Our Liver Services
Inpatient
Acute and urgent problems related to liver disease which require inpatient hospital treatment are managed on our 2 gastroenterology wards – C2 and C4. Each ward is a 24 bedded ward offering specialist gastroenterology and hepatology care.
A consultant gastroenterologist or hepatologist will be in charge of overseeing your care on each ward. Consultants will rotate on the ward on a 2-weekly basis. Other staff on the ward include highly experienced nurses who are familiar with the complexity of managing liver disease, dietitians, alcohol care team, health care assistants, physiotherapists, occupational therapists, pharmacists and junior doctors.
Both wards are found on Level 3, Royal Blackburn hospital, Haslingden Road, BB23HH
Contact: C2 01254 732836 and C4 01254 732177
Outpatient
Outpatient Clinics
You may be seen in one of the general gastroenterology clinics. However, there are certain clinics which are dedicated hepatology clinics. The consultant hepatology clinics and their sites are as follows:
- Tuesday AM –Dr McClements. Acorn Centre, 421 Blackburn Rd, Accrington BB5 1RT. Contact: 01254 359003
- Wednesday AM- Dr McClements. Rossendale Hospital, Haslingsen Road, Rossendale, Lancashire, BB46NE. Contact: 01254 263555
- Thursday AM – Dr Gkikas. Burnley General Hospital, Casterton Ave, Burnley, BB102PQ. Contact: 01282 425071
There are also a number of clinics led by our Hepatology specialist nurses:
The nursing team is available Monday to Friday 8am-5pm. We do clinics both face to face and telephone reviews across the sites at ELHT, Burnley, Blackburn, Rossendale and Pendle (from August 2023).
The team also provide a fibroscan service and a nurse led paracentesis clinic. There is also a clinic outreach clinic held each week for individuals with viral hepatitis who cannot attend the hospital due to vulnerability. Please note we are not an emergency service, if you require medical attention, please consultant your GP or emergency care providers. We aim to answer any enquires within 5 working days.
There are 2 endoscopy suites across the ELHT sites:
Royal Blackburn Hospital, Haslingden Road, BB23HH, Level 1. Contact: 01254 733191
Burnley General Hospital, Casterton Ave, Burnley, BB102PQ. Contact: 01254 734660
Both sites offer planned diagnostic and therapeutic endoscopic procedures. In addition, the Royal Blackburn site offers an acute gastrointestinal bleed service which operates 7 days a week.
More information about the various endoscopic investigations can be found in the Endoscopy link.
The infusion suite is a day-case unit which offers various procedures and treatments which can be given without the need for hospital admission. Common treatments include giving medications which need to be given through the vein as a drip such as intravenous iron or blood transfusions.
Some patients with liver disease may develop ascites (fluid in the abdomen). If this becomes tense and uncomfortable it may require draining. We offer the service for planned ascitic draining at the infusion suite and this is done as a day procedure over around 6 hours and avoids the need for hospital admission.
The infusion suite is located on the ground floor at Burnley General Hospital, Casterton Ave, Burnley, BB102PQ. Contact: 01254 734028