A MALMESBURY helper group has given £10,000 to an appeal which is looking to fund a machine to help Great Western Hospital patients suffering with a liver disease.

Malmesbury League of Friends presented the cheque to the Brighter Futures Fibroscan machine appeal at the Swindon hospital.

The specialist piece of kit can assess the degree of liver damage with a non-invasive test which is painless, quick and easy to administer, using ultrasound waves.

It replaces the need for an invasive liver biopsy and would allow the hepatology team at Great Western to quickly come up with a treatment plan.

Malmesbury League of Friends chairman David Hide said: “We know that liver disease is increasing, so we are delighted to support this appeal to acquire a Fibroscan which will make diagnosis so much quicker and easier.”

Dr Moby Joseph, the consultant who heads the specialist liver unit at the hospital, said: "This Fibroscan will make a huge difference to the diagnosis of liver disease. We have over 500 patients currently receiving treatment at GWH.”

In the next few years, liver disease is expected to overtake heart disease as the biggest cause of premature death and is already the largest cause of premature death among 35-49 year olds in the UK.

More than 90 per cent of liver disease is caused by three main factors: obesity, alcohol and viral hepatitis.