Question reference: S6W-09191
- Asked by: Gillian Mackay, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Green Party
- Date lodged: 16 June 2022
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Current status: Answered by Maree Todd on 28 June 2022
Question
To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the impact of stigma on late presentation and diagnosis of liver disease.
Answer
The latest findings of the British Liver Trust show that alcohol-related liver disease accounts for 60% of all liver disease and that 94% of British adults associate alcohol with liver disease and people with liver disease often feel stigmatised.
The impact of stigma often prevents people from accessing treatment or limits delivery of a successful intervention.
Liver diseases are generally avoidable, or treatable, if diagnosed at an early stage. Stigma often prevents people from accessing treatment; 75% of people currently being diagnosed are at a stage when it is too late for lifestyle changes or intervention.
The Scottish Government is committed to tackling stigma and ensuring that people are diagnosed and treated more quickly. In December 2021 a national campaign was launched to tackle the stigma people with problematic alcohol and drug use face.
We are working with Scottish Health Action on Alcohol Problems to develop an action plan in relation to alcohol and stigma. This work builds on the earlier work of the Drugs Death Task Force around drugs and stigma.