THE North-East is the only region in the country which has halted the rise in alcohol-related hospital admissions, newly released figures reveal.

However the region still has the highest alcohol-related hospital admission rates overall and some of the highest alcohol-related death rates in the country.

A survey by Public Health England (PHE) shows that there has been a five per cent drop in alcohol-related hospital admissions in the region since 2011/12 compared to the rest of England which has had a five per cent increase.

Sunderland has had the highest fall in the region, with a 19 per cent reduction in that same three-year period.

But the figures also show the gap between male and female alcohol-related hospital admissions across the North-East is slowly closing. There has been a seven per cent fall in the number of men seeking help for alcoholic-related illnesses compared to a two per cent reduction for women.

The improving picture for alcohol-related hospital admissions received a cautious welcome from Balance, the North East Alcohol Office.

Colin Shevills, Director of Balance, said: “While it is difficult to pinpoint the exact reason for the fall, the North-East is the only region working so closely together to tackle alcohol harm.

“But we still have the highest alcohol-related hospital admission rates and some of the highest alcohol-related death rates in England so we can’t be complacent. In fact, the rate of improvement shows signs of slowing and it is probably no coincidence that this has happened at a time when alcohol duty rates have been cut.

“Alcohol is linked to more than 200 medical conditions including cancer, yet far too many people remain unaware of the serious damage it can to do, even when consumed at relatively low levels. Only by making people aware of the risks can they then make informed choices about how much they choose to drink – and that means there’s a need for Government health campaigns and mandatory health warning labels on alcohol products.”

Alcohol-related conditions refer to those illnesses and injuries, such as heart disease, strokes and certain cancers, which can be caused by alcohol.

The figures from PHE show that hospital admissions where the primary or secondary reason related to alcohol have increased by 29 per cent since 2008, from 1,654.3 for every 100,000 people to 2,138 across England. However there was some good news as the number of under-40s attending hospital with alcohol-related health issues has decreased and there has also been a 2.5 per cent decrease in admissions caused solely by alcohol in the same period.