Alcohol hospital admissions four times higher than official figure

More than 800,000 people are admitted to hospital each year with alcohol-related illnesses and injuries — four times the official figure — ministers will admit today. By Andrew Porter and Rebecca Smith Figures will show that six per cent of all NHS admissions are in some way caused by drink, The Daily Telegraph can disclose. And the rate of visits to hospital over alcohol-related problems is rising by 10 per cent every year. The figures indicate the true impact alcohol has on the NHS from accidents, violence and disease. They include for the first time estimates of the number of cancers caused by alcohol consumption as well as heart disease and strokes. Alcohol is thought to cause about 17,000 cases of cancer a year and £2billion of NHS money is spent every year treating patients with alcohol-related diseases. Alan Johnson,... [read full story]