A HOSPICE has stepped in to help care for patients with chronic liver disease to ease pressure on the NHS.

St Luke’s hospice is providing medical care, counselling and support to patients being treated by Basildon Hospital.

Patients are assessed by liver consultants and hospice teams identifying clinical treatments that can be carried out at the hospice, in conjunction with other services, including complementary therapies, group support and specialist social work advice, not available at the hospital.

Liver clinical nurse specialist at Basildon Hospital Sarah Tarff and specialist nurse practitioner at St Luke’s Virginia Campbell are working together to support patients.

Sarah said: “The complex care needed to support people with advanced liver disease has, until now, been provided within a hospital setting.

“Working in collaboration with St Luke’s Hospice, where a holistic patient-centred approach is adopted, we have developed an innovative shared care pathway.”

Liver disease is the fifth highest cause of death in working age adults, accounting for 40 per cent of deaths of people aged 40 and under.

Patients can be referred to the hospice at different points in their illness and those being assessed for transplant can also go to St Luke’s.

One patient, who wishes to remain anonymous, has benefited from the service.

The 55-year-old has a history of chronic alcohol related liver disease.

He now attends the hospice one day a week to drain fluid from his stomach and has also used the hospice for counselling and social services.

He said: “Prior to coming to St Luke’s I felt as if my life was not worth living and I felt suicidal. I feel I now have something to live and fight for.”