Michelle Gallagher, Consultant Hepatologist, Royal Surrey NHS Foundation Trust

For more than 20 years, Michelle has led the way in expanding access to liver care and driving the shift from treating illness to preventing illness.

Her work focuses on reaching those most at risk and least likely to access traditional services, including people experiencing homelessness, those with drug and alcohol dependency, sex workers, migrant communities and residents in prison. By removing barriers, challenging stigma and delivering care where it is needed most, she is helping to bring prevention into the heart of communities.

Through the Trust’s Alcohol Liaison Team, more than 12,000 patients have received non-judgemental screening and support. This has enabled conditions to be identified at a stage where they can be treated.

Michelle’s leadership has also positioned Royal Surrey as one of NHS England’s first pilot sites for community liver health checks, centred on proactive and preventative care. More than 10,000 people have already benefited from fibroscanning in community settings, uncovering hidden disease in people who might not otherwise attend hospital. As a result, 500 patients are now under active surveillance and four cancers have been detected at an earlier, more treatable stage.

Her work also extends into prisons, where since 2021 targeted test-and-treat initiatives have reached over 2,600 residents, with more than 200 treated for hepatitis. By ensuring access to antiviral treatment, this programme is tackling health inequalities and preventing future disease burden.

“At Royal Surrey, we have developed services for people often left behind by traditional healthcare, finding new ways to meet them where they are. We are not just working in isolation. The network of professionals I work with includes some dedicated nursing colleagues, specialist pharmacists, clinicians in the prisons and sexual health services, public health teams, and peers support workers including the Hep C Trust,” says Michelle.

“To me, the NHS is about the difference we make to people’s lives through how we provide care, taking the time to reach someone, listen without judgement and help them access the support they need as early as possible.”