This section presents information on the number of hospital admissions for diseases, injuries and conditions that can be attributed to alcohol consumption.

Estimates of the number of alcohol-related hospital admissions have been calculated by applying alcohol-attributable fractions (AAFs)¹ to Hospital Episode Statistics data.

Two measures for alcohol-related hospital admissions have been used:

• Narrow measure – where the main reason for admission to hospital was attributable to alcohol².
• Broad measure – where the primary reason for hospital admission or a secondary diagnosis was linked to alcohol.

The narrow measure estimates the number of hospital admissions which are primarily due to alcohol consumption and provides the best indication of trends in alcohol-related hospital admissions.

The broad measure gives an indication of the full impact of alcohol on hospital admissions and the burden placed on the NHS.

In 2017/18 there were 338 thousand estimated admissions where the main reason for admission to hospital was attributable to alcohol (narrow measure).

This is similar to 2016/17 and 15% higher than 2007/08.

This represents 2.1% of all hospital admissions which has changed little in the last 10 years and was 2.3% in 2007/08.

Total number of admissions by age

The number of admissions rises with age up until 55-64 and then falls.

69% of patients were aged over 45.

Total number of admissions by sex

More men than women were admitted.

In total, 61% of the patients were male.

Admissions per 100,000 population

Blackpool had the highest rate at 1,100 per 100,000 population.

Wokingham had the lowest rate at 390.

Admissions by diagnosis

Almost a quarter of admissions were for cancer.

23% were for unintentional injuries.

There were 1.2 million estimated admissions where the primary reason for hospital admission or a secondary diagnosis was linked to alcohol, which is 3% higher than 2016/17 (broad measure)³.

This represents 7.2% of all hospital admissions.

Total number of admissions by age

83% of patients were aged over 45.

Total number of admissions by sex

Just under two-thirds of patients were male.

Admissions per 100,000 population

Salford had the highest rate at 3,430 per 100,000 population.

Wokingham had the lowest rate at 1,410.

Admissions by diagnosis

52% of admissions were for CVD.

17% were for mental and behavioural disorders due to alcohol.

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^{1. An AAF is the proportion of a condition assessed to have been caused by alcohol.  See appendix B for more details.}

^{2. An alcohol-related disease, injury or condition was the primary reason for a hospital admission or an alcohol-related external cause was recorded in a secondary diagnosis field.}

^{3. Changes over a longer time period will partly reflect improvements in recording of secondary diagnoses.}