Well done to Maurarose Gruhn, who proudly took part in the Women’s Belfast City 10K at Titanic Quarter to mark her father-in-law Chris Gruhn’s 10th Liverversary and raise vital funds for the Group. She was joined by Committee member Sharon Millen, who is currently in training for the World Transplant Games in Dresden this August.
Pictured is Arthur Goan, RVHLSG Patient Care, along with Ward 6D Sister Carol and Pharmacist Alvin accepting two new recliner chairs for the patients and families using 6D. Also in the picture, testing them, out are ward nurses Lisa and Reshma. They did comment that they could have a sleep on them 😊.
The two recliners (with a third currently on order) are designed and made by a furniture manufacturer in the UK who are an NHS approved supplier which is very important. The chairs are finished in a warm uplifting terracotta colour and are upholstered using a special wipe clean material.
The RVH Liver Support Group hopes that they will be a great comfort to patients and family members using them.
RVH Liver Support Group have brought together several information publications to help you better understand fatty liver disease, what causes it and how to lessen the potential risks. It is an entirely preventable liver condition that can lead, if it goes unchecked, to more serious liver conditions such as cirrhosis. You can either read these online right now or download and peruse at your convenience later.
Discuss Fatty Liver Disease with your GP
Fatty liver disease, now known as metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD), is a mounting health issue in the United Kingdom. Affecting up to one in three adults, it’s primarily driven by the rising prevalence of obesity and sedentary lifestyles. Unlike alcohol-related liver conditions, MASLD is not caused by excessive alcohol consumption but by fat accumulation in the liver.
The disease progresses through stages, starting with simple steatosis, where fat builds up without causing major harm. If unchecked, it can advance to non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (MASH), causing liver inflammation.
Risk factors for fatty liver disease include obesity, type 2 diabetes, high cholesterol, and high blood pressure. Lifestyle factors play a crucial role, and early stages often show no symptoms, making it a silent threat.
Prevention and management focus on lifestyle changes, such as maintaining a healthy weight, eating a balanced diet, and engaging in regular physical activity. Even a daily ten-minute walk can significantly reduce the risk. Education and awareness are key to tackling this growing health concern in the UK.
And here is a story of someone who has had to deal with the loss of a family member because diagnosis with fatty liver came too late.
ENCOMPASS is the new digital recording system for patient records and it is now live within all of the hospital trusts within Northern Ireland. It used to be the case that patient notes from hospital consultations were “written up” by health professionals and then typed up by admin staff. At the same time you would have seen hand written patient notes attached to the bottom of patient beds within hospital wards and in ED. This is no longer the case. Now everything regarding patient details and medical interventions are recorded digitally and on the go.
And you, as a patient, have access to many but not all of these details right now. For instance, one you have blood drawn within any hospital trust, the results are usually available on the “My Care” app within a reasonable time frame. It must be pointed out here that blood results have an automatic release date set on them (about 2 weeks) which gives the consultants time to review and add comments if required . Neither the transplant coordinators or any admin staff within the hospital ( in the case the RVH) have any access to allow them to forward these results. They are automatically sent to your phone.
As for the future, it is further planned that new appointment details will be pinged to your phone via the app . Future developments will mean that you will be able to change appointment dates and times within the app to ones that suit you better and even to send messages to staff.
Please note though, at this time, “My Care” does not include primary care records; those are your GP records or the results of tests carried out by your GP. And all previous historical hand written notes will not be made available to the digital system.
In order to be able to do all of this you will need to access the “My Care” portal within DHCNI by downloading an app from your app store called “My Chart“. When you download the app it will install “My Care” on to your phone. Full information can be found here to fully help you to understand the benefits of the system https://dhcni.hscni.net/digital-portfolio/encompass/my-care/?csrt=16420198896327286096
Pictured is Arthur Goan, Vice Chairman RVH Liver Support Group, Ward 6D Sister, Carol and staff nurse Lisa with their new ECG machine. The RVH Liver Support Group made the financial donation via the Charity Trust Fund to enable the procurement of this much needed piece of equipment. The state-of-the-art ECG has also the facility to be electronically connected to the new digital Encompass system now used throughout the Trust thereby enabling the immediate uploading of patient ECG results to their electronic records for immediate viewing by the medical team.
For more information on Encompass and how it can help you please visit:
The June Coffee Morning was held in the @burrendalehotel in Newcastle. Great to see both old friends and new faces along to enjoy the delicious scones on offer. The craic was mighty, with medical mishaps and holiday tales among some of the topics discussed.
The next one is in Fortwilliam Golf Club on Wednesday 2nd July at 10.00am.
Sharon and Jim were delighted to represent the Group at the @belfasttrust Volunteer Recognition Event held in the wonderful Great Hall at @qubelfast. This is an occasion for the Trust to show their appreciation for everything volunteers contribute to those under the Trust’s care.
Once again, thank you so much for everyone who turned up at the Everglades coffee morning organised by the RVH Liver Support Group and hosted by Ashley and Arthur, both committee members.
It turned out such a beautiful day for the event and it was an opportunity to catch up with old friends and indeed, as was the case on Thursday, to make new ones!!
We would like to remind folks that these coffee mornings are for ALL liver patients irrespective of the liver condition or its cause. We welcome and indeed want to see as many people attend as possible. We would also like to emphasise that you do not have to come alone; in fact we do not want you to come alone. You are most welcome to bring a family member or indeed a friend along with you.
Our next coffee morning will be in the Burrendale Hotel (Newcastle) on June 4th starting at 10.00 am.