Doctors warn of magnetic toy risk to children
About 300 children a year are admitted to A&E in the UK after swallowing magnets, a new study has found.
The University of Southampton research revealed that one in 10 children required life saving operations after consuming the items, which are commonly used in toys.
Lead author and professor of paediatric surgery Nigel Hall, who works at the University and Southampton Children's Hospital, said retailers must do more to increase warnings on magnetic toy labels.
"Having an unplanned emergency operation is a traumatic experience for any child and their family," he said.
Mr Hall added that some of the young people ended up "with serious problems, like needing part of their bowel removed or requiring a stoma".
The data was provided by 66 UK hospitals between May 2022 and April 2023.
The study also found that 6% of swallowing cases were linked to viral social media trends, where the children – mostly girls - were trying to imitate tongue piercings by placing small magnets in their mouths.
Mr Hall stressed that children should be taken to emergency departments early if they swallow a magnet.
"Most children who have swallowed a magnet do not show any symptoms, so it is really important that all cases have an x-ray to find out for certain," he said.
The research has been welcomed by the Child Accident Prevention Trust which focuses on preventing death and serious injury to young people from avoidable accidents.
Its chief executive Katrina Phillips said: "These super strong magnets can rip through a child's guts and leave them with life-changing injuries. One boy has died.
"Take a moment to check who you're buying from. Don't assume that, just because you can buy something, it must be safe."
You can follow BBC Hampshire & Isle of Wight on Facebook, X (Twitter), or Instagram.
Big drop in child surgery for swallowed objects
Girl, 6, needed surgery after swallowing magnets
Boy's gut partly removed after swallowing magnets
University of Southampton
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
Don't go to A&E, walking wounded told
The walking wounded will be told to stay away from A&E in the biggest shake-up since the NHS was founded. Wes Streeting said a raft of changes would bring the health service 'out of the dark ages', promising more care closer to home. The urgent and emergency care plan was first promised in January, when ministers came under fire over 'catastrophically' long trolley waits. On Friday, health officials will promise to create a network of around 40 same-day emergency care and urgent treatment centres to deal with all but the most serious crises. The rapid rollout this year will see millions of patients encouraged to visit the centres instead of A&E. Health chiefs said the measures, which would cost £450 million, would 'resuscitate' the system. The units aim to focus on cases that are not life-threatening, with treatment and discharge of patients the same day, to avoid unnecessary admissions to hospital. The network is likely to include units sited next to A&Es. They will be able to carry out a raft of tests, dealing with deteriorations in chronic illnesses, and problems such as wound infections. Officials said the plans would mean 800,000 fewer patients each year waiting more than four hours at A&E. At least one in five people who attended A&E did not need urgent or emergency care at all, officials said, while a still larger number could fare better with help elsewhere. Mr Streeting has been inspired by a visit to Australia, where he saw same-day centres in action. He said far too many people were ending up in A&E for want of GP appointments, comparing the average £400 cost of an A&E visit with the £40 cost of a GP slot. The plan will also include the rollout of up to 15 mental health crisis assessment centres, to divert such patients away from casualty units to specialist support. In addition, 500 new ambulances will be promised. The plan will also set out new ways of working, so paramedics can give the right help sooner after accessing patient data 'on the spot'. Currently many ambulance crews are unable to find out the most basic details of patients' medical history, other than what they are told at the call-out. As a result, thousands of patients are automatically taken to hospital, when with the right information they could be better treated elsewhere. Under a system of 'connected care records', paramedics will be able to access patients' treatment histories on smartphones, laptops and other devices. Mr Streeting said the plan would take the NHS 'out of the dark ages'. He told The Telegraph: 'Many patients who end up in A&E don't need to be there and could get better treatment elsewhere. 'By giving paramedics access to the latest technology on the go, they'll be able to make better decisions and deliver better outcomes for patients.' The Health Secretary said too many patients had ended up stuck on trolleys or facing 'unacceptably long waiting times' for ambulances, for want of care elsewhere. He said: 'Far too many patients are ending up in A&E who don't need or want to be there, because there isn't anywhere else available. Because patients can't get a GP appointment, which costs the NHS £40, they end up in A&E, which costs around £400; worse for patients and more expensive for the taxpayer.' He added that the plan would tackle ambulance handover delays and corridor care. Mr Streeting said: 'No patient should ever be left waiting for hours in hospital corridors or for an ambulance which ought to arrive in minutes. 'We can't fix more than a decade of underinvestment and neglect overnight. But through the measures we're setting out today, we will deliver faster and more convenient care for patients in emergencies,' he said. Sir Jim Mackey, the NHS chief executive, promised a 'radical change in approach'. He said: 'This major plan sets out how we will work together to resuscitate NHS urgent and emergency care, with a focus on getting patients out of corridors, keeping more ambulances on the road, and enable those ready to leave hospital can do so as soon as possible.' A&E waiting time standards have not been met for more than a decade, while the 18-minute target for category 2 ambulance calls has never been hit outside the pandemic. The document sets out plans for 'making progress towards eliminating corridor care', amid growing concerns that patients are being treated in unsafe environments. It will say the number facing trolley waits of more than 12 hours should be slashed, so that fewer than 10 per cent of patients face such delays. Around 1.7 million attendances at A&E every year currently exceed this time frame. However, the language appears to have been watered down from an earlier draft of NHS plans, which promised 'elimination'. The plan will also aim to reduce ambulance handovers to less than 45 minutes. Officials said league tables would be used to drive improvements. Dr Adrian Boyle, president of the Royal College of Emergency Medicine, said the plan acknowledged the 'shameful situation' facing A&E patients. But he said the aims to cut trolley waits 'lack ambition'. The senior A&E doctor expressed concern that introducing a maximum 45-minute ambulance handover could end up with more patients piled up in casualty departments. Mr Streeting is already at loggerheads with the British Medical Association, with resident doctors (previously known as junior doctors) threatening to strike, despite being awarded the highest pay rise of all public sector workers. The plan aims to drive up A&E performance to 78 per cent, up from 75 per cent this year, meaning 'over 800,000 people a month will receive more timely care'. It follows a relentless rise in pressures on services, with ambulance usage up by 61 per cent since 2010-11. Rachel Power, chief executive of the Patients Association, said the investment was welcome, but said the plans risked 'missing the point' that so many people end up at A&E units because they could not get a GP appointment. She said: 'The system is broken, and this plan addresses the symptoms of a struggling system without tackling the root causes. It accepts that people are turning to A&E because they can't get GP appointments but without imminently expanding access to timely support closer to home, there's a real risk of simply shifting the pressure elsewhere in the system.' Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 1 month with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more.
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
Lack of doctors causing cancer delays
A senior radiologist has said there are not enough doctors to keep up with the number of cancer patients needing scan results, diagnosis and treatment. Dr Tom Roques, vice president of clinical oncology at the Royal College of Radiologists, who also works at Norwich and Norfolk University Hospital, claimed the NHS was struggling to meet the government's 62-day diagnosis targets in cancer care. However, Steffan Aquarone, North Norfolk MP, believed another significant challenge was ensuring patients in rural areas could access treatment. A spokesman for the Department of Health and Social Care said: "We are determined to tackle delays, diagnose cancer earlier and treat it faster." Dr Roques described a shortage of both radiologists and doctors. He said: "People are waiting for scan results or waiting for diagnoses and we're also really short of cancer doctors. "There are delays further down the line in actually having that treatment because there aren't enough people to provide it." However, he says the problem was not just a Norfolk issue. "We are just not able to meet the government-set targets which themselves, are not that ambitious really. "If you don't have the staff and nurses and the physical space to treat them [patients] then people are not going to be able to have the treatment they deserve." Matt Sample, from Cancer Research UK, said the 62-day government target had been missed annually since 2015, with 74,000 people not beginning treatment within that target last year. He said: "For people affected by cancer, every single day waiting to get that diagnosis and begin treatment is a worrying and stressful time even when they are seen within targets. "When those targets are missed, those worries and stresses are just compounded - it can impact their treatment options and ultimately their outcomes. Liberal Democrat Aquarone agreed, saying "more people die than are necessary". He remains concerned about the ability of people in rural areas to get cancer care. "This is entirely about access to treatment," he said. Julie Keeling, nurse director for planned care at Norwich and Norfolk University Hospital, said: "Our latest validated figures show that as of March 2025, 51.8 % of patients receiving first treatment for cancer are treated by day 62, with 48.2 % of patients waiting over 62 days for first cancer treatment. It is encouraging that this is an improvement on previous data. "We know that we have more to do and are sorry that some patients have had to wait longer than expected to see us following a cancer referral." The Department of Health and Social Care said: "We are delivering 40,000 more appointments every week, investing £1.5bn in both new surgical hubs and AI scanners, rolling out cutting-edge radiotherapy machines to every region in the country and backing our radiologists and oncologists with above inflation pay rises for the second year in a row." Follow Norfolk news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X. Cancer patient's treatment was delayed - coroner Hospital praised for breast cancer surgery wait time Hospital has second-longest waiting time for care NHS struggling to provide safe cancer care, say doctors Department of Health and Social Care Norwich and Norfolk University Hospital NHS Foundation Trust Cancer Research UK
Yahoo
2 hours ago
- Yahoo
Angle PLC Announces Board Changes
GUILDFORD, UNITED KINGDOM / / June 6, 2025 / ANGLE plc (AIM:AGL)(OTCQX:ANPCY), a world-leading liquid biopsy company with innovative circulating tumour cell (CTC) solutions for use in research, drug development and clinical oncology, announces that Non-Executive Director, Brian Howlett, has informed the Board that after 12 years of service he will be retiring at the Company's upcoming AGM. Separately, Non-Executive Director, Juliet Thompson has informed the Board of her resignation with immediate effect. The Company is reviewing the structure and composition for the Board moving forward. ANGLE Chairman, Jan Groen, commented: "On behalf of the Board and the Company, we thank Brian for his advice and support over the last twelve years and offer our best wishes on his retirement. We also thank Juliet for her contributions to ANGLE over the last two and a half years and wish her well with her future endeavours." For further information: ANGLE plc +44 (0) 1483 343434 Andrew Newland, Chief Executive Ian Griffiths, Finance Director Berenberg (NOMAD and Broker) Toby Flaux, Ciaran Walsh, Milo Bonser +44 (0) 20 3207 7800 FTI Consulting Simon Conway, Ciara Martin Matthew Ventimiglia (US) +44 (0) 203 727 1000 +1 (212) 850 5624 For Frequently Used Terms, please see the Company's website on Notes for editors About ANGLE plc ANGLE is a world-leading liquid biopsy company with innovative circulating tumour cell (CTC) solutions for use in research, drug development and clinical oncology using a simple blood sample. ANGLE's FDA cleared and patent protected CTC harvesting technology known as the Parsortix® PC1 System enables complete downstream analysis of the sample including whole cell imaging and proteomic analysis and full genomic and transcriptomic molecular analysis. ANGLE's commercial businesses are focusing on clinical services and diagnostic products. The clinical services business is offered through ANGLE's GCLP-compliant laboratories. Services include custom made assay development and clinical trial testing for pharma. Products include the Parsortix system, associated consumables and assays. Over 100 peer-reviewed publications have demonstrated the performance of the Parsortix system. For more information, visit Any reference to regulatory authorizations such as FDA clearance, CE marking or UK MHRA registration shall be read in conjunction with the full intended use of the product: The Parsortix® PC1 system is an in vitro diagnostic device intended to enrich circulating tumor cells (CTCs) from peripheral blood collected in K2EDTA tubes from patients diagnosed with metastatic breast cancer. The system employs a microfluidic chamber (a Parsortix cell separation cassette) to capture cells of a certain size and deformability from the population of cells present in blood. The cells retained in the cassette are harvested by the Parsortix PC1 system for use in subsequent downstream assays. The end user is responsible for the validation of any downstream assay. The standalone device, as indicated, does not identify, enumerate or characterize CTCs and cannot be used to make any diagnostic/prognostic claims for CTCs, including monitoring indications or as an aid in any disease management and/or treatment decisions. This information is provided by RNS, the news service of the London Stock Exchange. RNS is approved by the Financial Conduct Authority to act as a Primary Information Provider in the United Kingdom. Terms and conditions relating to the use and distribution of this information may apply. For further information, please contact rns@ or visit SOURCE: ANGLE plc View the original press release on ACCESS Newswire Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
