The ISG reiterated its support for the introduction of a minimum unit price on alcohol and in particular called for more support for alcohol services in Ireland, during its Winter Meeting in Killarney.

While there was no dedicated session on alcohol during the meeting, as there was a special session at the Spring Meeting, there were a number of studies presented which highlighted the huge demand for alcohol treatment services and the lack of access to community services for those within the hospital sector.

A survey of doctors who treat patients with alcohol dependence from the liver centre in the Mater Hospital, Dublin, showed four out of five doctors cannot access out-patient detox services for patients and only one in twenty are able to refer patients directly to psychological services.

The study highlighted an overreliance on voluntary organisations, such as Alcoholics Anonymous, in order to provide some form of support to patients.

Dr Audrey Dillon, Research Registrar at the Mater Hospital’s Liver Unit and one of the authors of the study, said the difficulty in accessing psychological support in particular contravenes recommendations from the Royal College of Physicians of Ireland (RCPI) and other international groups.