19 March 2004
NHS plans to reduce its £2bn a year bill for treating alcohol-related illnesses are not enough, campaigners said this week.
As part of the government-wide strategy, the NHS will carry out a national audit of the demand for and provision of alcohol treatment services. It will also launch pilot studies to examine the cost-effectiveness of treating alcohol-related problems earlier.
Public health minister Melanie Johnson said: 'Alcohol-related injuries and illness costs the health service nearly £2bn every year – plus the very real personal cost to individuals, families and communities. The measures in this strategy will help us to tackle problems at source. For example, 70% of weekend A&E admissions are alcohol-related.'
However, Royal College of Physicians registrar Professor Ian Gilmore said the pilot studies were unnecessary. 'The strategy calls for audits and pilots in areas where we believe there is already more than enough evidence for action. It is stronger on cleaning up the streets than on preventing physical harm,' he said.
Alcohol Concern also called for urgent action to boost treatment and counselling services.
'Currently, you need to be a rich celebrity, who can afford an expensive private clinic, to be sure of getting urgent help,' said Eric Appleby, the charity's chief executive.
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