Drink-fuelled visits to hospital on rise

Rochdale Infirmary

New figures show a rapid rise in drink-related hospital admissions — and Rochdale is among the worst affected.

Pennine Acute Trust, which runs hospitals in Oldham, Bury, Rochdale and North Manchester, tops the league, according to statistics revealed in response to a parliamentary question by the Conservatives.

They state the trust handled 8,635 alcohol-related admissions, which equates to 24 a day, or one every hour.

But trust bosses say that as the biggest NHS trust in the North West, responsible for four hospitals and covering a population of 850,000, the figures come as no surprise.

The trust has also issued its own figures which differ from those released by the Conservatives. The trust says it handled 4,975 alcohol-related admissions in 2007-08.

In total, 3,901 were admitted through accident and emergency departments.

Dr Nick Gili, accident and emergency consultant and clinical director of unscheduled care at the Royal Oldham Hospital, explained: “Pennine Acute Hospitals NHS Trust is one of the largest trusts in the country, which runs four hospitals with emergency departments serving a population of around 850,000.

“In 2007-08 we had the most accident and emergency attendances nationally, at nearly 257,000.

“Therefore, it is unsurprising that as a trust we handle a large number of alcohol-related admissions through our emergency departments.”

He added: “As you would expect, on Friday and Saturday nights we see a large number of alcohol-related problems, either patients who are heavily under the influence of alcohol or those who have had injuries or assaults as a result of drink.

“The staff across our four hospitals do an excellent job in treating patients and tidying up after a drink-fuelled weekend, often under difficult conditions.”

In 2008-09, the four hospitals between them treated 277,000 people in accident and emergency departments.

The news comes hot on the heels of a move to give police and local authorities greater powers to crack down on drink-related unrest by issuing new ‘booze Asbos.’

They are aimed at people responsible for alcohol–fuelled crime and anti–social behaviour, and are available from this week in a bid to protect the law-abiding public.

The orders, which can last for up to two years, will enable magistrates to impose conditions on individuals such as banning them from drinking in, or visiting, certain places, and breaches will be punishable with fines of up to £2,500.