NORTHUMBERLAND had more hospital admissions for liver disease than the England average in the year to March 2022, figures show.

An alcohol awareness charity has said there is an "urgent need" for high-quality treatment for alcohol-related conditions such as liver disease.

Figures from the Office for Health Improvement and Disparities suggest there were 645 hospital admissions for liver disease in Northumberland last year, equivalent to 180 admissions for every 100,000 people.

This was higher than an average of 153 hospitalisations per 100,000 people across England.

Local figures are not comparable to the previous year due to a change in how rates are calculated.

Andrew Misell, a director at the Alcohol Change UK charity, urged for the introduction of minimum-unit pricing on alcohol, alongside restrictions on how alcohol is advertised to prevent hospitalisations.

In Northumberland, there were 226 admissions for liver disease per 100,000 men in the area, compared to 138 for women.

Across both sexes, the North East saw a hospitalisation rate of 190 for liver disease which was the highest rate of any region.

A Department of Health and Social Care spokesperson said: “Identifying disease early in those at-risk and supporting them to stop drinking is key to halt or even reverse damage to the liver."