Concern over Sheffield’s alcohol related hospital admissions and death rate

The figure for alcohol-related admissions in the city where the main reason for going into hospital was an alcohol-related condition, was above the national average in the most recent figures and rated as ‘red’ by the NHS.

The Government says the measure may also understate the part alcohol plays in the admission.

In total, for the year 2019-20, the city’s hospitals saw 2,905 admissions under that category, or 568 per 100,000 of population, which was actually a fall on the previous year, but is up on the 2016-17 figure of 2,773 (554 per 100,000)

The national figure is 519 per 100,000.

Meanwhile, the city’s alcohol related death rate for 2019, the most recent figure, was revealed at 203, a rise on the figure of 190 the previous year. That represents 40.6 per 100,000 of population and is higher than the national figure of 35.7.

The figures were released by the Government’s Office for Health Improvement and Disparities.

HEALTH: Hundreds of young people treated for drug and alcohol abuse

Sheffield’s figures for the number of patients admitted to hospital where either the primary diagnosis or one of the secondary diagnoses were an alcohol-related condition, however, was lower than the national 2019-20 average, with 1,699 per 100,000, compared with 1,815. But it represents a rise in the city from 1,554 in 2016-17.

Dr Jennifer Hill, Medical Director (Operations), Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, said: “We see first-hand the physical and mental damage that drinking alcohol excessively can have on people and sadly many of those individuals spend time in our A&E or need longer term care.

“We do work with other agencies across the city to raise awareness of the potential health problems which drinking can cause and although we saw a decline in numbers early in the pandemic we have seen this pattern reverse more recently.”

Men make up the majority of the admissions; and the organisation UK Addiction Treatment Group said it was mostly people living in the country’s most deprived areas who were being admitted into hospital.

Nuno Albuquerque, Head of Treatment at UKAT said: “The cost of treatment to the NHS alone will be eye-watering.”

Local journalism holds the powerful to account and gives people a voice. Please take out a digital subscription or buy a paper. Thank you. Nancy Fielder, editor.