A doctor at University Hospitals Tees has received a prestigious national award after leading a project which transformed the way patients at risk of liver cancer are monitored and followed up.
Dr Ahmed Ibrahim, a hepatology specialist registrar, was awarded the 2026 Quality and Service Improvement in Hepatology Award at the Falk Foundation/BASL/Liver UK Awards for his team’s project, “Transforming HCC Surveillance Through an Automated Cirrhosis Call/Recall System.”
Liver disease
The award recognises innovative projects that improve patient care for people with liver disease.
Speaking about the project, Dr Ibrahim said: “We care for a population with high rates of liver disease and liver cancer. We found that some patients at risk of liver cancer were not always receiving the regular monitoring they needed, so we wanted to create a safer and more reliable system.
“This was a fantastic team effort involving doctors, nurses, IT specialists and many other colleagues. Together, we developed a new digital system that automatically helps identify, track and invite patients for important liver cancer checks, improving both patient safety and follow-up rates.
“By March 2026, almost 98% of eligible patients had been invited for monitoring and more than 91% had attended within six months. The project shows what can be achieved when teams work together to improve care for patients.”
Amazing results
The project started with a review of how patients at risk of liver cancer were being monitored. The team looked at ultrasound referrals made between January 2019 and August 2024 for patients with liver disease and checked whether they were receiving the follow-up care they needed.
They found that more than 1,400 patients may have needed regular monitoring. Of the 570 patients who should have been receiving routine checks, 188 were not due to system issues and patients disengaging from the process, with 82 being more than six months overdue. The review also highlighted gaps in the system and differences in the care some patients received.
In response, the team designed and implemented an automated system that ensures eligible patients are identified, automatically invited for further scans and monitored more effectively. Patients with cirrhosis are at a higher risk of cancer – by increasing the number of routine scans, any cancers can be identified and treated sooner.
The team have designed the project to be easily replicated in other hospitals where needed.
Other members of the award winning team include specialist hepatology nurses Stephanie Goodman and Zoe Cox, with consultant hepatologist Dr Darren Craig acting as team mentor.
Dr Ibrahim was presented with the award by Dr Ian Rowe, President of the British Association for the Study of the Liver (BASL), at the BASL annual meeting in Cardiff. The prize also includes £1,000 to help continue to the project.
Incredible team projects
Dr Ian Rowe said: “These awards highlight and reward the incredible team projects being carried out across hepatology and each year we are inspired by, and so proud of, the winners. BASL is delighted to continue partnering with the Falk Foundation and Liver UK to recognise and encourage this important work.”
The Falk Foundation/BASL/Liver UK Awards are designed to encourage innovation and promote excellence in hepatology, with winning projects receiving national recognition and financial support to further develop their work.