While Emergency Department still has plenty to do the lockout laws are making their mark

STILL plenty of drinking but the Emergency Department and Intensive Care are not having to deal with the seriously critically injured due to alcohol.

Photographer: Simon Bullard. Prof Gordian Fulde, NSW finalist in Australian of the Year awards. St Vincent Hospital emergency dr Prof Gordian Fulde has been named a NSW finalist in the Australian of the Year awards. He's also just written a paper outlining the reduction of serious injuries since Kings X lockout was implemented.

STILL plenty of drinking but the Emergency Department and Intensive Care are not having to deal with the seriously critically injured due to alcohol.

We are not seeing the senseless violence on the footpaths. There is and probably always will be fights and drunken behaviour.

There has been no noticeable increase in severe alcohol related injuries, trauma in neighbouring areas or to the other Emergency Departments.

At midnight Saturday morning, a typical case was brought in. A 53-year-old male, quite intoxicated who had missed a stair and fell heavily onto his face suffering facial fractures and lacerations.

At 1am the ambulance brings in a 19-year-old male who had been punched in the face by a stranger. The teenager had a black eye and a bleeding eyebrow.

At 1.30am, a 21-year-old is brought in also after being punched in the face in a fight among drinkers. He suffered a broken nose.

Among all the other patients needing emergency care, at 2am a 27-year-old was brought in by ambulance. After drinking alcohol and taking ecstasy she lost her balance, fell and hit her head on a sharp edge.

They came or were brought in all through the early morning, usually males after alcohol, a fight and getting injured. No major head injury.

Through the day, we saw some alcohol related problems and then Saturday night, it starts again.

From accidents with glasses, falling and cutting feet to a young lass who had not gone out for some time but tonight got herself very drunk.

After midnight Saturday, still more alcohol related presentations from a 24-year-old at 1.45am, after drinking a lot, tried to walk home but kept falling over and was shouting at everybody.

Shortly after, a domestic dispute became violent. Police and ambulance personnel bring the female to Emergency.

Three minutes later, one of many alcohol trips and falls comes in. A 36-year-old who had fallen and hit their head on the edge of a concrete stair.

At 3.40am, a young man is brought in after a fight where he was punched and kicked by multiple assailants but again, fortunately no major head injuries.

At 8 and 8.30am, two males separately come to Emergency after a heavy night with alcohol. They were not able to remember anything but were now in severe pain. One had a badly broken arm and the other a badly broken leg.

Emergency is not out of work but the injuries from alcohol are still less severe.