As fans are gearing up for England’s first World Cup match this weekend, the NHS in London is urging people to ensure they don’t end up in the capital’s busy A&Es because they have had too much to drink.

Alcohol is a factor in up to 40% of A&E cases at the weekend^[1] and, with the England team’s first match being on Saturday against Italy^[2], the NHS wants to make sure people’s desire to get into the carnival spirit does not lead to them ending up in hospital.

Alcohol-related injuries use up vital resources and put the health service, in particular accident and emergency departments, under even greater strain. It is estimated that hospital admissions due to alcohol cost the NHS in London around £264 million a year – £34 for every resident. ^[3]

The London Ambulance Service has drafted in extra paramedics and ambulances for a several key games, including the World Cup Final on 13^th July. The 2006 and 2010 World Cup finals saw large numbers of winning supporters arrive in Piccadilly Circus and Trafalgar Square within an hour of the final whistle. On average, the 999 call rate was up by 40 per cent when England played their opening match in 2010.

Dr Andy Mitchell, Medical Director for NHS England in London, said: “We know people across London will want to get together with friends to watch their team play, and we don’t want to stop them from enjoying this amazing sporting event.

“However, we also don’t want anyone to spoil their World Cup by ending up in hospital. The NHS in London already spends millions of pounds each year on alcohol related admissions and our A&Es are always under pressure, especially because of excessive drinking.

“We hope Londoners will drink responsibly as they celebrate or commiserate over England’s results so they can enjoy the World Cup while ensuring the NHS isn’t put under unnecessary pressure.”

Deputy Director of Operations at London Ambulance Service, Paul Gates said: “We know that big football tournaments make things busy for us, and our control room is expecting a high number of calls given the matches are in the evening.

“We hope that everyone will have a memorable summer of football but you won’t end up in an ambulance because of too much alcohol. There are some easy steps you can take to have a great night, for example pace your drinking, have a meal before going out and have tactical soft drinks. If it’s hot, stay out of the sun during the midday heat and avoid drinking alcohol.”

The recommended alcohol limit for men is 3-4 units, the equivalent of 1-2 pints of lager, beer or cider. The limit for women is 2-3 units, which is roughly 1-2 glasses of wine, depending on the measure.

For more information on the alcohol units in different drinks go to NHS Choices.