One in ten people in hospital beds in the UK are alcohol dependent and one in five are actually doing themselves harm by their drinking addictions. This has all been discovered by new research done on the NHS and the drinking culture.
Hospitals are having to cope with a large number of people whose drinking habits have left them in A&E or a mental health unit. The NHS treatments for alcohol is estimated to cost £3.5 billion a year. A study was published in the Addiction journal. It looked at 124 past studies and more than 1.5 million patients to estimate how many had any of 26 conditions related to heavy alcohol use.
These included:
- liver disorders
- gastrointestinal disorders
- alcohol poisoning
- mental disorders because of alcohol use
- foetal alcohol syndrome
The patients were in general wards, intensive care units, A&E departments or mental health inpatient units.
Dr Richard Piper, the chief executive of Alcohol Change UK, the campaign group behind Dry January said: “These numbers are shocking: the number of beds used, the cost to the NHS, the sheer number of people suffering as a result of alcohol,”
“As dedicated alcohol treatment services have faced years of swingeing cuts, hospitals are being left to pick up the pieces – but most simply do not have the expertise or capacity to do so, resulting in alcohol problems going untreated and those suffering returning to hospital time and time again.” he added.
The government have funded alcohol care teams in 25% of hospitals that are worst affected by patients with alcohol problems. Alcohol Change UK said alcohol care teams, working across hospital departments and with the community services, save lives and NHS money. “Public Health England estimates that a seven-day service of this kind in a hospital can save 2,000 bed days per year, creating a saving of £3.85 for every £1 invested,” said Piper.
The World Cancer Research Fund pointed out that drinking alcohol increases the risk of six types of cancer including breast and bowel cancer.
The NHS England chief executive, Simon Stevens, said: “Alcohol dependence can devastate families with the NHS often left to pick up the pieces, yet the right support can save lives. The NHS long-term plan will expand specialist alcohol care teams in hospitals across the country to tackle problem drinking and prevent 50,000 admissions over the next five years.”
