Alcohol-related hospital admissions could hit 1.5 million a year by 2015 if further investment in alcohol is not prioritised, say Alcohol Concern. The charity calls for increased investment as the rising trend of alcohol-related hospital admissions could bring to the cost of alcohol to the NHS to £3.7 billion per year.
Read the report 'Making alcohol a health prority: opportunities to reduce alcohol harms and rising costs' [pdf]
An Alcohol Concern press release states:
"If the 100% rate of increase continues, it will waste billions of pounds to the NHS...The campaign group has called for Government to invest in alcohol health workers in every hospital, A&E unit and GP practice. This will save the NHS £3 for every £1 spent, according to the report, as well as reduce the current level of 15,000 alcohol-related deaths per year and 1.2m incidents of violent crime."
See here for news reports from the BBC and The Publican.
National and local alcohol hospital admissions rates can be found from the North West Public Health Observatory. For further alcohol information and resources see the Alcohol Learning Centre, including the data and weblink sections.
Alcohol awareness and general information is available from NHS Choices and Drinkaware.
Time to call it a day for free health care [though none really get free health care taxes pay for it] for those who are costing it the most through irresponsibility. Cost at point or after services required would bring in the money - through specialised insurance or saving schemes, could be titled as Booze and Lose Scheme. No seriously, time to tackle the cause of the problem, people drinking to excess and not having to pay for the consequences.
Posted by: efgd | Wednesday, March 02, 2011 at 03:21 PM