Drunken dunces bug our ED staff

A SPIKE in the numbers of drunks pouring into hospitals as COVID-19 restrictions lift has Emergency Departments resembling rowdy pubs.

Hospital doctors say at least 20 per cent of people treated in Sydney emergency departments are there because of alcohol abuse and have sounded a warning to punters not to binge drink during COVID-19 and to celebrate eased lockdowns sensibly.

Senior doctors at Vincent’s Hospitals are anecdotally reporting a rise in patients over-drinking and presenting with alcohol-related injuries as well as suicidal thoughts and depression after being cooped up since mid-March when lockdowns were introduced.

St Vincent’s ED admissions averaged 160 a day in June — predominantly patients presenting intoxicated — compared with 100 in May, 110 in April and March and 200 before COVID-19.

St Vincent’s bosses say the imminent opening of a specialist ED complex entitled Panda to deal with problematic alcohol, drug and mentally ill patients is timely as alcoholrelated presentations start to return to pre-COVID levels.

Specially skilled staff and a security teams are undergoing training at the new centre to tackle verbally abusive and aggressive drunks.

“We are seeing alcohol presentations almost return to New Year’s Eve levels, it’s picking up in the evenings and there has been a rise in minor assaults,” director of St Vincent’s emergency department Dr Paul Preisz said.

“The emergency department is crowded with intoxicated people. On an evening shift it can sometimes sound as rowdy as a pub.

“Alcohol-related activity is a problem for staff, there’s a lot of verbal intimidation — at least 20 per cent of our ED presentations are patients suffering a combined complex mix of alcohol, drug and mental health issues and that figure is rising daily.”

Fresh figures from Bureau of Crime Statistics and Research show that post lockdown, violence-related assaults in NSW are averaging 350-400 a week in June after plummeting 39 per cent between March and May, with 28 per cent of that June figure fuelled by alcohol.

There were 612 assaults pre COVID-19 in the week ending March 15, compared with 337 recorded in the week ending April 26.