Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps she has taken to tackle changes in the level of premature deaths caused by liver disease in women under 75 between 2001 and 2022.

Through the 2021 Drugs Strategy, we are making the largest ever single increase in drug and alcohol treatment and recovery funding, with £780 million of additional investment. Of this, £532 million is being invested to rebuild local authority commissioned drugs and alcohol treatment services in England. This is in addition to the funding invested through the Public Health Grant

By February 2024, the funding had enabled an additional 9,878 people to benefit from treatment for alcohol problems, where alcohol was their only substance misuse problem, and a further 6,258 people where, as well as their alcohol problems, they were also being treated for problems associated with non-opiate drug use.

Local authorities are responsible for understanding the drug and alcohol treatment needs of their local communities, and planning and commissioning services to meet that need, including ensuring women have good access to the most effective treatment. The Department supports them in doing this, with data and guidance.

The National Health Service’s piloting of early diagnosis and prevention through 19 community diagnostic hubs reached over 7000 people in 2022/23, and is identifying undiagnosed liver disease. The Community Liver Health Check pilot provides FibroScans in one-stop community clinics, where patients also have other investigations as required.

Beyond treatment and early diagnosis, we are committed to tackling alcohol harms, including reducing consumption levels, and in 2023 the Government introduced reforms to alcohol duty, meaning products are taxed directly in proportion to their alcohol content.