With hundreds of Islanders who have finished work for the year expected to descend on the town’s pubs and clubs, the Ambulance Service and the Emergency Department at the Hospital are also preparing to treat those in need of medical attention after drinking too much.
To cope with the added pressures, the States police confirmed that an extra six officers would be working shifts on Friday and Saturday night.
Professor John McInerney, clinical director for the Ambulance Service and the Emergency Department, said that drunks were an ‘issue’ for the police and medical staff and added that because drunkenness was not ‘going to go away’ the Hospital was taking measures to introduce a short-stay department for those under the influence of alcohol next year.
‘Ambulance staff have to respond to incidents where people have injuries because they need to be assessed to make sure they don’t have brain damage or underlying conditions,’ he said. ‘Treating drunk people is just something that comes with the job but it’s not something that is nice to do. I don’t think this problem is going to go away – it’s part of our Western culture.’
He added that the introduction of an acute ward in the new hospital – a short-stay department where patients can be assessed and observed without taking up emergency beds – should help remove drunk patients from the emergency ward. There are currently eight beds for patients in the Emergency Department and three in recess.
Professor McInerney said: ‘There is lots of education out there about drinking too much and the effects it can have, but still it is an issue for the police and ambulance staff.
‘We are hoping the new hospital will have a single entry door where patients will be able to come into accident and emergency and go from there onto the acute floor. That will mean we will be able to deal with those patients quickly, some of whom might be drunk, to stop them disturbing elderly patients.
‘We are hoping to have something like that in place in the current hospital by the end of next year.’
Acting chief inspector for the States police Mark Hafey said that the police worked alongside ambulance crews and charities such as the Street Pastors to help keep people safe.
‘We need to make sure we can respond as efficiently and quickly as possible to any incidents,’ he said. ‘Our extra presence in town gives people reassurance that they are safe. As much as we are there to deal with incidents, we are also there for prevention.
‘We always plan for busy weekends in December when we look at the year ahead. Planning is key for us because we have less officers now than we did some years ago.
‘We want to make sure everyone has a good time but we need to make sure they are safe.’
He added that Islanders could help keep themselves safe when walking home by walking in well-lit areas, carrying a torch, walking home with someone and making sure their mobile phone was usable.
