Health chief urges Hartlepool people to show 'self control' when they go back into pubs

Deepak Dwarakanath, Medical Director for North Tees and Hartlepool NHS Foundation Trust, is calling for people to show restraint.

“No one wants to spend an evening in A&E” was the message from a leading clinician as pubs and restaurants get ready to serve the public once more.

Deepak Dwarakanath, Medical Director for North Tees and Hartlepool NHS Foundation Trust, said: “A lot of people are going to be rushing back to the pubs when they reopen on Saturday.

“We know people are looking forward to a drink and meeting up with friends, but we’re appealing to everyone to continue keeping safe – not just by doing what they can to avoid contracting COVID-19 but also by practicing self-control and not over doing it.

“We don’t want to see a return to our A&E staff having to deal with drink related injuries or alcohol poisoning, especially as we are still trying to limit hospital admissions to urgent cases only.

“No one wants to spend an evening in A&E.”

To practise safe drinking levels, people in the area are being issued with the following NHS alcohol advice.

l Men and women are advised not to drink more than 14 units a week on a regular basis.

l Spread your drinking over three or more days if you regularly drink as much as 14 units a week.

l If you want to cut down, try to have several drink-free days each week.

l Fourteen units is equivalent to six pints of average-strength beer or 10 small glasses of low-strength wine.

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