interesting statistics:
The Alcohol Needs Assessment Research Report, published in November 2006, identified that £217
million was spent in 2003-4 by Primary Care Trusts and local authorities to support alcohol treatment1 in
England.
In 2005/6 there were over a quarter of a million admissions to NHS hospitals in England for
selected alcohol-related diagnoses (mental and behavioural disorders due to alcohol, alcoholic liver
disease and toxic effects of alcohol). Hospital admissions for these diagnoses have virtually doubled
since 1997.
o Overall probably around 1 in 16 of all hospital admissions are for alcohol-related causes.
o Alcohol-related diseases account for 1 in 8 NHS bed days (around 2 million) and 1 in 8 NHS day
cases (around 40,000).
o Up to 35% of all accident and emergency attendances and ambulance costs are alcohol-related
o Between 12 midnight and 5am, 70% of attendances are alcohol-related
o At peak times in A&E Departments,
40% of all attendees have a raised blood alcohol level
14% are intoxicated
43% are problematic drinkers
o Common reasons for alcohol-related attendance at A&E Departments include:
violent assault
road traffic accidents
psychiatric emergencies
deliberate self harm
o In addition, 1 in 5 patients admitted to hospital for other reasons are drinking at hazardous levels.
o In 1993 Dr. J. Chick reported that in urban hospitals in Britain 15-30% of male medical and
surgical patients and 8-15% of women patients have alcohol problems.
Between 1995-7, Marshal et al conducted a prevalence study of current substance misuse
amongst acute general medical admissions in a London hospital. 20 per cent of admissions were
identified as substance misusers; the majority (72 per cent) of the identified patients having an
alcohol problem. 19 per cent were currently using illegal drugs and 9 per cent were poly drug users.
http://www.ias.org.uk/resources/factsheets/nhs.pdf
