24/7 boozing trebles A&E admissions

Binge drinkers taking advantage of 24-hour licensing laws have trebled alcohol-related admissions to a South London hospital, according to a new study.

Researchers found a dramatic jump in alcohol-related visits to St Thomas' Hospital, Lambeth Palace Road, Lambeth, after the November 2005 law change allowing boozers to stay open all night.

The report, published in the Emergency Medical Journal yesterday, claims these findings are likely to be repeated across London.

The study showed that in March 2005 there were 79 alcohol-related visits to the hospital's emergency department, accounting for just three per cent of all overnight visits.

In March 2006, the figure had rocketed to 250 booze-fuelled admissions, eight per cent of the department's monthly total.

The report's authors said: "We feel that our findings are likely to be representative of inner city [emergency care departments] in the UK.

"If reproduced over longer time periods and across the UK as a whole, the additional numbers of patients presenting [to emergency care] with alcohol-related problems could be very substantial."

The study also found that, following the passing of the 24-hour drinking laws, the number of hospital visits as a result of assault associated with excess drinking doubled, and the number of associated admissions almost trebled.

The emergency care department at St Thomas' is one of the largest in the UK.

Spokesman for Alcohol Concern Frank Sodeen said: "The figures are alarming. There are a whole range of other policies which need to be put in place alongside alcohol licence reformation.

"These include saturation policies limiting the number of licensed establishments in one area, policing policy looking at how manpower can be deployed and licensee responsibility."

Dr Alastair Newton, consultant in emergency medicine at Guy's and St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust, said: "This study clearly shows a significant increase in the number of patients who attended our emergency department overnight after drinking alcohol.

"However,it is important to note that this is only a snapshot of the impact on a single emergency department.

"Larger and longer-term studies are needed in order to give a more comprehensive picture of the effect of the new legislation on the UK as whole."

Southwark council is currently consulting on plans to put a cap on the number of bars allowed in five areas of the borough after figures showed more than 2,000 calls to police in 2006 for drink-related incidents between midnight and 4am.

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