Investment in services

There are an estimated 1.6m people dependent on alcohol in England. However, only a fraction of health budgets are spent on providing treatment services.

The facts:

• There are an estimated 1.6 million people now dependent on alcohol in England.

• Primary Care Trusts spent an average of £600,000 on commissioning alcohol services (2006/07). This represents a little over 0.1% of a typical PCT's total annual expenditure. 

• Substantial cost savings can be made through evidence-based alcohol interventions. The National Treatment Agency found that for every £1 invested in specialist alcohol treatment, £5 is saved on health, welfare and crime costs. 

• An extra £217 million invested in alcohol services, double the current level, would bring about an annual saving of £1.7 billion a year for the NHS. 

• A full time alcohol worker in an acute trust will produce a net saving of £85,000. 

• Treating an additional 2% of dependent drinkers will generate net savings of between £39,000 and £167,000 depending on the size of the PCT.

• Screening and brief interventions in general practice will save £58,000 for every 1,000 patients screened.