HOSPITALS are under serious pressure with many declaring “major incidents” as they battle to cope with a surge in patients.

With Southend and Basildon hospitals on black alert – too many patients and not enough beds – and the NHS urging people to avoid A&E if they can, cutting down on alcohol could be one way we could relieve some of that pressure.

In Southend, more than 30,000 visits to the hospital a year are caused by alcohol, costing nearly £10million.

As under-pressure hospitals struggle to cope with demand at the moment, Southend Council is encouraging residents to give up alcohol for a month to improve their wellbeing – and potentially ease the pressure on the health service.

Southend councillors are throwing their weight behind Dry January, a campaign run by the charity Alcohol Concern, in which people are invited to stay off the sauce after a boozy Christmas and NewYear until the end of January.

Citing the increased cost to the NHS and policing as a result of alcohol-fuelled incidents and illnesses, the council’s ruling cabinet is encouraging more people to think about howmuch they drink by taking up the sponsored challenge.

Ian Gilbert, Labour deputy leader of Southend Council, said: “We have seen a marked drop in smoking over the years, because people understand just how dangerous it is.

“However, over-indulging in alcohol remains a popular pastime, despite alcohol posing a serious risk to health and safety and putting pressure on the NHS by costing the hospital a lot of money.

“We also want to make the night-time economy as safe as possible in Southend and alcohol is also related to a lot of antisocialbehaviour, which harms people’s lives and costs a lot of time and money Essex Police could be using elsewhere.”

Figures released by the council show there were 32,225 alcoholfuelled visits to Southend Hospital in 2012/13, costing the NHS almost £10million a year, locally.

Councillors were also eager to point out to people liver disease has accounted for 46,244 deaths nationally since 2005, which makes for a 12 per cent rise in the last decade.

They also warned there were few early symptoms for liver damage but that, once it had taken hold, there was a 25-50 per cent chance of immediate death.

Alcohol is also responsible for 2.6 million accidents needing A&E treatment and about 4,000 deaths per year as a result of accidents in the home.

Lee Watson, from the council’s public health team, said the council didn’t wish to be killjoys, but wanted people to think about how much they drink and hopefully reduce the amount they do in the future.

He said: “We are not saying people need to quit alcohol for good, but, if you can manage to get through Januarywithout a drink, hopefully you’ll notice howmuch better you feel and might think about modifying how much you drink in the future.

“If people drink less, they often lose weight as alcoholic drinks are high in calories, and begin to get more active – usually because they’re less tired and have more energy.

“All of this greatly reduces the risk of developing liver disease, certain cancers and heart disease.”

For more information, and for details on free events being held by the council, visit southend.

gov.uk/dryjanuary