To ask the Minister of Health to detail the number of ambulances that were called to Belfast city centre in 2025 for (i) alcohol-related incidents; and (ii) incidents requiring first aid, were no one was taken onwards to hospital.

My officials have advised that the Northern Ireland Ambulance Service (NIAS) does not routinely collect or report information on the number of ambulance callouts that are classified as alcoholrelated incidents.

Where alcohol consumption may be a contributing factor, NIAS calls are recorded and coded according to the primary clinical reason for presentation, for example a fall, assault, or other injury, rather than being identified as alcoholrelated. As a result, NIAS is unable to provide figures for ambulance callouts to Belfast city centre in 2025 specifically for alcoholrelated incidents.

In relation to incidents requiring first aid only, where no patient was conveyed onwards to hospital, NIAS records these outcomes as ‘See and Treat’ incidents. Table 1 sets out the number of patients attended by NIAS in the Belfast city centre area, defined as postcode areas BT1 and BT2, during the period 1 January 2025 to 31 December 2025, where treatment was provided at the scene and no onward transportation to hospital was required. These figures relate to all call types and are not limited to alcoholrelated incidents.

Table 1 – See and Treat figures for BT1 and BT2 areas (2025)