A brand new report reveals that British ladies prime the listing of ladies who drink alcohol on this planet.
The Group for Financial Co-operation and Growth (OECD) in contrast alcohol consumption in 33 nations.
The UK ranked prime within the world charts for heavy ingesting amongst ladies – outlined as having no less than six drinks in a single sitting – with 26% doing so no less than as soon as a month. Nonetheless, British males had been 45% greater.
When genders had been mixed, the UK ranked third total with Luxembourg in charges of binge ingesting, behind solely Romania and Denmark.
Dr Richard Piper, chief govt of Alcohol Change UK, stated: “Alcohol causes a variety of hurt right here within the UK. However it’s fully avoidable.
“There may be an pressing want for the Authorities to take measures that we all know will cut back alcohol hurt and save lives comparable to applicable controls on the advertising of alcohol, the introduction of minimal unit pricing in England as is already the case in Scotland and Wales, and clearer labeling of alcohol.”
The OECD report additionally discovered that UK adults had been extra prone to say they used e-cigarettes than different nations, however their smoking charges had been decrease than common. Solely 12.7% of UK people who smoke are present, in comparison with the OECD common of 16%. Nonetheless, almost one in 20 adults (4.9%) stated they smoke e-cigarettes repeatedly, in comparison with a mean of three.2%.
The report additionally discovered that the UK spends extra on healthcare than comparable nations however has fewer hospital beds and diagnostic instruments and pays nurses much less.
The UK spends an above-average proportion of its GDP on “well being system sources” – spending round 11.3% of its GDP on well being in 2022.
In keeping with the OECD report, solely 5 nations – the US, Germany, France, Japan and Austria – spend extra.
Nonetheless, regardless of being one of many greatest spenders, the UK doesn’t rank favorably on a variety of healthcare measures, the report famous.
Throughout all nations studied by the OECD, there have been on common 4.3 hospital beds per 1,000 individuals of inhabitants in 2021.
However within the UK the speed was 2.4 beds per 1,000 individuals, and Mexico, Costa Rica, Colombia, Chile and Sweden had fewer beds.
It additionally has fewer MRI, CT and PET machines than most different nations examined within the OECD’s Well being at a Look report.
The report additionally concluded that on common throughout all OECD nations, hospital nurses’ wages in 2021 had been 20% greater than the common wage of all employees.
However in the UK, Switzerland, Finland and Latvia, nurses are paid lower than the common employee, the OECD says.
Professor Nicola Ringer, chief nurse on the Royal School of Nursing, stated: “Politicians ought to see this as an indictment. The day the federal government makes solely a passing reference to the NHS within the King’s Speech, the UK will emerge.
“The NHS is spending cash however not in the precise locations, comparable to billions on businesses somewhat than valuing everlasting employees.”
A Division of Well being and Social Care spokesperson stated: “This report makes use of information from 2021 and since then we’ve got made vital progress to strengthen mattress numbers and diagnostic capability.
“The NHS has achieved its goal of 10,000 house hospital beds earlier than the winter and can be making a further 5,000 everlasting hospital beds accessible.
“We may even obtain our goal of opening 160 group diagnostic facilities one yr early, on account of the most important central money funding in MRI and CT capability in NHS historical past.
“Multiple million staff together with nurses have obtained a 5% pay rise for 2023-24 together with two one-off funds, and that is along with a 5.5% pay rise for newly certified nurses in 2022-2023.”
