Laura Burke

SPR Trainee Audit/Quality Improvement Award 2024

Dr Burke’s project is about:

“Alcohol dependency is a leading cause of liver disease. Alcohol-related liver disease is a common cause of disability and death. In the UK, deaths from liver disease linked to alcohol have doubled in ten years. It is a big problem in disadvantaged areas of the UK.

Prior work has found large gaps and inequities in patients hospital care. Experts and professional societies created care standards for people with alcohol-related liver disease.

ALERT UK is a nationwide audit to evaluate current standards of care for patients in UK hospitals with alcohol-related liver disease. The project has received national societies’ widespread support. It will build on past work by involving many hospital centres. It aims to assess care in UK hospitals, find gaps and recommend areas for improvement. Any UK hospitals that treat inpatients with alcohol-related liver disease can join the audit.”

What did it feel like to win this award?

“I am incredibly grateful to have received the Dr Falk/Guts UK Award and for the recognition of the ALERT – UK project from the committee.

The award will provide valuable support for the continued development of the project and also provide a platform to publicise the audit to reach as many UK hospital sites as possible.”

Read more about Dr. Burke’s project, focused on the liver, below.