Alcohol-related hospital admissions are on the rise
According to the statistics in the Alcohol England 2017 report, there were a record 1.1 million alcohol-related hospital admissions in England between 2015 and 2016.
Total hospital admissions have risen by 64% over the last decade. The figures mean that the number of people requiring hospital treatment because of alcohol has continued to rise every year since records began in 2003/04.
Alcohol consumption statistics
Alcohol has been linked to more than 60 different diseases and illnesses, including heart disease, liver disease and cancer. Figures show that admissions due to liver disease have gone up by 57% over the last 10 years. The number of people diagnosed with alcohol-related cancer has increased by 8%.
The report also found that middle-aged and older people were the most likely to need treatment because of alcohol-related conditions.
The figures, which were released by the Health and Social Care Information Centre, show that men made up the majority of these admissions (65%) compared to women (35%). Men were also found to be more likely to die of alcohol-related conditions. This may be because alcohol consumption is higher and more frequent among men and older age groups.
In response to the figures, alcohol health experts are calling for more to be done in the UK to tackle the serious health implications caused by drinking. Professor Sir Ian Gilmore, Chair of the Alcohol Health Alliance UK (AHA) commented:
“These figures show that the UK continues to have a dysfunctional relationship with alcohol. We know that over the long term, rates of binge drinking are falling and that more people are choosing to abstain from alcohol. Worryingly, these trends do not appear big enough to stop alcohol harm from continuing to rise. The sharp increase in alcohol-related hospital admissions over the last few years means hundreds of thousands more people each year are experiencing the misery associated with harmful alcohol consumption.”
Support available at Life Works
If you have concerns about your own drinking habits or those of a loved one, then the alcoholism treatment specialists at the Life Works clinic in Surrey can help. Take that first step towards recovery today.