The Turning Point intervention service was established two years ago to provide specialist advice for patients with drink-related injuries.

A survey revealed that about one in four admissions to A&E is connected to alcohol, and about 40 to 50 per cent of these are falls.

Geoff Anderson, who runs the outreach service with Rophas Ndlovu, said that in the past year alone it has helped more than 500 patients.

"It's gone really well," Mr Anderson told the Echo.

"It's all about getting people to take part in the scheme, convincing them, and getting them the help they need.

"With some people it only takes one session, but with others it can take longer.

"And now there are two of us, we can cover a wider area of the hospital and help patients in other departments."

Mr Anderson said that A&E departments were often the first point of contact patients have with a hospital and can be an excellent location in which to engage patients with alcohol problems.

Staff also look out for what some call A&E "frequent flyers", regular patients who are either worse the wear for drink or recovering from alcohol-related injuries.

"When someone comes to A&E, a member of staff will ask them to fill out a very short questionnaire and from that we can determine whether or not they need help," said Mr Anderson.

"If they do, we try to make contact and provide the support they need."

Despite the old, stereotypical image of the problem drinker, Mr Anderson said that up to 40 per cent of the people he sees are female, often from professional or white-collar backgrounds.

"Many people have an image of a problem drinker as a tramp with the can of super-strength lager, but the truth is about 90 per cent are in stable accommodation," he said.

"We speak to individuals from various backgrounds, from the homeless to the businessman in the million-pound house.

"We meet professionals, artists, people whose lifestyles have maybe caught up with them."

For more information about Turning Point, tel: 0800 234 6798 or visit www.turning-point.co.uk