All Aboard the ‘Booze Bus’

Every week in the UK it seems there is a new headline about the country’s excessive binge-drinking habits.

The issue has become so much that in London a special bus run by the London Ambulance Service, operates every weekend to deal with alcohol related incidents.

And the problem is particularly bad among young men and women.

Last year, the Ambulance service was called out 60,000 times to deal with alcohol-related incidents in the Borough.

The latest statistics claims 35 per cent of cases on the weekend cost the NHS between £165 and £200, per ambulance called out.

Kevin Brown, Ambulance Operations Manager said: “people with minor injuries or illnesses rooted by too much alcohol do not always need to go to hospital.

“The booze bus helps us to assess and treat patients without necessarily having to clog up the local A&E department.”

He added: “this dedicated service will free up other ambulances in the borough so they are available for patients who really need our help.”

Paramedic David Pierce, at the Royal Free Hospital said: “we are able to deal with half of the patients we pick up there and then, and we can release them once they have sobered up.

“While patients intoxicated with alcohol poisoning will be rushed to hospital.”

The ‘Booze Bus’ – or Vomit Comet, as it has also been dubbed – was set up by five years ago and trialed during the Christmas and New Year period. It was hailed an instant success and was made permanent for the weekend.

Yet the ‘Booze Bus’ has not reduced the number of paramedic calls related to alcohol incidents. Instead it allows paramedics the authority to decide whether a person needs A&E assistance.

“Nearly £3bn is spent on treating alcohol- related cases each year” said the brains behind the idea, Paramedic Brian Hayes.

“It’s a sad reflection that we have to run vehicles and other services just to deal with alcohol-related calls and they are making it more difficult for us to reach people who really need our help.”

He also added: “The way people excessively drink at the moment, I don’t think we even scratch the surface.”