Key findings
• People who frequently attend Accident and Emergency (A&E) departments for alcohol-related reasons tend to experience alcohol dependence associated with multiple and complex needs, but also report diverse patterns of drinking and other substance use, and varied health and social problems.
• Although A&E staff are generally sympathetic to the needs of people with complex drinking and related problems, they do not have the resources or training to provide the kind of personalised support that people who frequently attend A&E for alcohol-related reasons often need.
• Assertive outreach – a treatment model that offers intensive, individualised, caseworker support for patients in the community – seems to offer good potential for helping people who frequently attend A&E for alcohol-related reasons.