ALCOHOL-related hospital admissions in Bradford are on the rise and are now proportionately the highest in West Yorkshire and the second highest in the region.

In the Bradford metropolitan district, there were 2,810 alcohol-related admissions per 100,000 people during the 2014/15 financial year, according to new figures compiled by the Health and Social Care Information Centre (HSCIC).

In Yorkshire and the Humber, only Hull has higher figures with a rate of 3,140 per 100,000 people in 2014/15.

The statistics published today also show that there has been a 15.2 per cent increase in alcohol-related hospital admissions in the Bradford district since 2012/13 compared to a 13.2 per cent increase across England in the same period.

Councillor Vanda Greenwood, chairman of Bradford Council’s health and social care overview and scrutiny committee, said dealing with the problem was one of priorities for the authority which has responsibility for public health.

“Dealing with alcohol-related hospital admissions is a high priority for the council,” she said.

“We are working with our public health department and the local Clinical Commissioning Group (CCGs) are working together to see how we can offer even more effective services and delivering value for money as part of a review of the system.

“Patients admitted to hospital with an alcohol-related health problem are now being identified earlier on in their admission and referred to the alcohol care team to receive the help and advice they require in order to address their alcohol use.

“The reported higher incidence of alcohol-related hospital admissions may be linked to the improved early identification, assessment and reporting of alcohol problems by the Alcohol Care Teams.

“Currently alcohol services help people understand the health risks associated with both binge drinking and regular, persistent drinking.

“There are specialist alcohol workers in accident and emergency departments supporting A&E staff to identify patients with alcohol-related health problems.”

There were 12,460 alcohol-related hospital admissions in 2014/15 in Bradford, compared to 12,170 in 2013/14 and 11,410 in 2012/13.

The statistics also show that men were almost twice as likely as women to be admitted to hospitals due to alcohol reasons in the Bradford district in 2014/15.

The report, Statistics on Alcohol - England, 2016, used a number of data sources, some previously published, to provide an insight into patterns of use, behaviours and attitudes towards drinking alcohol among adults and children.

In Calderdale, there were 2,040 admissions per 100,000 people in 2014/15; 1,990 in 2013/14 and 1,970 in 2012/13.

In Kirklees, there were 2,080 admissions per 100,000 people in 2014/15; 2,040 in 2013/14 and 1,890 in 2012/13.

Salford had the highest rate of admissions in England at 3,570 per 100,000 people, while Wokingham, Berkshire, had the lowest at 1,270 per 100,000.

In 2014/15, there were 1.1 million admissions to English hospitals for diseases caused or made worse by alcohol.

This compared to 116,310 in Yorkshire and the Humber and 12,460 in Bradford for the same period.

No-one at Bradford Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust or Airedale NHS Foundation Trust was available for comment.