Hepatology

We provide patients with the following investigative services:

• endoscopic diagnosis and treatment of oesophageal and gastric varices
• endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) – gallstone removal from the bile duct
• percutaneous biliary drainage (PTC) – for blocked bile ducts
• laparoscopic cholecystectomy/open cholecystectomy – gallbladder removal
• biliary and pancreatic endoscopic ultrasound (EUS)
• transcatheter arterial chemoembolisation (TACE) for liver tumours
• hepatic venous wedge pressure (HVWP) measurements
• FibroScan – a non-invasive method of assessing liver fibrosis

We usually admit patients through the Acute Medical Unit and we look after patients who are coming in for procedures such as percutaneous biliary intervention (for a blocked bile duct) or TACE (for liver tumours).

We assist the Emergency Department and wards on a daily basis with affective patient care plans, signposting, referrals and updates to community support services and safe discharges. We can also provide telephone support to community hospitals.

For patients who develop alcohol withdrawal and associated complications, ALT will provide clinical treatments plans with regular input and advice.
The team will also support relatives of patients and staff members in confidence.

We work alongside multi-disciplinary teams who monitor the hospital high intensity user group and provide frequent attender care management plans for patients who regularly present to hospital due to alcohol misuse. This provides relevant information and advice regarding care, community input and discharge plans that can be accessed by all clinical staff.

Supportive Documentation Links

• Alcohol Withdrawal Detection and Management and the Management of Wernicke’s Encephalopathy Clinical Guideline
• Patients Diagnosed with Alcohol Related Brain Injury Clinical Guideline
• Wernicke’s Encephalopathy Patient Information Leaflet (RCHT1827)
• CHA4269: Alcohol and Drug Use on RCHT Premises Care Plan (Provided by Adult Safeguarding)

Team contacts

Hannah Le Ruez – Alcohol Specialist Nurse

Toni Edwards – Alcohol Liaison Team Lead

Jenna Davies – Alcohol Liaison Health Promotion Specialist

Rebecca Andrew – Alcohol Specialist Nurse

Jane Halford – Alcohol Specialist Nurse

Contact the RCHT Alcohol Liaison Team on
07557 215449 / 07557 215450
rch-tr.alcoholliaisonservice@nhs.net

Our service includes input from doctors, rehabilitation units, detoxification services, probation services and housing providers.

You may have been referred to us through your GP, our jaundice hotline clinic or acute hospital admissions.

Our team includes hepatology staff, endoscopists, HBP cancer nurses and oncologists. We work closely with the HBP team at Derriford Hospital, and meet weekly to discuss patients who could benefit from curative therapy.

Contact the HBP cancer nurses

01872 252177
07920 786435
Monday to Friday from 9am to 4pm.

• alcohol- and non-alcohol-related liver disease
• liver cirrhosis and its complications
• inherited and metabolic liver disease including Wilson’s disease, alpha-1-antitrypsin deficiency (AATD), haemochromatosis and glycogen storage diseases.)
• autoimmune-related liver disease including primary sclerosing cholangitis (PSC), primary biliary cholangitis (PBC), autoimmune hepatitis and immunoglobulin G4 related disease (IgG4)
• gallbladder disease

Clinic times and locations (Face to face, Video and telephone consultation)

• You have recently been diagnosed with cancer of the liver, bile duct or pancreas, so that we can discuss your diagnosis, and how best we can manage or treat your cancer.
• You have recently been diagnosed with decompensated cirrhosis, so that we can follow up with you after you’ve been discharged from hospital.
• You have acute decompensation, so that we can manage your condition without you needing to be admitted to hospital.
• You are a transplant patient, so that we can review you.

Our jaundice hotline clinics are for patients with acute jaundice
The clinic allows us to assess and manage your jaundice in one day. After your GP has referred you, we’ll aim to see you within two weeks.

• When you arrive at the clinic, we’ll do blood tests and an ultrasound. Thereafter, you’ll discuss them with a consultant and if you need further investigations, such as a CT scan.

Clinic times and locations

Clinic times and locations

FibroScan clinic times and locations

If you have an accumulation of fluid in your abdomen, it may need to be drained using a procedure called paracentesis (or abdominal tap).

We do paracentesis as day surgery, so unless you’re already staying in hospital, you won’t need to stay overnight.

During a paracentesis a small drainage tube is placed through the skin into the fluid. You’ll be given a local anaesthetic before the drain is put in. The nurse will then use ultrasound to guide the tube into place. The drain stays in place for around six hours.

Clinic location

Day-case paracentesis takes place at the Medical Day Unit at the Royal Cornwall Hospital in Truro, Monday to Friday.

We run a number of endoscopy clinics to assess and treat conditions such as gastrointestinal bleeding, jaundice due to malignancy or gallstone disease or bile duct and pancreatic disease.

You can find out more about the different procedures in these patient information leaflets:

• Endoscopic Ultrasound
• Endoscopic Retrograde Cholangio-Pancreatography (ERCP)
• Varices banding or injection

If you need more information or to change your appointment, please call 01872 252616 between 8am to 4pm, Monday to Friday.

Haemochromatosis clinic times and locations

The clinic takes place at the Medical Day Unit at Royal Cornwall Hospital in Truro on Thursdays.

Specific liver conditions

• Autoimmune hepatitis
• Budd-Chiari syndrome (BCS)
• Cirrhosis
• Gilbert’s syndrome (GS)
• Haemochromatosis
• Hepatitis A
• Hepatitis B
• Hepatitis C
• Intrahepatic cholestasis of pregnancy (ICP)
• Liver cancer
• Primary sclerosing cholangitis (PSC)

Advice on living with liver disease

• Alcohol and liver disease
• Diet and liver disease
• Living with liver disease

Consultant Hepatologists

Dr Hyder Hussaini
Secretary to Dr Hussaini: Jo Stonehouse
joanne.stonehouse1@nhs.net
07407 262175 or 01872 252708

Dr Bill Stableforth
Secretary to Dr Stableforth: Laura Blight
laura.blight1@nhs.net
Work mobile: 07557744526. Office phone number: 01872 252749

Hepatology Nurse Consultant

Liz Farrington
Secretary to Liz Farrington: Jill Braham
j.braham@nhs.net
07407 261341 or 01872 253858

Clinical Hepatology Nurse Specialist

Keely Lane
joanne.stonehouse1@nhs.net
07407 262175 or 01872 253858

Clinical Hepatology Nurse Specialist

Keely Lane
joanne.stonehouse1@nhs.net
07407 262175 or 01872 253858

Alcohol liaison team

Toni Edwards
Jenna Davies
Hannah Leruez
Lee Derrick, hospital outreach team (We Are With You – Addaction)
07557 215449 or 07557 215450
rch-tr.alcoholliaisonservice@nhs.net

FibroScan Technicians

Helen Salmon
Louise Johns

Hepatology Research Nurses

Zoe Berry

Ward Manager – Gastroenterology and Liver Unit

Glyn Belt

Ward Manager – Medical Day Unit

Kim Hicks

Interventional Radiology Lead Nurse

Zoe Martin

Interventional Consultant Radiologists

Dr Andrew Edwards
Dr Richard Morse
Dr Angie Rodgers
Dr Rhys Llewelyn
Dr Tom Cav

Cancer Specialists

Dr Richard Ellis
Dr Charlotte Thompson

Secretary for Jaundice Hotline

Jo Stonehouse

End of Life Lead Consultant

Dr Caroline Campbell

End of Life Lead Nurse

Liz Thomas

Dietitians

Emma Lamarti

Hepatology wards and units

• Gastroenterology and Liver Unit
• Endoscopy Unit
• Medical Day Unit
• Interventional Radiology, Newlyn Unit

Hepatology fax number

01872 253889

We specifically focus on fatty liver disease, autoimmune liver disease and Hepatitis E infection.

We’re also taking part in an ongoing national study (CALIBRE Study) about the prevention of bleeding from enlarged veins in the oesophagus (varices). It’s funded by the National Institute for Health Research.

For further information about our clinical trials research please contact Amanda Datson, Research Project Manager on 01872 256420 or read more about how to get involved with clinical research in Cornwall.