Scottish GPs see 5,500 alcohol-related patients in just one day

In just one day last month, alcohol was a factor in 5,500 general practice consultations in Scotland, according to the British Medical Association (BMA). This adds up to 1.4 million consultations per year – and 6 per cent of all visits to GPs.

The doctors’ union bases its figures on a survey conducted on 21 April, where a sample of 31 practices – around 3 per cent of all GP practices in Scotland – was asked to record all visits to doctors or practice nurses where alcohol was a factor. The practices reported that 169 consultations involved an alcohol-related problem. The investigation is unusual, because most studies of the impact of alcohol on health services relate to secondary care – for example, the effect of alcohol-related harm on accident and emergency departments. But the BMA’s study shows that Scotland’s drinking problem is challenging all parts of the health service and the public purse – indeed, the union estimates that the GP consultations alone cost the NHS more than £28 million per year. The survey has prompted an alliance of health campaigners to call on the various political parties to use the remaining days before Thursday’s election to outline how they would tackle alcohol issues. According to GP Dr Alan McDevitt, it is “the very least they can do for their constituencies”. “In just one day, nurses and doctors working in general practice across Scotland saw more than 5,500 patients where alcohol had contributed to their ill health," Dr McDevitt said. “But the patients seen in general practice are just the tip of the iceberg. The impact of alcohol misuse across the rest of the NHS, in hospitals and in our communities is far greater.” Dr McDevitt, who practices in Clydebank and is deputy chair of the BMA’s Scottish GP committee, said the survey was about showing how much of an impact alcohol has on the everyday work of general practice. “Those who suffer from alcohol-related health problems are not just alcoholics or heavy binge drinkers. By regularly drinking over and above recommended limits, a significant proportion of the adult population is at risk of experiencing health problems that are related to the alcohol they consume, whether it is high blood pressure, breast cancer or even domestic abuse.” Theresa Fyffe, director of the Royal College of Nursing in Scotland, added her voice to calls for politicians to say what they would do to reduce the harm caused by alcohol. “For example," she said, "they could consider investing in more alcohol liaison nurses, who provide a whole range of support that ultimately saves the NHS money by reducing re-attendance at A&E and hospital admissions.” In case anyone imagined that the minimum pricing issue had disappeared, Evelyn Gillan, chief executive of Alcohol Focus Scotland, issued a reminder. “For the health and well-being of everyone in Scotland, robust action must be taken to increase price,” she said. Dr Bruce Ritson, chairman of Scottish Health Action on Alcohol Problems, said more needed to be done. “The level of harm caused by alcohol in Scotland," he said, "concerns not only health workers but other professions, individuals, families and communities across the country. Enforcement of existing legislation is one approach, but politicians will need to recognise that most people seen in Scotland with an alcohol-related condition have not broken any law.” Individually and collectively we are drinking at levels that compromise our health and well-being, he added. “As a society, we need to drink less.”

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