Policy Hub
On 29 October 2008, the National Audit Office (NAO) published a report (Reducing alcohol harm: health services in England for alcohol misuse) which highlights the fact that, for a significant and growing number of people in England, alcohol consumption is a major cause of ill-health.
The report cites evidence which suggests that alcohol misuse costs the health service in the region of £2.7 billion a year. Although efforts to address it locally are not in general well-planned, the Department of Health is raising the profile of alcohol misuse by providing information and guidance to underpin local action, specifically centred on encouraging primary care trusts (PCTs) to gauge their performance against the rate of alcohol-related hospital admissions.
Hospital admissions for the three main alcohol-specific conditions (alcohol-related liver disease, mental health disorders linked to alcohol and acute intoxication) have doubled in the last 11 years. There were also twice as many deaths from alcohol-related causes in the UK in 2006 as there were 15 years before, an increase from 4,100 to 8,800.
Primary Care Trusts are responsible for setting local health priorities but around a quarter of PCTs surveyed by the NAO have not fully assessed alcohol problems in their areas. Many PCTs do not have a clear picture of their spending on services to address alcohol misuse and its effects on health. PCTs have often looked to their local drug and alcohol action teams to take the lead but these bodies focus primarily on specialist services for dependent users of illegal drugs and alcohol.
The report insists that there is scope for the Department of Health to provide greater leadership to PCTs on alcohol misuse. It recommends a number of specific measures, including guidance to help PCTs assess the causes of and forecast trends in alcohol misuse in different localities.
Reducing alcohol harm: health services in England for alcohol misuse (PDF)