A TASK force has been established by Burnley doctors in a bid to combat a drinking scourge which has seen the borough ranked second-worst in the country for alcohol-related hospital admissions.

More than 2,600 Burnley cases are admitted for hospital treatment every year because of causes related to drinking.

And more than 260 people are claiming incapacity benefits across Burnley because of alcohol-related conditions.

This has led to the formation of Burnley Alcohol Action Group (BAAG) as GPs, practice nurses, alcohol dependency experts and paramedics seek to reverse the trend.

Dr David White, chairman of the Burnley Locality Commissioning Group, said: “Alcohol is a major public health concern in Burnley and is felt by many health professionals to be at the heart of the health economy problems.

“This programme is an opportunity to promote responsible drinking and tackle the hidden health and social costs to individuals, families and our communities when alcohol is misused.”

Their launch featured a ‘speed dating’ event for 30 organisations, where health professionals, alongside police officers and firefighters, could swap experiences regarding alcohol abuse and the pressures placed on the NHS and beyond.

The last available figures from 2009 show there were 34 deaths related to alcohol misuse and among under-18s there have been 74 hospital admissions for serious alcohol-related complaints.

Sue Carr, practice manager for Parkside Surgery in Burnley, said: “The statistics reflect badly on the population of Burnley, and although there are many organisations doing excellent work in relation to alcohol misuse, we have to change the way we have approached this problem.”

An alcohol misuse awareness campaign is one of the initials goals of BAAG.