A hospital appointment is not equally accessible to everyone. An NHS community initiative took liver checks to people at increased risk, using mobile units and outreach to offer assessment closer to where they lived.
What the early results showed
NHS England reported more than 7,000 fibroscans between June 2022 and January 2023. Over 830 people were identified with cirrhosis or advanced fibrosis, and most of those identified were referred for further care.
What a check looks for
Fibroscanning assesses liver stiffness, which can indicate damage. Finding advanced disease can allow clinicians to arrange further assessment and appropriate monitoring, including surveillance for liver cancer where indicated. The check identifies risk and damage; it is not itself a diagnosis of cancer.
Access is part of the intervention
The work built on outreach through the Hepatitis C Elimination Programme. Its significance lay in bringing checks to communities where people might otherwise struggle to reach services. The results illustrate how changing the location and delivery of care can help identify needs that conventional routes miss.
