Our team compromises of three full time consultant gastroenterologists Darren Craig (clinical lead), Ahmed Monier and Timothy Hardy (gastroenterologist WSI hepatology), all with a specialist interest in liver disease.
We also have two full time liver specialist nurses, Zoe Cox and Stephanie Goodman, and and a specialty doctor in hepatology/endoscopy, Eman Alabsawy.
We cover The James Cook University Hospital, Middlesbrough and Friarage Hospital, Northallerton.
Clinics
Referrals to the liver service can be made via GPs, hospital doctors or any other healthcare professionals.
Outpatient liver clinics are held in the endoscopy centre at James Cook and the outpatient department at the Friarage.
Waiting times are around eight to ten weeks for a new outpatient appointment. For urgent review appointments patients can be scheduled in our same day emergency care department on request.
Ultrasound guided paracentesis service
Our dedicated ultrasound guided paracentesis service is delivered by the liver specialist nurses and arranged as a day case in the same day emergency care unit at James Cook or the Friarage.
In addition to providing high quality care, the specialist nurses regularly train clinical colleagues to perform paracentesis and provide an inreach service for large volume paracentesis throughout the hospital.
Services provided
Inpatient and outpatient hepatology/liver disease services
Fibroscans
Outpatient paracentesis service
Alcohol-related liver disease
Cirrhosis – all causes
Non-alcohol related fatty liver disease (NAFLD)
Chronic liver failure
Portal hypertension
Primary biliary cholangitis (PBC)
Primary sclerosing cholangitis (PSC)
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Autoimmune hepatitis (AIH)
Genetic conditions such as alpha-1 anti-trypsin deficiency, haemochromatosis and Wilson’s disease
Telephone and email advice
Specialist services
Patients with advanced liver disease may require specialist services, such as liver transplant or surgery, which are not provided at James Cook or the Friarage. We have close links with the transplant centre in Newcastle.
Steven Masson (consultant hepatologist at the Freeman Hospital) provides a clinic at James Cook once a month to review and follow up these patients.
Fibroscan
We are delighted to have our fibroscan. This is a non-invasive procedure and offers several advantages compared to liver biopsy. The fibroscan is a simple, painless and non invasive procedure used to accurately assess the liver.
This test can be used for patients with suspected fibrosis or liver cirrhosis. This is an extremely useful tool especially for fatty liver disease, which can be from NASH, NAFLD, alcohol-induced, medication induced.
Contact us
- Liver specialist nurses: call 07815 998054 or email [email protected] for advice and support
- Consultant secretarial team: 01642 854846
Further information
Please visit the British Liver Trust website which includes all our frequently asked questions for people affected with a liver condition and an A-Z of liver conditions.