2nd November 2021

You are working in general practice. A patient new to the practice attends a GP appointment

You are working in general practice. A patient new to the practice attends a GP appointment. He has a history of alcoholic liver disease, leading to severe cirrhosis. He tells you in his previous area he was on the waiting list for a liver transplant, and requests that you ensure his care has been transferred to the local hepatology service, in order to ensure he remains under the specialist team and on the waiting list. Your father died of alcohol-related illness when you were a child – you have never drank alcohol as a result of this and the trauma your father’s illness caused you and your family. The patient tells you he is still drinking around 20 units of alcohol a week, although this is far less than his previous intake. You are finding it difficult to reconcile your feelings around a case with this much personal meaning to you, and cannot help but think the patient “only has himself to blame” for his illness.

Which of the following statements is true in regards to this case? 

Select the SINGLE most appropriate option from the list below. Select ONE option only.