InTheNews.co.uk
Breaking News:
Your source for news

News Story

 20 July 2008 18:32 BST

Alcohol hospital admissions double in decade

Thursday, 22 May 2008 18:05
Number of people admitted to hospital in England due to alcohol doubled between 1996 and 2007, NHS figures show
The number of people admitted to hospital in England due to alcohol has doubled in the last ten years, the NHS has admitted.

A report showed alcohol was the primary or secondary cause of 207,800 admissions in 2006/07, compared to 93,500 in 1995/96.

Hospital admissions where alcohol was the main cause increased by 52 per cent to 57,100 during the same period, while there were 6,500 alcohol-related deaths in 2006.

The NHS Information Centre, which compiled the data, said the amount of prescriptions for patients over alcohol dependency had gone up by a fifth between 2003 and 2007.

Tim Straughan, the centre's chief executive, said alcohol had become a major problem for the health service.

"This report shows alcohol is placing an increasing burden right across the NHS – from the GP surgery to the hospital bed," he argued.

"These rises paint a worrying picture about the relationship between the population and the bottle."

As part of the NHS Information Centre's report, schoolchildren were interviewed over alcohol use.

The number of pupils who admitted to drinking fell between 2001 and 2006, but the average underage drinker was shown to be consuming 11.4 units a week – a record high.End of story


More headline news... 

Also In The News 

© 2008 Advertise | Privacy | Terms of Use