THE DRINKERS’ FIRST AID PLAN.
This plan is intended to relieve the pressure on A & E Departments over the weekends and to save resources within the NHS.
In 2007, there were over 58,000 admissions to hospitals in relation to drink related incidents - due to effects of the quantity consumed or violence related injuries and the cost is £5bn.
A few years ago, my wife had an accident breaking her nose and we took her to the Elizabeth the Queen Mother Hospital at Margate. It was a Saturday night, A & E was almost overwhelmed by drunks in various stages of inebriation, many covered in blood and very aggressive. Understandably, the drunks were given priority as they or the people with them were loud rather than their injuries serious, most needed just stitches and somewhere to sit or lie down while they sobered up.
The level of stress that the NHS staff worked under had to be felt to be believed and the cost to the NHS must be enormous. This was before all night drinking. Things started to quieten down at about 1.30pm, but the staff said “Wait until 2 o’clock when the clubs chuck out!”
My plan involves the setting up of Drinkers’ First Aid Centres. This would ensure that those who profit from drink and those getting drunk pay and are not a threat to hospital staff.
Ambulance staff or police or even members of the public take drunk and drunk/injured people to a centre on Friday, Saturday and Sunday nights.
The centre is staffed by, say, a senior first aider who can do up to and including inserting stitches assisted by ,say, two others less qualified there is also a bouncer/security person - all are well paid, the police would pop in from time to time.
The centre may be a room or hall provided by a pub, club or supermarket, which has chairs, temporary beds and medical suppliers for first aid up to stitching.
Broken bones and more serious injuries are dealt with by the A & E departments as now. However most of the people when we were there were in for dressings, stitching and sobering up.
The name of the centres would be the company supplying the premises. that supplying the equipment and the insurance company providing their service, say,
The Tesco, Boots, Reliant Drinkers’ First Aid Centre but if a company provided two services they would get an extra word in the title.
Funding.
Anyone holding a licence to sell booze would pay an amount of say £20 per week.
Everyone taken to the centre would have to pay £50 plus £25 for each hour they were there.
So a town with 20 licences would raise £400 per week.
20 drunks a night staying an average of 2 hours would provide £2000 per night.
The senior first aider could be paid £50 per hour from 10pm to 6am earning £400, then two assistants and the security person could be paid £30 per hour picking up £240 each per night a total of £1120 per night or £3360 for the 3 nights.
Income would be £6400 per week based on the above figures there being ample funds for room hire, equipment, dressings etc and cleaning up after.
There would be space in the local press to report any aggressive misbehaviour naming those people responsible , anyone behaving reasonably would remain anonymous. Every time the centre was named those who provided facilities would receive favourable publicity for which they would provide their services at a discount.
Obtaining Payment.
Anyone entering a club or pub would have to show a credit card.
On arrival at the Centre if capable they would have to have an impression of their card taken but if not they would be kept there until they or someone else was able to pay. There is usually someone with them who is not as drunk so the sooner they pay the sooner they leave.
Each scheme could be registered with a fee of £25 with £20 going to a drink charity such as Alcoholics Anonymous.
Ron and Hazel Projects January 2010
As for smokers, I would suggest that anyone treated for a smoking related disease who does not quit should have to pay for subsequent treatment.
If your Government , Local Authority or Company wishes to do this - do so.
You can send me US$15 or £10GB and I can keep a register of schemes.
