It is a burden the NHS has to bear, and it can have a severe impact on family life.

According to the charity Alcohol Concern, 26 per cent of people in Bradford are drinking at a level which increases the risk of damaging their health.

There are 108,190 alcohol-related hospital admissions and attendances in Bradford with alcohol misuse, costing £88 per adult.

Aside from the costs to the health service, alcohol misuse is also costing lives.

Now Bradford is taking positive steps to tackle the issue, the latest being the launch of a new primary care alcohol support service.

Funded by local NHS clinical commissioning groups, it is the first time a network of primary care alcohol workers are providing help and support to GP practices in Bradford for people concerned about their drinking. The service is currently available at more than 30 practices, and the aim is to extend it to all the city’s surgeries.

Bradford City CCG and Bradford Districts CCG have invested more than £200,000 in the primary care service, for people whose drinking is hazardous or harmful, and an assessment hub, for people who are dependent drinkers.

The funding is part of a new £1.2m package of investment in alcohol services commissioned by the three CCGs in Bradford, Airedale, Wharfedale and Craven. The pilot project, running over two years, will be evaluated to understand the impact the new services have made.

In Bradford and Airedale 92,000 people drink at hazardous levels, with 17,000 of these at harmful levels. This data shows that alcohol misuse continues to cause a range of problems, especially health problems, locally.

Hilary McMullen, lead commissioner for alcohol treatment services in the city, says high alcohol-related hospital admissions remain one of the key priorities they are keen to tackle, along with reducing the number of people who are drinking above the recommended levels.

“We’re not saying people can’t have a drink, but to drink within the recommended levels,” she says.

“It’s about being able to enjoy a drink without getting into trouble with drink. It’s a strong preventative health message – if you catch people early within GP practices you can give them some advice, some brief intervention, and for a lot of people that may be enough to help them think about their drinking and therefore prevent harm further down the line.”

Lifeline Project, which provides drug and alcohol misuse support services across the UK, will work in GP practices across the Bradford district’s CCGs to support people with alcohol-related issues.

GPs will offer patients an appointment to see an alcohol worker if, after asking a number of questions about their drinking habits, they feel a patient would benefit from talking to someone about their drinking and getting some support and advice. Depending on a patient’s needs, up to six sessions with a worker are available.

If a GP thinks there is an immediate need to get more intensive support for a patient, then they can make a fast-track referral to an assessment hub at Lifeline’s Bradford city centre base. Here, patients can receive up to 12 weeks’ support and be offered other treatment options.

In addition to the primary care service and assessment hub, all three CCGs have commissioned a community detox programme from Lifeline Bradford, which will be launched later this year.

Dr Graham Sanderson, the CCGs’ clinical speciality lead for alcohol, says: “Tackling the harm caused by alcohol is a top priority for us, we are committed to working with partner agencies to stop the rise in the number of people suffering health and social problems due to alcohol misuse.

“I’m pleased that the new funding from the CCGs is starting to make a real difference where it’s needed most – at primary care level where people can easily access help and advice and take steps to change their lifestyle. The funding is also providing more intensive support for those people who need immediate help for their alcohol problems.”

Matt Birch, operations manager at Lifeline Bradford, says: “The stigma attached to walking into alcohol support centres can deter some people from coming forward and asking for help, so taking the service into GP practices can help make it easier to get the help they need at an accessible venue.

“There is a real need for this service, and the funding from the CCGs will increase the number of people we are able to help. These two new services, and the GPs’ involvement in identifying drinking problems in the early stages, are vital to tackling the alcohol problems we have in Bradford.”

For information about the new primary care service, people should contact their GP practice or Lifeline Bradford on (01274) 735775. For alcohol treatment, advice and information, call 0845 0508 465 or visit bradfordrecoverysystem.org.uk.