Hepatology Service

The Medway NHS Foundation Trust Hepatology Service provides a local, friendly, and patient-focused service for our patient population. Our vision is to provide the BEST of care in line with our Trust values.

The hepatology department has fostered strong multidisciplinary ethos in its approach to patient care. Our speciality liver team work closely with our partners within the hospital, we have also formed strong collaborative relationships with our community partners.

Our service is part of a larger network of trusts within Kent and London that work together to provide a seamless service for our patients. The service is involved with clinical research both at a local and national level.

The patient is at the heart of our service and we appreciate all types of feedback to enable us to improve our service. We will ask for your help in completing feedback surveys or the friends and family test. This will provide us with the direction required to improve quality and patient care.

Email for enquiries: met-tr.LiverTeam@nhs.net - please allow 48 hours for a response

Current service provision

• Hepatitis C treatment
• Hepatitis B management
• Management of autoimmune hepatitis
• Management of PBC/PSC
• Management of genetic liver disorders
• Management of fatty liver disease
• Management of liver cirrhosis patients
• Alcohol related liver disease
• Portal vein thrombosis
• Budd-chiari syndrome
• Benign and malignant liver tumours.

Available procedures

• Non-invasive liver elastography (fibro scan)
• Non-invasive spleen measurement
• Ultra sound/CT/MRCP/ERCP
• Liver biopsy
• Oesophageal Variceal surveillance (endoscopy)
• Ambulatory paracentesis

Ways to refer - patient advice

You can be referred to our service by your GP, hospital doctor, other healthcare professionals and key workers from local drug and alcohol services. Each referral we receive will be reviewed as quickly as possible to ensure that you can be offered appropriate treatment options.

Multi-Disciplinary Team meetings

Weekly viral Hepatitis meeting in conjunction with Kings College Hospital

Local MDM: Weekly at Medway NHS Foundation Trust

PBC MDM linked with Kings College Hospital – weekly virtual meeting

Weekly Advanced chronic liver disease MDM linked to Kings College Hospital

Upper GI cancer MDM weekly by AV link with Kings and Kent cancer and histopathology Maidstone

Our vision for the future

Over the next two years we aim to achieve accreditation for our liver service through the IQILs programme. This will ensure that the services we provide are of the highest quality, evidence-based care and meet the national standard.

The team are planning on setting up services at the local community hospitals in both Sittingbourne and Sheppey to provide easier access to care for our patient population.