Evidence Hub

How does alcohol impact healthcare use? A study of men aged 45 to 59 in the North East and North Cumbria

Background

Alcohol is a key issue for the North East and North Cumbria (NENC). We see more alcohol harm than other places in England and we also have higher levels of alcohol related deaths.

Men aged 45 to 59 stand out as having a high risk of alcohol harm. This study helps us to better understand their healthcare needs to prevent harm and make better use of NHS care.

The research

This study used North East and North Cumbria routine healthcare records to compare healthcare use among men aged 45-59 with alcohol-related harm (the alcohol group) with that of men aged 45-59 unaffected by alcohol harm (the control group).

We also discussed the findings with people with lived experience of alcohol harm to help interpret the findings and develop a set of recommendations to improve practice.

Key findings

There were 5 times more deaths in the alcohol group. The alcohol group were more likely to be current smokers, live in areas of high deprivation and have a pre-existing condition. After adjusting for these factors and comparing those admitted to hospital for any reason, the alcohol group had:

• Over twice as many unplanned admissions
• Over double the average length of hospital stay
• 50% more Emergency Department attendances
• On average, cost double

Conclusions

Alcohol harm in the North East and North Cumbria, particularly among males aged 45–59, is a critical public health issue.

All healthcare organisations must take steps to improve care and reduce the burden alcohol places on our health system.  The policy recommendations in the full report (which you can download below) set out key actions that stakeholders can take in order to identify and reduce alcohol-related harm.

The report has been prepared by the NENC Alcohol Steering Group, and supported by the North East and North Cumbria ICB and NECS.

Authors

Clinical Lead – Dr James Crosbie

Strategic Lead – Sarah Hulse

Lead Analyst – Richard Lee

Intelligence Lead  – Anna Pickford

Public Health Lead – Ryan Swiers

Academic Lead – Luke Vale

Lived Experience Leads – Ryan Keeler, Paul Elliot

You can download the full report, below.

For more information contact [email protected]