Sheffield alcohol A&E arrivals continue to fall

Sheffield’s Northern General Hospital has recorded another fall in patients arriving in Accident and Emergency for alcohol related causes. The Northern General houses the city’s only adult A&E department, providing for a population of 575,400 people (as of 2016).

The number of patients arriving in A&E due to alcohol related causes such as over-consumption and injury related to alcohol have been dropping for over five years. In 2012, 3337 people arrived at the Northern General due to alcohol, in 2017 this figure had dropped to 2586.

Becky Coupland, a trained St John’s Ambulance Responder from Sheffield shared her views on the figures. “Those statistics are surprising to me in all honesty. I thought Sheffield would have a higher number of alcohol related incidents going to A&E, especially as it is a very highly populated student city.”

 

Infographic of arrests in the West Street area for drunk and disorderly behaviour
and arrivals in the Northern General's A&E department due to alcohol.
Infographic: Thomas Bradshaw

This is a drop of 751 people in five years, an average of 150.2 people per year. Meaning that if the decrease continues at the same rate there could be no arrivals in A&E due to alcohol in less than 18 years.

“I think alcohol related education needs to start at an earlier age,” said Miss Coupland, “I think the long-term effects of alcohol need to be emphasised.”

Over the last five years the highest number of people arrive at A&E due to alcohol in August and October, both having the highest number of attendances twice.

However, these figures are not reflected in arrests made due to drunk and disorderly behaviour in the city centre. In figures released by South Yorkshire Police there has been no consistent decline in arrests in the West Street area.

A calm beginning to a Saturday night on Sheffield's West Street.
Patrons begin to gather in popular pubs such as The Beehive.
Photo: Thomas Bradshaw

Since 2013 the number of people arrested in the area for being drunk and disorderly has ranged from 64 to 79 people per year. Figures released in November show that the area could reach a record low in 2017.