1500 call-outs for drink issues
Paramedics have responded to almost 1500 alcoholrelated calls in North Lanarkshire over the last year.
The figure has jumped from 1026 in 2016-2017 to 1459 – an increase of 42 per cent.
Scottish ambulances are responding to an average of more than 50 drink-related calls a day.
The ambulance service logged 19,147 calls in 20172018 where alcohol was listed as a factor, according to exclusive figures revealed following a Freedom of Information request.
It’s the first time there has been a jump in alcoholrelated callouts in North Lanarkshire in the past five years.
The numbers had been gradually declining year on year. A total of 2189 recorded in 2013/14, dropped to 2044 the following year.
That figure then decreased further to 1805 in 2015-2016.
John Marr, the GMB union Scotland branch secretary, said: “This has been a concern for GMB for sometime. We are contacted by our members, within the Scottish Ambulance Service and throughout the NHS, and an ever increasing number reference their concerns with the assaults on them by drink related calls.
“Our members tell us that the vast majority of the calls they receive now are drink related.
“One of the reasons behind this is that there are no other resources to deal with them and also no one wants to step up and take responsibility for drunk members of the public. This goes for the police, bar staff and general members of the public.
“We have been contacted from members throughout Scotland with all having the same concerns.
“Better education needs to be given and make it clear that when a crew are dealing with this, there might be no other ambulance crews free to deal with emergency life critical calls.”