A Regional MSP has warned about the pressure being placed on the ambulance service by alcohol abuse.
Highlands and Islands Regional MSP Tim Eagle spoke out after receiving figures from the Scottish Ambulance Service which showed that there were 11,381 incidents between 2021 and November 2024 where alcohol was recorded as an additional factor. The figures cover the NHS regions of Grampian, Highland, Orkney, Shetland and the Western Isles.
Tim Eagle MSP said:
“These figures are very worrying as they show that our ambulance teams are routinely having to deal with very challenging situations made worse by the effects of alcohol.
“Just as concerning is that the figures don’t appear to be significantly improving year-on-year despite measures such as minimum alcohol pricing.
“We owe it to the emergency services, who are there to save lives and keep us safe, to ensure that they are not put under unnecessary pressure by alcohol abuse. And that means we have to look very seriously at preventative measures to address binge drinking and people suffering from alcoholism. I am particularly concerned about violence fuelled by drunkenness. There are root problems here and policy-makers need to get to the bottom of them.
“We all know that there is an alcohol problem in Scotland but it shouldn’t be our ambulance crews bearing the brunt of it.”
Mr Eagle confirmed that he would be tabling questions to ministers about the Scottish Government’s approach to the issue.
