Charge for A&E care if a person is intoxicated.

Tuesday 30 December 2014 20.58 GMT 2 Comments. Image source

If a person requiring A&E care is intoxicated to such an extent that their being drunk is a contributary factor in their requiring emergency treatment, then that person should be made to take responsibility for their actions and face the financial consequences for their actions.

Why does this matter?

When budgets are being stretched and the government is looking to save costs an already beleagured NHS is once again in the firing line for cost-cutting. Therefore any idea which could alleviate some of the drain on both NHS resources and budgets should be seriously considered.

This is not about the dismantling of the NHS and its 'care for all' ethos. It is about being pragmatic and having a realistic attitude to the modern world we live in. We know there has to be a finite budget allocated to the NHS. We know then that this means there is a finite number of people who can be cared for within this budget. Therefore any unnecessary drain on that budget should be identified and curtailed.

A&E care is by definition costly and labour intensive, so having the added pressure of dealing with apparently increasing numbers of patients who require treatment either directly or indirectly due to their being intoxicated is a serious cause for concern.

We should therefore make in known that we as a community are longer willing to subsidise people who through their own lack of self control with regards to alcohol, find themselves needing medical treatment. They should be made to take responsibility for their own actions so that the financial burden for their treatment comes not out of the public purse but out of their own pocket. Maybe then they will exhibit more self control next time and maybe then there will be more money available for treating people with more serious conditions.

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