Working with British Liver Trust on Phil’s alcohol-related liver disease story

With confirmation of Phil Mitchell’s diagnosis of liver disease in tonight’s episode, Vanessa Hebditch, Director of Communications at the British Liver Trust, explains how the charity worked with EastEnders on the storyline.

Liver disease is the third leading cause of premature death in the UK – but the condition is misunderstood, under funded and is rarely considered in the way that other serious health conditions are. The British Liver Trust is small compared with other charities that represent major health issues, so hearing from EastEnders that we would have an opportunity to raise awareness was really exciting.

The EastEnders team took great care to make sure that they got every detail of the early stages of Phil’s liver disease medically accurate. The research team and writers spoke to us in detail at the earliest stages of the script development to make sure everything was factually correct. This included discussions not just about how Phil would appear but also about how his behaviour would be likely to change and about the devastating effects that it would have on Sharon and the rest of his family.

Unfortunately Phil’s alcohol related health problems are not unique or that unusual, currently in the UK we have an epidemic of liver disease. Prevalence has risen by 400% in a generation and the main reason for this is the increase in alcohol consumption. Whilst alcohol is the main cause of liver disease there are many others including obesity, viral hepatitis, autoimmune and genetic causes and we need to improve the standards of care and support for everyone affected.

Whilst Phil is very obviously a heavy drinker, a large proportion of those who have alcohol related liver disease may not be drinking as much as he does. At the British Liver Trust we hear from many people who think that they are ‘social drinkers’ but are actually drinking at levels that can be really harmful to their liver. Being overweight also contributes to any liver damage, often creating a double-whammy of harm to liver health.

We really hope that this EastEnders storyline will help all of us have a much better awareness of the damage alcohol can cause and a more compassionate understanding of how and why Phil is causing himself so much harm and the devastating affect this is having on his wife, son and others. It is creditworthy that the EastEnders team have ensured that this is being portrayed as realistically as possible and have paid such attention to show how so many are affected when a family member has alcohol related liver disease.

We urge everyone in the UK to think seriously about the amount they are drinking by drinking within the recommended guidelines and importantly having two to three consecutive days off alcohol every week. We also have a free app to support you to do this and reduce your drinking: www.spruceapp.co.uk

Every EastEnders fan can also take stock of their own liver health and assess their risk by completing the Trust’s Love Your Liver health screener www.loveyourliver.org.uk.

The British Liver Trust provides support and detailed information for anyone with, or affected by a liver condition. For more information on ways to support them, visit: www.britishlivertrust.co.uk/DonateToday

British Liver Trust helpline: 01425 481320 (Monday - Friday 9 - 5) www.britishlivertrust.org.uk