New national hospital admissions data were published on 22nd July. They provide a more accurate picture of alcohol-related hospital admissions using new methodology. Previously, admissions statistics only counted the three most common types of alcohol-related diseases: alcoholic liver disease, alcohol poisoning, and mental and behavioural disorders.
The 'new' methodology measures a total of 44 conditions which research shows are caused by or strongly associated with alcohol consumption. (It's not new - see the 2004 Public Health North West alcohol strategy group's Taking Measures report).
The new figures show there were 811,000 admissions in 2006 (accounting for 6% of all admissions) compared with 473,500 in 2002.
There was plenty of media coverage, including:
- Hospital alcohol admissions soar, BBC News
- Alcohol hospital admissions four times higher than official figures, Telegraph
- Alcohol-related hospital admissions four times higher than official figures, Guardian
- Alcohol hospital admissions hide individual tragedies, say doctors, BMA
Get the data here.
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