Hospital drink-related cases on downward trend in Tayside

Tayside hospitals treated nearly 2,000 alcohol-related cases in just one year.

New figures show that NHS Tayside dealt with 1.995 cases in 2012/13, involving 1,431 patients.

Nearly 95% of the cases were emergencies, with patients presenting with problems ranging from alcoholic liver disease to acute intoxication.

The statistics show that the number of cases is dropping slightly, down from 2,003 the previous year and 2,346 in 2008/09.

Vered Hopkins, from Dundee Alcohol and Drug Partnership, said that many people with dangerous drinking habits do not yet require hospital treatment.

She said: “For all the people who are admitted to hospital, there is also a large population that perhaps consume within their own home and, on a daily basis, consume too much.

“Over a number of years that can have quite serious health consequences, though they aren’t making it as far as hospital.

“It is important to acknowledge that the figures are coming down but, obviously, Tayside and Dundee are slightly behind and we still have a significant problem.

“The high number of emergency admissions would suggest that they are related to binge drinking.”