Excessive drinking - stark warning to local people

Primary Care Trust (PCT) Director of Public Health for Rochdale Borough, Sheila Will, has praised the Regional Alcohol Summit for issuing a stark warning to local people about the impact excessive drinking is having on the region.

The summit being in December came at significant time in the social calendar. The Christmas and New Year period will see a dramatic increase in the overall consumption of alcohol and Sheila Will at the PCT wants to remind the public about the importance of safe and sensible drinking. 

Ms Will said: “Unlike smoking, alcohol does contain some beneficial properties but only if it is consumed in sensible amounts. Today’s binge drinking culture is having a negative impact on many communities and families and is costing the NHS millions of pounds a year.

“We are further developing quality alcohol services in the borough to offer support and help to those who use alcohol to excess”

Health Leaders across the North West were called to the Summit following a range of local and national reports on binge drinking and alcohol related violence and death amongst people in the region.

Health profiles issued earlier this year indicated that Rochdale had the sixth highest rate of all recorded crime attributable to alcohol. Other indicators showed there was an increase in the number of alcohol related hospital admission for both males and females between 2003/04 and 2004/05.

The health profiles have helped the PCT and its partners better understand how alcohol is affecting residents and health services, how interventions should be developed so that in time we can reduce the negative consequences of alcohol use.

Ms Will added: “In response to the profiles the PCT has allocated additional funding of £110,000 to support the Community Alcohol Support Service in the borough. A further £140,000 has been earmarked for 2007/08 marking our commitment to addressing alcohol related problems.”

The Alcohol and Drug Service (ADS) team are charged with putting the extra monies to good use. Examples include: Hospital liaison staff have been lending a helping hand in A&E departments as well as on medical and psychiatric wards. Back in the community, screening and assessments of patients in GP surgeries have provided an ideal venue for specially trained staff to intervene effectively at the first point of contact and offer suspected problem drinkers advice and support.

Jeanette Staley, Drug and Alcohol Action Team Manager said: “Primary care is an ideal venue to provide alcohol services for problem drinkers yet GPs and primary healthcare staff need the necessary support, awareness and training to intervene effectively. On average 90% of the population visit their GP in any 3 year period, but excessive drinkers visit their GP twice the average frequency.

“We have developed a training programme for Primary Health Care Teams to enable them to identify potential problem drinkers and make appropriate referrals.”

Primary care alcohol services are currently being provided in the following GP surgeries:

• Rochdale:
  Edenfield Road Surgery
  Kirkholt Centre
  
  
• Pennine:
  Trinity Street, Littleborough
  Stonefield Surgery
  
  
• Heywood:
  Adelaide Street
  Taylor Street
  
  
• Middleton:
  Windermere Road Surgery
  Durnford Street
  Alkrington Clinic
  Brentwood Day Centre