Abstract
The results of the 2015 National Emergency Department survey of alcohol identification and brief advice activity indicate that, in comparison to the previous 2011 survey (Patton and O'Hara, 2013), the number of Emergency Departments informing patients’ GPs about alcohol-related attendance, routinely asking questions about alcohol use (in adults) and having access to Alcohol Health Worker or Clinical Nurse Specialist services have all significantly increased. The provision of training on alcohol screening and brief advice, and the use of a formal alcohol screening tool have also demonstrated modest increases. Nearly half of all departments are now implementing strategies to tackle reattenders. Improved communication with GPs highlights a move towards multidisciplinary care and integration across primary and secondary care services. While routine questioning about alcohol use is fairly high among adults (aged 18-65 years), the limited routine questioning among under 18’s marks room for improvement, particularly since those aged 15-24 years provide the greatest volume of A&E attendances (Currie et al., 2015).