Alcohol Addiction (Hansard, 5 February 1987)

§ Dr. Godman
asked the Secretary of State for Social Services (1) how much money was spent in each of the past five years on cures for alcohol addiction and alcohol misuse;
(2) how much money was spent in each of the past five years on curing people addicted to alcohol; and if he will give a breakdown of those figures.

§ Mrs. Currie
The precise costs of the treatment of people suffering the effects of alcohol misuse or alcohol addiction cannot be calculated on present information. Recent research into the cost of alcohol misuse to the National Health Service has produced an estimate of some £95 million per annum (1983 prices) for England and Wales.

§ Dr. Godman
asked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many hospital beds were taken up in each of the past five years by patients suffering from physical and psychiatric ailments normally associated with alcohol addiction or alcohol misuse.

§ Mrs. Currie
The available information for the main alcohol-related diseases is given in the tables. Information about the numbers of beds occupied in mental illness hospitals and units by patients with alcohol-related diagnoses is not available, but about a quarter of the patients with these diagnoses discharged in 1985 had been in hospital for less than a week and about half for between one week and a month.
811W

Main diagnosis ICD¹ Estimated average number of beds occupied daily

code 1980 1981 1982 1983 1984

Non-dependent abuse of drugs² 305 12 13 16 15 14

Chronic liver disease and cirrhosis² 571 292 280 319 316 287

Toxic effect of alcohol 980 11 9 11 13 9

¹ International Classification of Diseases, 9th revision.

² Some illness in these categories is not associated with the consumption of alcohol.

Admissions to menial illness hospitals and units with a main diagnosis of alcohol misuse National Health Service hospitals in England

Main diagnosis ICD¹ code 1980 1981 1982 1983 1984

Alcohol psychoses 291 675 637 616 671 746

Alcohol dependence syndrome 303 ²14,020 12,032 12,041 12,111 11,453

Non-dependent abuse of alcohol 305.0 ² 520 1,637 1,991 2,440 3,023

¹ International Classification of Diseases, 9th revision.

² A change in statistical coding practice for alcohol related diagnoses was introduced in 1982. Statistics for 1981 are not comparable to those for later years.

Main diagnosis	ICD¹	Estimated average number of beds occupied daily
	code	1980	1981	1982	1983	1984
Non-dependent abuse of drugs²	305	12	13	16	15	14
Chronic liver disease and cirrhosis²	571	292	280	319	316	287
Toxic effect of alcohol	980	11	9	11	13	9
¹ International Classification of Diseases, 9th revision.
² Some illness in these categories is not associated with the consumption of alcohol.

Admissions to menial illness hospitals and units with a main diagnosis of alcohol misuse National Health Service hospitals in England
Main diagnosis	ICD¹ code	1980	1981	1982	1983	1984
Alcohol psychoses	291	675	637	616	671	746
Alcohol dependence syndrome	303	²14,020	12,032	12,041	12,111	11,453
Non-dependent abuse of alcohol	305.0	² 520	1,637	1,991	2,440	3,023
¹ International Classification of Diseases, 9th revision.
² A change in statistical coding practice for alcohol related diagnoses was introduced in 1982. Statistics for 1981 are not comparable to those for later years.