Royal Cornwall Hospitals NHS Trust launches major new programme for preventive care

Royal Cornwall Hospitals NHS Trust (RCHT) has begun using a new digital tool to help find people who may be at risk of liver disease, potentially before symptoms appear.

The system, called hepatoSIGHT, is now being used by NHS doctors at RCHT to support preventative care and earlier diagnosis.

It works by securely analysing patterns in historic blood test results that are already held within NHS systems

hepatoSIGHT helps doctors look for patterns that may suggest someone could benefit from further checks of their liver health.

These patterns are often hidden in routine blood test results and may not be obvious during standard care.

“Working with innovative digital tools like hepatoSIGHT helps us find people who might otherwise be diagnosed too late,” said Liz Farrington, consultant nurse in hepatology at RCHT.

“Evidence from our NHS partners shows that earlier identification can genuinely change lives, and we are proud to be bringing this approach to patients in Cornwall.”

The technology was created in partnership with Somerset NHS Foundation Trust, where it has been used in clinical practice for several years.

During this time, clinicians have used hepatoSIGHT to identify people earlier and intervene sooner, helping to change the lives of hundreds of patients who may otherwise have been diagnosed too late.

Liver disease is a major public health issue in England.

More than 11,000 people die from liver disease each year, and death rates have increased by around 400 percent since 1970.

At least one in nine UK adults is thought to have some form of liver disease.

Many people think liver disease only affects those who drink alcohol. This is not true.

Liver disease can also be caused by genetic conditions, autoimmune disease, and metabolic conditions such as fatty liver disease.

Many people affected have never drunk alcohol at all.

In most cases, liver disease develops slowly over many years or even decades and can progress from mild disease to cirrhosis or liver cancer.

Often there are no symptoms until the disease is advanced, when treatment options are more limited. However, if liver disease is found early, there are effective treatments and changes that can prevent serious illness.

hepatoSIGHT does not make a diagnosis. It supports clinicians by helping them decide who to invite for simple follow-up tests, so care can be offered earlier where it may be needed most.

Dr Tim Jobson is medical director of Predictive Health Intelligence and consultant gastroenterologist at Somerset NHS Foundation Trust.

He said: “I am an NHS doctor, and for years I was frustrated by seeing patients with liver disease when it was already too late for effective treatment.

“The data to spot risk earlier was often already there, but we did not have a practical way to use it at scale. hepatoSIGHT was created to change that.

“It helps NHS teams use existing blood test data to find people earlier, when we can still intervene, prevent harm, and in many cases avoid serious disease altogether.”

What this means for patients

As part of this work, some members of the public in the RCHT catchment area may receive a letter inviting them for further checks of their liver health.

This does not mean that anything is definitely wrong. Follow-up tests are quick and painless and help confirm whether any further action is needed.

In many cases, the results will be reassuring.

One patient commented: “This initiative filled me with confidence; it’s the NHS looking for something that might cause problems in the future rather than waiting for something to go wrong.

“So, they might find something that is not serious yet, but over time this could become something to of concern, I feel brilliant, and am convinced this is the way forward.”

hepatoSIGHT is being rolled out more widely across the NHS.

Organisations or individuals who would like to learn more can visit predictivehealthintelligence.co.uk.