More children are being hit by life-threatening throat bugs after NHS cuts for tonsil operations
- Number of youngsters with throat bug complications has more than doubled
- The number of NHS tonsillectomies in England has fallen by 80% to 6,300 a year
- Senior clinicians have blamed a lack of Government funding for the bug rise
Pat Hagan For The Mail On Sunday
40
View
comments
Cuts in NHS budgets for tonsil surgery may have triggered a steep rise in life-threatening infections among children.
A study revealed that between 1991 and 2014 the number of youngsters under 14 treated for complications from throat bugs more than doubled.
Over the same period, NHS tonsillectomies in England plummeted by 80 per cent – from 28,000 a year to 6,300.
The children who were treated needed emergency hospital attention for group A streptococcus, a bug that causes tonsillitis and ‘strep’ throat.
If that infection spreads into the body – becoming ‘invasive’ streptococcus – it can cause deadly sepsis or toxic shock syndrome. One in five patients who get it die within a week.
A study revealed between 1991 and 2014 the number of youngsters under 14 treated for complications from throat bugs more than doubled. Over the same period, NHS tonsillectomies in England plummeted by 80 per cent – from 28,000 a year to 6,300. File image sused
The study was carried out to try to establish why cases of invasive strep infection in children have been rising in recent years.
The researchers, who included scientists from Public Health England, suggest fewer tonsillectomies may be the reason.
Last night, senior clinicians blamed cuts in funding.
‘There is a lot of pressure to save money in the NHS by doing fewer tonsillectomy operations and I fear the pendulum may have swung too far,’ said ear, nose and throat surgeon Mr Tony Narula, past president of ENT UK.
-
I’ll hire 3,000 midwives and save 700 babies a year, says…
I want ‘NHS tax’ to fund old age, says Jeremy Hunt as he…
‘Invasive strep used to cause a lot of problems and I worry people will forget how serious it is.’
In the 1950s, almost 250,000 tonsillectomies a year were done on the NHS. But they are now classed as ‘procedures of limited clinical effectiveness’ and funding has been slashed.
Most patients have surgery only after five or more bouts of painful tonsillitis in a year.
Dr Sanjay Patel, spokesman for the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health, said: ‘Tonsillectomies are not without harm, and if we start promoting them then more children are going to suffer bleeding and pain.’
The children who were treated needed emergency hospital attention for group A streptococcus, a bug that causes tonsillitis and ‘strep’ throat. File image used
Share or comment on this article
-
Controversial child burial fees ‘set to be axed’ after a…
-
Sainsbury’s to install CCTV cameras and mirrors at 300…
-
Look who I bumped into on the labour ward! Sisters-in-law…
-
We wish you a merry…EASTER: It’s beginning to look a…
-
Married fine art professor is sacked after bedding…
-
Ex minister Dan Poulter is CLEARED of allegations he put…
-
Britain’s oldest men Bob and Alf celebrate turning 110…
-
High-achieving teenager who is ‘immune to brutality’ and…
-
Distraught father of Egyptian student, 18, who died after…
-
Don’t mention the wall! Anger as Battle of Britain…
-
‘We’re not going to get justice for Elsie’: Sex offender…
-
‘Ugly, barely literate, bad mother and a self-promoter’:…
-
Baby P’s jailed mother is moved to a groundfloor cell…
-
Billionaire father and son who have their sights set on…
-
118,000 join passport battle: Mail readers pile the…
-
Married British teacher is convicted of sexually abusing…
-
Former CEO of Harvey Nichols is leaving the posh…
-
Husband, 27, quizzed over Russian tycoon who detectives…
Comments 40
Share what you think
-
Newest -
Oldest -
Best rated -
Worst rated
The comments below have not been moderated.
The views expressed in the contents above are those of our users and do not necessarily reflect the views of MailOnline.
Close
Do you want to automatically post your MailOnline comments to your Facebook Timeline?
Your comment will be posted to MailOnline as usual.
Close
Do you want to automatically post your MailOnline comments to your Facebook Timeline?
Your comment will be posted to MailOnline as usual
We will automatically post your comment and a link to the news story to your Facebook timeline at the same time it is posted on MailOnline. To do this we will link your MailOnline account with your Facebook account. We’ll ask you to confirm this for your first post to Facebook.
You can choose on each post whether you would like it to be posted to Facebook. Your details from Facebook will be used to provide you with tailored content, marketing and ads in line with our Privacy Policy.