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Alcoholism and the NHS

Alcoholism and the NHS

A recent article in Drink and Drug News details the cost that alcohol abuse is having upon NHS. The charity, Alcohol Concern, have detailed in their latest news report that if current trends persist, 1.5million hospital admissions will be due to alcohol abuse. Therefore, Making Health A Priority have suggested that the government needs to allocate additional funds for alcohol services or face £3.7billion of NHS resources being used on alcohol treatment. In the past 8 years, alcohol-related hospital admissions have doubled to 1million and are using up vital NHS resources. According to this report, investing in additional alcohol services would save the NHS almost £2billion a year.

Alcohol Concern have suggested that trained alcohol workers be allocated in every GP surgery, hospital and A&E facility to ensure service users have the support and advice available to them. Although investing in such preventative measures would cost the NHS initially, it would actually save the NHS £3 for every alcohol worker provided.

Furthermore, Drink and Drug News also highlights the impacts that alcohol is having amongst mortality statistics. In England, liver disease is one of the 5 main causes of death and alcohol is the second main cause of cancer. Alcohol withdrawal is very dangerous, potentially fatal, yet the government have failed to address this recently. More effort has been made to reduce smoking and illegal drugs. Although funding should be allocated to tackle these health needs, alcoholism should also be attended to and doing this could save the NHS billions of pounds at a time that the NHS is under financial strain.

This article also suggests that alcohol is being sold and portrayed as a normal commodity within supermarkets. Alcohol concern want supermarkets cooperation to reduce the drinking culture within the UK by displaying visible and clear health warnings so that customers are fully aware of the dangers associated with alcohol. Furthermore, they suggest that alcohol should only be sold in one section of the supermarket to prevent people purchasing it on impulse or due to special offers.

The World Health Organisation’s Global status report on alcohol and health also suggests need for improvement of alcohol services within the NHS. This report suggests that unless the government invests time and money to reduce the harmful effects of alcoholism, within the next 20 years, a quarter of a million people could have alcohol related deaths. Surely this should be enough evidence for the government to take action?

Reference:

Drink and Drug News: Double alcohol investment to save billions, says charity. 7^th March 2011. CJ Wellings LTD. London.

Published by Addiction Advisor on 04/08/2011.

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