---

Alcoholic Drinks: Misuse

Answer

An estimate of the number of alcohol-related emergency admissions to hospital via accident and emergency that are wholly attributable to alcohol and those that are wholly or partially attributable to alcohol for East of England Strategic Health Authority (SHA) and Suffolk Primary Care Trust (PCT) for people aged under 18 for the period 2007-08 to 2009-10 is given in the following table.

	2009-10	2008-09	2007-08
	Estimated admissions wholly attributable to alcohol	Estimated admissions partially or wholly attributable to alcohol	Estimated admissions wholly attributable to alcohol	Estimated admissions partially or wholly attributable to alcohol	Estimated admissions wholly attributable to alcohol	Estimated admissions partially or wholly attributable to alcohol
NHS East of England	384	730	390	699	535	866
Suffolk PCT	52	91	52	83	55	92
Notes:
1. Estimate of alcohol-related admissions
The number of alcohol-related admissions is based on the methodology developed by the North West Public Health Observatory (NWPHO), which uses 48 indicators for alcohol-related illnesses, determining the proportion of a wide range of diseases and injuries that can be partly attributed to alcohol as well as those that are, by definition, wholly attributable to alcohol. Further information on these proportions can be found at:
www.nwph.net/nwpho/publications/AlcoholAttributableFractions.pdf
The application of the NWPHO methodology was updated in summer 2010 and is now available directly from Hospital Episode Statistics (HES). Information about episodes estimated to be alcohol-related may be slightly different from previously published data.
2. Accident and Emergency
Admission method Codes 21 and 28 were used:
21: Emergency via A&E, including the casualty department of the provider;
28: Emergency: Other means including patients who arrive via the A&E department of another healthcare provider.
3. SHA/PCT of residence
The SHA or PCT containing the patient's normal home address. This does not necessarily reflect where the patient was treated as they may have travelled to another SHA/PCT for treatment.
4. Assessing growth through time
HES figures are available from 1989-90 onwards. Changes to the figures over time need to be interpreted in the context of improvements in data quality and coverage (particularly in earlier years), improvements in coverage of independent sector activity (particularly from 2006-07) and changes in national health service practice. For example, apparent reductions in activity may be due to a number of procedures which may now be undertaken in outpatient settings and so no longer include in admitted patient HES data.
5. Data quality
HES are compiled from data sent by more than 300 NHS trusts and PCTs in England and from some independent sector organisations for activity commissioned by the English NHS. The NHS Information Centre for health and social care liaises closely with these organisations to encourage submission of complete and valid data and seeks to minimise inaccuracies. While this brings about improvement over time, some shortcomings remain.
Source:
Hospital Episode Statistics (HES) The NHS Information Centre for health and social care.

Secondary information

Type

Written question

Reference

45147; 524 c1150W

Session

2010-12

Subjects

Alcoholic drinks Misuse East of England

Contains statistics

Yes

Link

View this Written question on www.publications.parliament.uk