Night shifts

After days off it's back in to three weekend nights this week. Nights bring a different type of incident to day shifts. Yes you have the normal medical and social type jobs but added to these are alcohol related incidents.

Alcohol fuelled incidents whether it be assaults or misjudgment of your ability to jump , run or fly all add to the workload of all the emergency services. As many services struggle to cope with normal demand should pubs and clubs have to pay towards providing extra resources for their customers? This is a contentious subject and much debate has and continues to take place around the problems alcohol causes. It must be remembered that any costs incurred by the licensing trade will be passed on to the consumer. Will this lead to a reduction in incidents? I don't think so I think it will lead to more people drinking at home which will lead to incidents being spread over a far wider area.

This idea of drinking at home can already be seen with many people having 'pre drinks' before they go out and also on recent New Years Eves with many people having parties at home rather than attending formal events.

Is there a easy answer, probably not. Many popular night time locations have joint iniatives  to provide 'booze bus', 'safe bus' or similar to reduce Emergency Department admissions and to give revellers a safe environment in which to recover from their excesses.

By far one of the largest and most modern units of it type is the Bristol based alcohol recovery unit funded by the licensing trade and supported by the emergency services and local authority. As well as providing medical and legal support to revellers, street pastors are also available to talk to. This multi agency approach provides support on many levels and is proving very successful.

It is hoped that more of these types of units can be funded and set up in other areas. 

Any projects such as this which reduces demand on the emergency services has to be good idea, but I also feel revellers need to take responsibility for themselves and their friends and know their limits. Is this something that needs more public education? Most people know the 'FAST' adverts but how many remember the 'Know your limits' campaign?

I also attended a Poole Harbour Islands Safety Group meeting on Friday and more about that in my next blog.