Press releases
Thursday 31st December, 2009
New Year s eve binge drinking to cost NHS £23 million
Policy Exchange warns that excess drinking over New Year’s eve 2009 could cost the NHS £23 million. Policy Exchange also cautions that the dramatic rise in acute alcohol related admissions over the last decade, spiking each year at New Year, was likely to translate into future increases in mortality from chronic liver disease, since there is a time lag of 5-15 years between hazardous drinking patterns developing into serious ill health.
Henry Featherstone, Head of Policy Exchange’s Health & Social Care Unit, Unit said:
“Alcohol misuse in Britain is at a level where it constitutes a public health epidemic. Direct costs to the NHS are nearly £3 billion a year. Hospital admissions for alcohol intoxication have doubled in a decade. The Government should, now, commit to a review of its entire strategy for tackling the harms from alcohol misuse.”
“We recommend that the costs of being admitted to hospital to sleep off alcoholic excess should be met by individuals, not the NHS. Those admitted to hospital for less than 24 hours with acute alcohol intoxication should be charged the NHS tariff cost for their admission of £532. This amount would be reduced for those paying the costs of their own alcohol education and awareness course.”
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