In a Westminster Hall debate on liver disease and liver cancer, Warrington South MP Andy Carter highlighted major regional disparities in England for those successfully diagnosed and treated for the disease, and called on the Government to properly level up healthcare for the North West.
Data from the British Liver Trust shows that the North West has some of the highest rates of liver disease mortality, with 2020 statistics recording 1,838 deaths, the most of any region in England. Per 100,000 people that equates to 28.4 deaths. The East of England records almost half that figure with 16.1 per 100,000.
Speaking to fellow MPs, Andy Carter said "Regional disparities are affecting not only constituents in Warrington, but also in towns and cities like Blackpool, Manchester and Liverpool.
"These are major centres in the North West of England, which I think are woefully underserved in terms of transplant facilities for tackling liver disease and liver cancer."
The debate heard how the 'critical issue' for the North West is the lack of liver transplant facilities, with Andy Carter pointing out "There is not a unit that does it, and patients are routinely travelling to Birmingham, Leeds and further afield to be assessed. That is no service for an area covering 7.3 million people and major cities.
"My constituents are also disadvantaged as they are having to spend a lot of their own money travelling to these centres to be able to get clinical guidance in a way that other areas are not. In Warrington alone, 51 lives were lost due to liver disease in 2020, and our town’s diagnoses, hospital admissions and premature deaths far exceed the national average."
The MP also took to opportunity to propose that Warrington's bid for a new hospital would make it an ideal location to house a regional transplant facility for the North West.
