The £45.4m cost to Birmingham NHS for alcohol related hospital admissions

The most recent figures from the Office for Health Improvement and Disparities show hospital admissions with a primary or secondary alcohol-related diagnosis in Birmingham cost the NHS an estimated £45,408,000 in the year to March 2021.

The figures are being highlighted as Alcohol Change UK said the number of people affected by alcohol harm is rising. The charity is calling for more alcohol care teams across hospitals, alongside further preventative measures.

There were 18,515 alcohol-related hospital admissions in Birmingham in 12 months up to March 2021. It meant the cost per capita in the area was about £51 – slightly above the national level of £49 per person.

Dr Richard Piper, chief executive of Alcohol Change UK, said: "It's important to recognise that there are more people struggling with alcohol problems in the UK than most of us realise, and that the number of people being affected by alcohol harm is increasing.

"Alcohol care teams are currently available in some hospitals in the UK. But we need them to be available in every major hospital, working across hospital departments and with community alcohol services, to ensure that people struggling with alcohol problems receive the help they need."

He added: "We also need to put prevention measures in place to stop people reaching the stage when they need to attend hospital in the first place."

What preventative measures could reduce the number of alcohol-related hospital admissions in Birmingham?

Dr Piper said these measures include minimum unit pricing and restrictions on alcohol marketing to help prevent alcohol harm and reduce costs for the NHS. Across England, OHID estimates admissions to hospital with a primary diagnosis of an alcohol-related condition, or a secondary diagnosis with an alcohol-related external cause cost the NHS £2.2 billion in 2020-21. It was up from £1.9 billion estimated for 2019-20.

What has the government said about the cost of alcohol-related admissions to the NHS in Birmingham?

A Government spokesperson said: "Alcohol use can ruin lives and destroy families which is why we are acting to support those most at risk." They said a record £532 million of additional investment has been made through to 2024-25 to improve drug and alcohol treatment and recovery service as part of a ten-year drug strategy.

The added: "We are also funding specialist alcohol care teams at one in four hospitals in England, based on those with the greatest need."