Show bosses have teamed up with the British Liver Trust while working on
the storyline.
Andrew Langford, Chief Executive of British
Liver Trust, said: "Unfortunately Phil's alcohol-related health
problems are not unique or that unusual. Currently in the UK we have an
epidemic of liver disease and still the main cause of death from liver
disease is alcohol related. It is the
third leading cause of premature death in the UK, but is misunderstood
and rarely considered in the way of other serious health conditions. So
it's really important that EastEnders have chosen to tackle this serious problem. In the UK, the prevalence of liver disease has increased by over 400% in a generation, so it's fantastic that EastEnders have decided to highlight how people can quite literally drink themselves to death."
As well as exploring the impact on Phil, EastEnders new storyline will focus on how his diagnosis affects his troubled family.
Langford continued: "We all need to have a much
better awareness of the damage alcohol is causing and consequently have
a much more compassionate understanding of how and why Phil is causing
himself so much harm and the devastating effect this is having on his
wife, son and others. It is creditworthy that the EastEnders team
have ensured that this is being portrayed as realistically as possible
and have paid such attention to show how so many are affected when a
family member has alcohol related liver disease."
Cirrhosis
is when scar tissue replaces healthy tissue in the liver, preventing it
from working properly. The illness can be fatal if it leads to liver
failure.