800 Opioid Overdoses Treated In Guy’s and St Thomas’ Hospitals in 5 Years
800 people were admitted to Guy's, St Thomas' and Evelina Childrens hospitals for opioid overdoses between 2015 and 2019, with admissions peaking in 2018.
Staff at Guy’s and St Thomas’ and Evelina Childrens hospitals treated 800 opioid overdoses between 2019 and 2015, new data reveals.
More than a quarter of patients, 202, admitted to hospital for taking too many opioids were aged between 19 and 29 years old, the top age range, which was followed by those a decade older in close second with 198 cases.
The most admissions were recorded in 2018, when 185 people were brought into hospital for misusing narcotic pain medication. The lowest number were in 2015 with 130 admissions.
The NHS Trust runs an opioid management clinic at St Thomas’ hospital with a dedicated team to help relieve patients’ pain without ending in dependency.
Southwark Borough Council’s drug and alcohol treatment services for adults or young people, Change, Grow Live Southwark offers peer and group support for those struggling with addiction. Tips on how to cut down on opioids can be found on their website.
Any person in Southwark under 25 years old can be referred to the Healthy Young People integrated health and wellbeing service by emailing southwark@brook.org.uk.
Southwark Council has been approached for comment but due to staffing shortages has declined to comment.
This data was discovered after media literacy charity The Student View submitted a freedom of information request to Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust.