People in Renfrewshire and East Renfrewshire who overdose on paracetamol could be helped by a blood test which shows immediately if they are going to suffer liver damage, according to researchers.

The test, which detects levels of specific molecules in blood, could help doctors identify which patients arriving in hospital need more intense treatment.

It will also help speed up the development of new therapies for liver damage by targeting patients most likely to benefit.

Researchers from the universities of Edinburgh and Liverpool found the test can accurately predict which patients are going to develop liver problems.