely confidential. We will give you your test result, and information about what to do next.

These events are run to raise awareness, we cannot give you a diagnosis. If you may be at risk of liver disease we will recommend that you see your GP. If you are concerned in any way about your liver health, please do not wait for a Love Your Liver roadshow, always talk to your GP as soon as you can.

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Find answers

Coming to a roadshow

Our Roadshow events are increasingly popular. Unfortunately this means there can be a long queue. If possible, we recommend arriving early in the day and coming prepared for a wait.

Most Roadshow events run from 10am to 3pm on a drop-in basis. But we now usually have to close the queue well before 3pm.

Most sites have strict rules about when we must close and pack up. We do not want anyone to stand in a long queue and then be turned away. So, if necessary, we close the queue early to make sure everyone in it will be seen.

Find out more about what happens at our roadshow below.

Can anyone have a scan at the roadshow?

The roadshow is open to adults of all ages. Our roadshow is designed to help people who may not know that they are at risk. Please note that we cannot scan you at our roadshows if:

You have been told you have a liver condition (this includes a fatty liver)
You are undergoing tests or investigation for a liver condition or are waiting for a scan
You are under 18 years of age
You are pregnant
You cannot climb onto the scanning bed and lay completely flat on your back unaided
You have a Pacemaker or similar device fitted
You have had a drink containing alcohol on the day of the event

What should I bring?

The roadshow queue is usually outdoors and may not be under cover.

Please come prepared with a warm coat, sun cream, umbrella or hat depending on the weather. It is also a good idea to bring some water or a hot drink. Taking the screener requires some reading. So if you use reading glasses, please bring them.

What if I cannot stand in a queue?

We have a limited number of chairs that can be used in the queue if standing for a long time is difficult for you. You are also very welcome to bring a small folding chair or stool with you.

Another option is to bring someone along to stand in the queue for you while you wait nearby.

Can I book in advance?

The roadshows are drop-in events. You do not need to book an appointment. This helps to make sure we can see as many people as possible on the day.

When will the roadshow visit my area?

We take our roadshow all over the country, visiting sites in England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales and announce dates on this page as they are confirmed. Our aim is to visit as many areas of the country as we can each year. We’d love to be out and about with the mobile unit every day but our roadshow is entirely funded by voluntary donations and so we have to raise the money to make the events happen. If you know of a funding source that could help us visit your region then please let us know!

We have currently paused Love Your Liver roadshows to focus on internal and regulatory improvements that will strengthen how we deliver them. Every few years, we review our processes to ensure our roadshows are delivered safely, consistently and to the high standards our communities, partners and supporters expect. We will update you as soon as possible when the roadshow events are back up and running and the new schedule is available.

What happens at the roadshow?

Having a free liver scan

Finding liver disease early means the best chance of successful treatment. But liver disease often has no symptoms to tell you that something may be wrong. That’s why we offer free liver scans as part of our Love Your Liver roadshow.

Our scanner is called a FibroScan. It checks for signs that your liver has been damaged. If your results show you could have liver damage, we’ll give you a letter to take to your GP so they can find out more and refer you for any treatment you might need. The scan can’t say for sure if you have liver damage and we can’t give anyone a diagnosis.

Liver scans are also available through your GP and in some places there are special projects offering scans. If you are worried that you might have liver disease, tell your GP and ask them for tests to check your liver health.

What happens before the scan?

When you arrive at the roadshow you will join a queue to take our at-risk checker. this is a simple, confidential, set of questions to help determine if you could be at risk of preventable liver disease.

Once you have taken the at-risk checker you may be offered a free liver scan.

Having the scan

You don’t need to do anything special to prepare for your roadshow scan. It isn’t under clinical conditions, which is why we always advise people with a higher reading to follow up with their GP. Lots of people just see us in their town centre and join in.

The scan is quick, easy and painless. Our Love Your Liver roadshow unit has private rooms for people to have their scan. You will need to pull up your top so the nurse or scanning technician can scan your tummy, where your liver is.

The nurse or technician holds a probe against your tummy. It’s about the size of a microphone. The probe sends out a pulse and measures how long it takes to pass through your liver. The pulse feels like a flick on your skin.

The nurse or technician can read your result straight away. They will tell you what it means and whether there is anything you should do next.

How the scan works

There are lots of things that can damage your liver. These include common things like drinking alcohol or carrying extra weight. Liver damage can also be caused by viruses such as hepatitis B and C, genetic diseases passed on through families, and problems with your immune system.

Most of the time liver damage doesn’t cause any long-term problems because your liver is a special organ and it can repair itself when it gets damaged.

But your liver can only take so much. If it keeps getting damaged, your liver won’t be able to keep repairing the damage and it will get scarred instead. These scars are medically known as fibrosis – the ‘Fibro’ in FibroScan.

A healthy liver is soft and squishy, but scar tissue is stiffer and harder. The FibroScan sends out a pulse called a shear wave and measures how long it takes to pass through your liver. The pulse travels quickly through healthy liver, but scar tissue slows it down. So the more scarring there is, the more slowly the pulse travels, and the higher the FibroScan reading will be.

Understanding your result

Our Love Your Liver roadshow events aim to help people learn more about their about liver health, including the chance to have a free liver scan. Our scan is not diagnostic, so if you have a higher score it’s important to see your doctor. They will use a range of tests as well as your medical history to decide if something may be wrong. They will also arrange any further tests or follow up.

The scoring scale goes from 1.5 to 75 kilopascals (KPa). There is not a fixed score that all doctors use to decide whether someone is likely to have liver damage or not. Different doctors will decide who needs more tests in slightly different ways. This page tells you about what we do on our Love Your Liver Roadshow.

Generally, a score of 8KPa or more means you might have liver damage. Remember that this isn’t a diagnosis. You should have more tests to confirm whether your liver is damaged, and if so what caused it and how it should be treated.

If you need more tests, try not to worry too much. Liver disease can be treated, especially when it is found at an early stage. If you have questions or want to talk to someone, call our nurse-led helpline on 0800 652 7330.

Your score tells you about your liver on the day you had the scan. It can be affected by things like having had a big meal recently. And it can’t say what might happen in the future.

On our Love Your Liver roadshow, scores fall into 3 groups.

A score below 8.0 suggests your liver probably does not have any scarring.

Your score is in the healthy range. If your screener questionnaire showed that you could be at higher risk of liver disease, it’s a good idea to take steps now to reduce your risk in the future. This could be things like cutting down on alcohol, eating healthily or being more physically active.

To find out more about the risk of liver disease and get tips on making healthy changes visit our risk factors and causes information.

A score between 8.0 and 10.5 suggests your liver may have some damage.

Your score is outside the healthy range. It’s important that you see your GP so they can check your liver health. The nurse will give you a letter for your GP that explains the scan you had today and your results.

Your GP will usually recommend you have some blood tests to look for signs of liver damage. They might also refer you for a scan such as an ultrasound.

A score of 10.5 or more suggests you could have serious liver damage.

See your GP as soon as possible and show them the letter we have given you. They should refer you to your local hospital liver unit for more tests. These will probably include blood tests and you may have an ultrasound scan.

Remember that this result needs to be checked. Do your best not to worry and remember we are here for you – whether you need answers or just a friendly chat. Find out about support for you.