The All Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) on Alcohol Harm has today launched an Inquiry into the ‘Impact of alcohol on the Emergency Services’.
The Inquiry will examine the way in which alcohol-related incidents and injuries place a strain on emergency services in the United Kingdom and how this impacts UK emergency workers and their ability to carry out their jobs.
Alcohol-related harm costs the NHS £3 billion per year and places a huge amount of pressure on British emergency services, particularly at the weekends. The APPG Chair, Fiona Bruce MP and officers welcome the opportunity to hear from emergency workers, professionals and stakeholders to learn about key front-line issues and how they relate to alcohol.
Fiona Bruce, Chair of Alcohol Harm APPG, said:
The costs of alcohol harm to the UK are huge, not only in terms on lives lost but also through the significant impact on society. The strain that is placed on our emergency services is enormous and I encourage the public, emergency workers and interested bodies to submit evidence.
A central objective of the inquiry will be to build a clear picture of the time and resources that alcohol related harm has across the Emergency Services. The Inquiry will also be holding oral evidence sessions in Parliament in October, where we have invited representatives from the Emergency Services to speak.
Following the collation written and oral evidence, a report will be published that highlights the findings from the Inquiry.
The deadline for written evidence is on Monday 26th October at 5pm and submissions should be sent to appg@alcoholconcern.org.uk.
