Drunks should be treated in 'booze buses' to ease A&E overcrowding, nurses say

cloud493

Drunks should be treated in booze buses parked in city centres or held in "drunk tanks" to stop overcrowding in NHS casualty units, nurses have said.
The head of the Royal College of Nursing called for pilot schemes to be set up to relieve pressure on Accident & Emergency (A&E) units struggling to cope with high numbers of binge drinkers.
Dr Peter Carter said too many casualty patients were being left in fear because they were surrounded by aggressive and bloodied drunks "careering around the place" after falling into fights.
He spoke after nurses at the RCN's annual conference in Liverpool yesterday said drunks should be kept out of A&E because their intoxication was "no accident."
Nurses said casualty units were under "intense pressure" from increasing numbers of drunk patients, with 2 million visits a year now linked to alcohol.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/health/healthnews/10903719/Drunks-should-be-treated-in-booze-buses-to-ease-AandE-overcrowding.html


I couldnt support that at all. It sounds right in theory, till you think, if you don't allow drunk people treatment, where do you then draw a line? What about people who get injuries or conditions partially or entirely caused by smokers? Druggies. Someone who goes on a night out and gets a bottle smashed in their face, should they be denied treatment? Surely the right thing is to sort out the health care and increase funding and health care capacity*



*I have indeed been in A&E on a Friday and a Saturday night, and no uits not always pleasant to have the joint full of drunk eejits or such and such. But specially in the UK(and here as well) its accident and emergency, not sensible accident and mishaps.

darkpagandeath

Papers ! Please

cloud493

cloud493 wrote: »

I couldnt support that at all. It sounds right in theory, till you think, if you don't allow drunk people treatment, where do you then draw a line? What about people who get injuries or conditions partially or entirely caused by smokers? Druggies. Someone who goes on a night out and gets a bottle smashed in their face, should they be denied treatment?

Have a medical professional on the 'booze bus' to asses the situation. Obviously if they require medical attention send them to A&E. If their just drunk, let them sleep it off.

GreeBo

Drunk Prisons in Poland, bunged in there for the night and charged for the privilege the next day.
Proper order.

View Profile

Yep. Drunks who require AnE should receive a hefty fine the following day. That will learn em!

DrumSteve

In canada, the barman/server who served in is responsible for you until you sober up (in theory). Encourages bar staff not to keep serving someone who is clearly ****faced.

Wonder would something like that over here have any effect at curbing drunk injuries, rather than serving people who are clearly off their face?

SEPT 23 1989

The amateur drinkers who need to attend A&E after an evening out should be named and shamed

EyeSight

In Wales(maybe all the UK?) they give you a "yellow card" if you come to A&E for being drunk or on drugs. they still treat you.
If you come in again for the same reason you get a "Red card" which means you have to make a court appearance.

I think that would improve things slightly. The above solution could work but I don't think drunks should be refused treatment at A&E. If these bus things were in the city center then people would naturally go there first
Would 100% want some booze-drunk tank buses too

Jimmyie

SEPT 23 1989 wrote: »

The amateur drinkers who need to attend A&E after an evening out should be named and shamed

No, that is stupid. We as humans, we all make mistakes, and why have this "name and shame", it creates this real negative slyness in the air.

darkpagandeath

EyeSight wrote: »

In Wales(maybe all the UK?) they give you a "yellow card" if you come to A&E for being drunk or on drugs. they still treat you.
If you come in again for the same reason you get a "Red card" which means you have to make a court appearance.

I think that would improve things slightly. The above solution could work but I don't think drunks should be refused treatment at A&E. If these bus things were in the city center then people would naturally go there first
Would 100% want some booze-drunk tank buses too

And what if both times you were the victim of an assault not due to your consumption of drink ?

EyeSight

darkpagandeath wrote: »

And what if both times you were the victim of an assault not due to your consumption of drink ?

Think about it. Obviously it's for self inflicted alcohol related injuries. The letter of the law would word it better than I did

DrumSteve

DrumSteve wrote: »

In canada, the barman/server who served in is responsible for you until you sober up (in theory). Encourages bar staff not to keep serving someone who is clearly ****faced.

Wonder would something like that over here have any effect at curbing drunk injuries, rather than serving people who are clearly off their face?

Id say the barmen would need A&E if they tried to enforce that

suicide_circus

I dont get this business of ending up in a&e. I'm not proud of it but I have horsed into obscene amounts of sauce on occasion in my time (and more besides). I have subjected my body to what might be termed gross negligence and criminal abuse. I have never ended up in hospital or needed medical attention. Wtf are these people doing?

jimgoose

Snipers be the only job, like.

Arthur Beesley

Will these booze buses have alcohol licences? And will they charge a fare?

wazky

Like every other solution to the problems in this country, more tax will added on.

Doesn't matter what the problem, tax is the solution.

Galwayguy35

cloud493 wrote: »

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/health/healthnews/10903719/Drunks-should-be-treated-in-booze-buses-to-ease-AandE-overcrowding.html


I couldnt support that at all. It sounds right in theory, till you think, if you don't allow drunk people treatment, where do you then draw a line? What about people who get injuries or conditions partially or entirely caused by smokers? Druggies. Someone who goes on a night out and gets a bottle smashed in their face, should they be denied treatment? Surely the right thing is to sort out the health care and increase funding and health care capacity*



*I have indeed been in A&E on a Friday and a Saturday night, and no uits not always pleasant to have the joint full of drunk eejits or such and such. But specially in the UK(and here as well) its accident and emergency, not sensible accident and mishaps.

Having had the misfortune of spending a Saturday night in the A&E of UHG surrounded by drunk assholes I fully support what the nurses are saying.

If someone goes out and gets pissed drunk they should have to wait until last to be seen.

Fr_Dougal

Will they have a smoking area?

Adyx

DrumSteve wrote: »

In canada, the barman/server who served in is responsible for you until you sober up (in theory). Encourages bar staff not to keep serving someone who is clearly ****faced.

Wonder would something like that over here have any effect at curbing drunk injuries, rather than serving people who are clearly off their face?

No it wouldn't. There's already a similar thing here where the person who serves you can be held responsible if they serve you when you are drunk.

Wacker The Attacker

booze buses that serve booze is a better idea

Annasopra

Deja Vu - Enda Kenny and his idea for drunk tanks

corner of hells

Wacker The Attacker wrote: »

booze buses that serve booze is a better idea

Or a bar in A&E , would save sober people feeling left out.

gctest50

corner of hells wrote: »

Or a bar in A&E , would save sober people feeling left out.

Why re-invent the wheel ?

Put a few drip trolleys & monitors in Coppers

corner of hells

gctest50 wrote: »

Why re-invent the wheel ?

Put a few drip trolleys & monitors in Coppers

Maybe have a nurse or two wander about ...oh wait .

gctest50

Yip - it has everything - lucozade for the low sugarz and beer fixes everything* else

bonus : all the nurses and Gardai will be pissed too so everyone will be on the same wavelength


* http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rxfLoVWnjiU

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rxfLoVWnjiU

jimgoose

Joeytheparrot wrote: »

Deja Vu - Enda Kenny and his idea for drunk tanks

I'll give the IndaKinny() that one - tanks are much cooler than buses.