Stuck with the booze billDoc says parents have to take more responsibility
EVERY weekend Richard McCallum deals with the aftermath of someone else's night out.
From teeny tipplers brought to hospital in an unconscious heap to young men with injuries sustained in a drunken brawl, he has treated them all.
Doctor McCallum is a consultant within the accident and emergency department at Stirling Royal Infirmary, working on the front line of the NHS.
Every weekend Dr McCallum and his colleagues deal with the after-effects of Scotland's hard-drinking culture. And every weekend they fulfil a duty of care that often goes beyond reasonable expectations.
Verbal and physical abuse is now an all too common reality for hospital staff, and alcohol often plays a significant part.
Having worked as an A&E consultant for over a decade, Dr McCallum is now well-used to dealing with the deluge of patients who clog up his department on a Friday and Saturday night.
He said: "Every weekend there is a constant stream of kids who are under the influence and we tend to get a lot of attitude and hassle from them.
"But most of the aggro comes from the ones who have been fighting, and that gets to the staff because they shouldn't have to put up with that sort of abuse at work. Alcohol is definitely a catalyst for violent behaviour in some people."
While calls have been made for security to be beefed up in hospitals to discourage such behaviour, Dr McCallum believes the answer lies elsewhere.
He said: "It would be good to see alcohol-related violence become as unacceptable as drink-driving, but there needs to be a zero tolerance approach. I heard of a man who assaulted a nurse in Glasgow who only got 20 hours community service, and that sends out the wrong message."
He continued: "I shouldn't have to deal with people who try to use the fact that they were drinking as an excuse for their violent behaviour, because they are responsible for drinking, and responsible for the consequences.
"I'm not trying to come across as dictatorial, because I like a drink myself. I had several drinks after Scotland played Italy in the rugby, but then I didn't get into a fight, get injured, or get arrested. The point is that people have to be made to take responsibility for their actions, drink or no drink."
Alcohol-related violence aside, another worry for Dr McCallum is the tender age of some of the patients he has to care for.
He said: "We are increasingly dealing with patients in their early teens, and it's a real concern. On one occasion I got a young girl of about 12 or 13 who was brought in drunk and unconscious, but we had no idea what had happened to her.
"We had to assume she had been either sexually or physically assaulted, and run all the appropriate checks. We are a tough bunch in A&E, but I have to admit that that scared the living daylights out of me. This wee girl could have been through anything."
While he knows there is no quick fix available to solve these problems, Dr McCallum believes that again, responsibility is the key.
"There is a responsibility that comes with selling alcohol, and shopkeepers can't completely absolve themselves from the blame. It angers me when I hear about shopkeepers who have knowingly sold to under-age drinkers, but get to keep their licence.
"At the same time, there are parents out there who need to take more responsibility for their children."
Despite these concerns, Dr McCallum's duty of care as a consultant remains his primary focus, even if it means cleaning up the mess left by someone else's drunken night out.
"Whoever comes in will be looked after, but we ask that people put themselves in our shoes and appreciate the fact that we are here to help, not to get abuse."
r.turbyne@falkirkherald.co.uk
From teeny tipplers brought to hospital in an unconscious heap to young men with injuries sustained in a drunken brawl, he has treated them all.
Doctor McCallum is a consultant within the accident and emergency department at Stirling Royal Infirmary, working on the front line of the NHS.
Every weekend Dr McCallum and his colleagues deal with the after-effects of Scotland's hard-drinking culture. And every weekend they fulfil a duty of care that often goes beyond reasonable expectations.
Verbal and physical abuse is now an all too common reality for hospital staff, and alcohol often plays a significant part.
Having worked as an A&E consultant for over a decade, Dr McCallum is now well-used to dealing with the deluge of patients who clog up his department on a Friday and Saturday night.
He said: "Every weekend there is a constant stream of kids who are under the influence and we tend to get a lot of attitude and hassle from them.
"But most of the aggro comes from the ones who have been fighting, and that gets to the staff because they shouldn't have to put up with that sort of abuse at work. Alcohol is definitely a catalyst for violent behaviour in some people."
While calls have been made for security to be beefed up in hospitals to discourage such behaviour, Dr McCallum believes the answer lies elsewhere.
He said: "It would be good to see alcohol-related violence become as unacceptable as drink-driving, but there needs to be a zero tolerance approach. I heard of a man who assaulted a nurse in Glasgow who only got 20 hours community service, and that sends out the wrong message."
He continued: "I shouldn't have to deal with people who try to use the fact that they were drinking as an excuse for their violent behaviour, because they are responsible for drinking, and responsible for the consequences.
"I'm not trying to come across as dictatorial, because I like a drink myself. I had several drinks after Scotland played Italy in the rugby, but then I didn't get into a fight, get injured, or get arrested. The point is that people have to be made to take responsibility for their actions, drink or no drink."
Alcohol-related violence aside, another worry for Dr McCallum is the tender age of some of the patients he has to care for.
He said: "We are increasingly dealing with patients in their early teens, and it's a real concern. On one occasion I got a young girl of about 12 or 13 who was brought in drunk and unconscious, but we had no idea what had happened to her.
"We had to assume she had been either sexually or physically assaulted, and run all the appropriate checks. We are a tough bunch in A&E, but I have to admit that that scared the living daylights out of me. This wee girl could have been through anything."
While he knows there is no quick fix available to solve these problems, Dr McCallum believes that again, responsibility is the key.
"There is a responsibility that comes with selling alcohol, and shopkeepers can't completely absolve themselves from the blame. It angers me when I hear about shopkeepers who have knowingly sold to under-age drinkers, but get to keep their licence.
"At the same time, there are parents out there who need to take more responsibility for their children."
Despite these concerns, Dr McCallum's duty of care as a consultant remains his primary focus, even if it means cleaning up the mess left by someone else's drunken night out.
"Whoever comes in will be looked after, but we ask that people put themselves in our shoes and appreciate the fact that we are here to help, not to get abuse."
r.turbyne@falkirkherald.co.uk
08 March 2007
