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Hip fracture care too slow in some hospitals, study says

There are big differences in how well patients with hip fractures are cared for by hospitals in England and Wales, a Bristol University study says.

In some hospitals one in 10 people died within a month of surgery - more than three times worse than in the best.

Getting patients into theatre quickly and out of bed the next day for physio are key ways to improve care. People should receive the same, high-quality care wherever they live, the researchers said.

"If you get it right for older people with hip fractures, you're probably getting it right for older people in general," says Professor Celia Gregson, who led the study of more than 170,700 patients in 172 hospitals between 2016 and 2019.

An NHS spokesperson said hip fracture care in the UK had "seen dramatic improvements in recent years".

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Source: BBC News (31 August 2022)

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Hip breaks more deadly than some cancers in elderly, study finds

A recent analysis found poor survival rates after bone fractures in older adults, with fewer than a third of men and half of women surviving five years after a fracture.

Published in JBMR Plus, the study looked at a cohort of 98,474 Ontario residents age 66 and older who suffered fractures to parts of the body associated with osteoporosis between January 2011 and March 2015. The patients were grouped into sets based on the fracture site and matched to patients with a similar demographic profile but no bone breaks during the study period.

The fracture cohort was mostly female (73 percent), and the median age at fracture was 80. In the year before the fracture, up to 45 percent of the women and 14 percent of the men had been treated for osteoporosis.

The analysis revealed that those within a year of a hip, vertebral or proximal non-hip, non-vertebral fracture were at the highest risk of death. The survival probability was lower for the oldest patients.

“Survival most dramatically declined within one month after most types of fracture, with a five-year survival being similar to or worse than some common cancers,” the paper’s lead author, Laval University department of medicine professor Jacques Brown, said

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Source: Washington Post, 12 May 2024

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Hip and knee replacements on NHS four times longer than in Italy

Waiting times for hip and knee replacements are four times longer in England than Italy post-lockdown, analysis has revealed.

Patients in England are waiting an average of 128 days for hip replacements and 141 days for a new knee on the NHS, which are both up by around 50 per cent since before the pandemic.

It leaves England lagging behind other European countries, with waits that are four times longer than Italy, where hip replacements are completed in 33 days and knees within 30 days, according to analysis by the Nuffield Trust.

Sarah Reed, senior fellow at Nuffield Trust and author of the report, said countries around the world were “dealing with the effects of the Covid-19 pandemic, with many still struggling to bring down waiting times”.

“However, it’s striking that in England our pace of recovery has been much slower for major surgeries like hip and knee replacements, but for some minor procedures we appear to have improved more quickly than nearly everywhere else,” she said.

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Source: The Telegraph, 11 July 2024

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Hillsborough Law will include duty of candour

A long-awaited "Hillsborough Law" bill will force public officials to tell the truth during investigations into major disasters.

The news has been welcomed by campaigners, who had feared the legislation was going to be watered down.

The landmark Public Office (Accountability) Bill will force public bodies to cooperate with investigations into major disasters or potentially face criminal sanctions, as well as provide legal funding to those affected by state-related disasters.

Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer had previously pledged to bring in the law by the 36th anniversary of the tragedy, but Downing Street then said more time was needed to redraft it.

The bill will be introduced to Parliament on Tuesday to begin its journey towards becoming law.

The government has confirmed a new professional and legal "duty of candour" will be part of the bill, meaning public officials would have to act with honesty and integrity at all times and would face criminal sanctions if they breached it.

Margaret Aspinall, whose 18-year-old son James died at Hillsborough, said she was hopeful the new law "will mean no-one will ever have to suffer like we did".

The government said the new legislation would "end the culture of cover-ups" and learn lessons from wider disasters including the Grenfell Tower fire and the Post Office Horizon and infected blood scandals.

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Source: BBC News, 15 September 2025

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Higher bills are leading Americans to delay medical care

While some people avoided seeking medical care during the worst of the pandemic, worried about the risk of infection or unable to get an appointment because hospitals and doctors were overwhelmed, now many in the USA are finding that inflation and the uncertain economy have thrown up another barrier.

“We are starting to see some individuals who are putting off some care, especially preventive care, due to the costs,” said Dr. Tochi Iroku-Malize, the president of the American Academy of Family Physicians and the chair of family medicine for Northwell Health in New York. Choosing between going to the doctor or paying for rent and food, “the health issue is no longer the priority,” she said.

With the prices of prescription drugs, hospital stays and other treatments expected to increase significantly this year and next, some doctors expect families to have an even harder time affording medical care. 

When Margaret Bell, 71, found that her cancer had returned four years ago, she hesitated to resume her chemotherapy because she could not afford it, and higher prices have made it even harder. She would regularly skip appointments.

About one-fourth of respondents in a recent Gallup poll said they put off care last year for what they considered a “serious” condition.

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Source: New York Times, 16 February 2023

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High-risk pregnancies could be missed due to pandemic, experts warn

Experts have raised fears that high-risk pregnancies may be missed due to the coronavirus pandemic, leading to a potential rise in stillbirths and neonatal deaths.

During a session of Westminster’s Health and Social Care Committee, Gill Walton, the Chief Executive of the Royal College of Midwives, said there was a “fear” among pregnant women presenting themselves to maternity services during the COVID-19 outbreak.

Former health secretary Jeremy Hunt, who chairs the committee, said one of the most important elements of maternity safety was to identify higher-risk pregnancies early “so that interventions can be made to prevent stillbirths, complications, or even the death of a baby”.

Mr Hunt added the President of the Royal College of Obstetricians, Dr Edward Morris, had told him he is “worried that some higher-risk pregnancies may be being missed” because of fewer face-to-face appointments and missed scans.

Asked whether she shared that concern, Ms Walton told MPs: “I do share that concern. Some of that is related to the fear of the pregnant population and presenting to maternity services during the pandemic."

"That fear then prevents them sometimes just picking up the phone to call their midwife to say that may be concerned about not feeling well, or that they’ve got reduced foetal movements.”

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Source: The Independent, 1 May 2020

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High-risk hospitals delayed despite government assurances

At least two trusts whose hospitals rely on high-risk concrete will not open replacements until after 2030, despite theoretically being prioritised by government.

The government previously said replacement of the seven “RAAC” or reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete hospitals would “proceed at pace due to the substantive safety risks” and “exempted” them from its review of the new hospitals programme.

It comes after they were given new construction start dates in the New Hospital Programme.

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Source: HSJ, 23 January 2025

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High-grade masks evidence weak, Covid inquiry told

There is only “weak evidence” that high-grade face masks better protected health workers than surgical ones in the pandemic, the Covid inquiry has been told.

Prof Susan Hopkins, chief medical adviser at the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA), said respirator masks – known as FFP3s – may have performed no better than thin surgical masks in real-life situations.

She said there could be “significant harms” from wearing tight-fitting FFP3s, including blisters and breathing difficulties.

“If the evidence was strong that FFP3s really protected people, and we saw a definitive reduction [in infections], they would have been recommended,” she said.

National guidance on face masks from April 2020 was drawn up by a group of experts from across the United Kingdom known as the IP (Infection Prevention) Cell.

The inquiry was shown minutes from an IP Cell meeting on 22 December 2020, just after the new Alpha variant of Covid had been detected, which appeared to show disagreement about the use of higher-grade FFP3 masks.

The records quote Dr Colin Brown, now the deputy director of clinical and emerging infections at UKHSA but at the time with PHE, as saying: "Our understanding of aerosol transmission has changed. A precautionary approach to move to FFP3 masks [in all healthcare settings] whilst we are awaiting evidence should be advised."

However, the wider IP Cell decided that no upgrading of the guidance was warranted at the time, and NHS trusts were told to continue to supply staff with standard surgical masks in almost all cases outside intensive care.

It was not until January 2022 that the advice changed, saying that FFP3 respirators "must be worn" by all staff if they are caring for patients with a virus such as Covid, and should be offered to other staff depending on a risk assessment.

By that point, the World Health Organization, and other health bodies, had recognised Covid could be spread in tiny airborne particles over distances longer than 6.5ft (2m), something officials said was impossible at the start of the pandemic.

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Source: BBC News, 19 September 2024

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High youth death rates are an ‘emerging crisis’, global health study warns

The world faces “an emerging crisis” of higher death rates among teenagers and young adults, according to a major study on the causes of death and disability worldwide.

The reasons vary from drug and alcohol use, and suicide in North America, to infectious diseases and injuries in sub-Saharan Africa, the researchers said, but warned that their data should serve as “a wake-up call”.

The study also found that chronic diseases such as heart disease and diabetes now accounted for two-thirds of all ill health and that mental health problems were surging.

Half of the world’s disease burden was preventable, researchers calculated, driven by risks that could be reduced, such as high blood pressure, air pollution, smoking and obesity.

The Global Burden of Disease study was carried out by a network of 16,500 scientists using more than 300,000 data sources. It is published in the Lancet and was presented at the World Health Summit in Berlin on Sunday.

In North America and parts of Latin America, the rises were driven by suicide and consumption of drugs and alcohol.

“Very marked increases” among teenagers and young adults “certainly got our attention when we were looking at the data”, said Dr Christopher Murray, director of the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME) at the University of Washington’s school of medicine.

Rising deaths in younger adults, particularly in North America, he said, were “very tied up with the rise of anxiety and depression in young people, particularly women”. While the rise of mental health disorders had received much attention, he said, there was still a lot of debate around the causes.

“Is this social media? Is this [electronic] devices? Is this broader social trends on parenting? We know it was made worse by Covid. So there’s a lot of controversy, I’d say, in the psychiatric epidemiology and general social commentary about the causes around mental health. And so that’s a problem for coming up with solutions.”

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Source: The Guardian, 12 October 2025

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High Street pharmacists to make cancer referrals

People with a worrying cough, problems swallowing or blood in their urine will soon be able to be referred for scans and checks by a pharmacist, rather than having to wait to see their GP.

The new pilot scheme, in England, aims to diagnose more cancers early, when there is a better chance of a cure.

High Street pharmacies will be funded to refer customers for the checks.

The NHS will also send out more "roaming trucks" to perform on-the-spot scans in the community.

Lung-scanner vans driven to locations, including supermarket car parks and football stadiums, have already resulted in more people having checks. Now, some liver lorries will join them.

Health and Social Care Secretary Sajid Javid said: "Ensuring patients can access diagnosis and treatment easily in their communities and on High Streets is a fundamental part of our 10-Year Cancer Plan."

Dr Anthony Cunliffe, national clinical adviser for primary care, at Macmillan Cancer Support, said: "Doctors and nurses are working tirelessly to diagnose and treat the tens of thousands of people entering a very busy cancer care system.

"This pilot will give people the opportunity to access more trained professionals in their community to get symptoms investigated."

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Source: BBC News, 15 June 2022

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High street heart checks on the NHS

Pharmacists are set to offer rapid detection and help for killer conditions like heart disease as part of a major revamp of high street pharmacy services. The high street heart checks are part of an ambitious target the NHS in England has set itself as part of its Long Term Plan to prevent tens of thousands of strokes and heart attacks over the next ten years.

Plans are underway for both GPs and community pharmacists to lead the fight against common conditions that cause cardiovascular disease (CVD) and stroke, building on successful pilots which have reduced strokes by a quarter.

From 1 October 2019, as part of their new £13 billion five-year contract, community pharmacists will start to develop and test an early detection service to identify people who may have undiagnosed high-risk conditions like high blood pressure for referral for further testing and treatment. If successful this could be rolled out to all community pharmacies in 2021-22.

Professor Stephen Powis, NHS national medical director, said: “Heart disease and strokes dramatically cut short lives, and leave thousands of people disabled every year, so rapid detection of killer conditions through High street heart checks will be a game-changer."

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Source: NHS England, 2 September 2019

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High staff turnover rates linked to patient deaths

More than 4,000 people could be dying per year because of high turnover rates of nurses and doctors in NHS hospitals, according to new research from the University of Surrey.

The university said the research had shown a clear association between high turnover rates of nurses and doctors in NHS hospitals and a "troubling" rise in patient mortality rates.

The study analysed nearly a decade of data from 148 NHS hospitals in England using anonymised patient and worker records.

The researchers found that a one standard deviation increase in nurse turnover is associated with 35 additional deaths per 100,000 hospital admissions within 30 days.

With an average of 8.2 million hospital admissions occurring annually, the turnover rates of hospital nurses and senior doctors could translate to nearly 335 additional deaths each month across the NHS.

Dr Giuseppe Moscelli, lead researcher of the study at the University of Surrey, said: "Our findings underscore the vital role that stable staffing plays in ensuring patient safety.

"High turnover rates are not simply an administrative issue; they have real, life-or-death implications for patients. It's time for healthcare leaders to focus on retention strategies that prioritise workforce stability."

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Source: BBC News, 21 November 2024

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High newborn death rates revealed at large trust

A trust whose maternity care is under scrutiny had neonatal mortality rates nearly twice the average of similar units in 2023, new audit figures reveal.

Leeds Teaching Hospitals Trust — which runs a high level (Level 3) neonatal intensive care unit, with neonatal surgery — has had higher than average adjusted death rates since 2017, the first year recorded by the MBRRACE-UK audit.

But they have risen sharply in both 2022 and 2023, while the national rate has remained steady.

The 2023 figures, published this month, give LTH’s neonatal mortality rate as 5.01 per 1,000 live births in 2023, compared to a group average of 2.6 for the total 26 UK providers with a level 3 NICU and neonatal.

Last month the BBC reported the trust had information suggesting the deaths of at least 56 babies and two mothers during the past five years could have been prevented.

Fiona Winser-Ramm and Dan Ramm, whose first baby Aliona Grace died at Leeds shortly after her birth in 2020, said the new MBRRACE data reinforced their demands for a local inquiry into LTH maternity services.

Mr Ramm said: “They now look like an outlier. That figure of 5.01 is 92 per cent higher than the average of the comparator group. It is almost a scandal hiding in plain sight.”

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Source: HSJ, 24 February 2025

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High levels of microplastics found in operating theatres

High levels of microplastics have been found in operating theatres by researchers who highlighted the “astoundingly high” amounts of single-use plastic used in modern surgical procedures.

A team from the University of Hull found the amount of microplastics in a cardiothoracic operating theatre was almost three times that found in homes, and said this identifies another route through which the tiny particles can enter the human body, with unknown consequences.

The study, published in the journal Environment International, is the first to examine the prevalence of microplastics in surgical environments.

The team analysed levels in the operating theatre and the anaesthetic room in cardiothoracic surgeries and discovered an average of 5,000 microplastics per metre squared when the theatre was in use.

Jeanette Rotchell, professor of environmental toxicology at the university, said the types of microplastic particles identified relate to common plastic wrapping materials and could also come from blister packs, surgical gowns, hairnets and drapes for patients.

Prof Rotchell said: “Although we know microplastics are in the air in a variety of settings, we can’t yet say what the consequences are or whether microplastics are harmful to health. Researchers have yet to establish this.

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Source: The Independent, 27 January 2023

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High demand sees hospital trigger safety alert

A Lancashire hospital has declared its "highest level" of alert due to high demand putting "patient safety at risk".

The Royal Lancaster Infirmary (RLI) in Lancaster has been placed at level four of its Operations Pressure Escalation Levels, which means a hospital is "unable to deliver comprehensive care".

The decision to trigger the escalation means the hospital can take additional steps to maintain patient safety.

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Source: BBC News, 30 December 2025

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High covid rates spark blood supply ‘crisis’

NHS Blood and Transplant (NHSBT) which supplies blood to hospitals is reporting severe supply shortages for the first time since 2018, HSJ has learned.

Well-placed senior sources said it is close to issuing a formal “amber alert”, which would mean it could not guarantee blood supplies to hospitals, they said. NHSBT acknowledged to HSJ that it was “expecting a difficult few months”.

NHS trusts would have to start cancelling elective operations if they cannot ensure that necessary bloods are available. NHSBT has already written to trusts asking them not to over-order supplies, and to ensure management plans are in place should the situation escalate.

Supplies of the common O blood types are thought to be down to less than three days’ worth. If they were to drop to two days, this would trigger an amber alert.

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Source: HSJ, 5 July 2022

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High court judge ‘deeply frustrated’ by NHS delays in suicidal girl’s care

A high court judge has expressed her “deep frustration” at NHS delays and bureaucracy that mean a suicidal 12-year-old girl has been held on her own, in a locked, windowless room with no access to the outdoors for three weeks.

In a hearing on Thursday, Mrs Justice Lieven told North Staffordshire combined healthcare NHS trust “you are testing my patience”, after she heard that a proposal to move Becky (not her real name), could not progress until a planning meeting that would not be held until next week, and that a move was not anticipated until 2 March.

Three sets of doctors at the hospital trust have disagreed as to Becky’s diagnosis; at her most recent assessment doctors said she was not eligible to be sectioned, which would trigger the protections provided by the Mental Health Act, because her mental disorder was not of the “nature and degree” as to warrant her detention.

In a robust exchange, the judge demanded: “Where’s the urgency in this … I cannot believe that the life and health of a 12-year-old girl is hanging on an issue of NHS procurement, when you cannot tell me what it is you’re trying to procure.

“If the delay is procurement, I’m not having it,” Lieven continued. “I will use the inherent jurisdiction to make an order. We have a 12-year-old child in a completely inappropriate NHS unit for about three weeks, and it’s suddenly dawned on your client that ‘actually we’ll put her in a Tier 4 unit and we might have to do some [building] work.’”

Sometimes, the judge said, “public bodies have to move faster”.

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Source: The Guardian, 17 February 2023

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High cost of infant formula putting babies in danger, UK charities warn

Vulnerable parents may be forced to resort to unsafe practices to feed their babies because of sharp increase in the cost of infant formula, charities have warned.

The price of the cheapest brand of baby formula has leapt by 22%, according to analysis by the British Pregnancy Advisory Service (BPAS).

BPAS said the cost of infant formula needed to safely feed a baby in the first six months of their life was no longer covered by Healthy Start vouchers, which are worth £8.50 a week and provided to women in England, Wales and Northern Ireland who are pregnant or have young children.

The charity Feed said families that were unable to afford enough infant formula had resorted to watering down the product or feeding their babies unsuitable food such as porridge.

BPAS’s chief executive, Clare Murphy, said: “We know that families experiencing food poverty resort to unsafe feeding methods, such as stretching out time between feeds and watering down formula. The government cannot stand by as babies are placed at risk of malnutrition and serious illness due to the cost of living crisis and the soaring price of infant formula.

“The government must increase the value of Healthy Start vouchers to protect the health of the youngest and most vulnerable members of our society.”

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Source: The Guardian, 6 December 2022

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Hidden pandemic of antibiotic-resistant infections, health officials warn

UK health officials are warning of a "hidden pandemic" of antibiotic-resistant infections if people fail to act responsibly after Covid.

Cold symptoms will be more common this winter, with social mixing - but taking antibiotics is not the answer. This could encourage harmful bacteria to evade treatment and put everyone's health at risk, the UK Health Security Agency says.

One in five people with an infection in 2020 had an antibiotic-resistant one. And if the bacteria causing their infection no longer responds to treatment with these common medicines, this can cause serious complications and lead to hospital admission.

Antibiotics should be taken or prescribed only when really needed, for example to treat bacterial infections such as sepsis, meningitis or pneumonia. They can also help protect against infection during chemotherapy, Caesarean sections and other common surgeries.

However they are sometimes prescribed to treat coughs, earache and sore throats, on which they have little or no effect.

UKHSA chief medical adviser Dr Susan Hopkins said antimicrobial resistance was a "hidden pandemic" and it was important "we do not come out of Covid-19 and enter into another crisis".

Serious antibiotic-resistant infections "will rise once again if we don't act responsibly", she added.

"As we head into winter, with increasing amounts of respiratory infections in circulation, it is important to remember that antibiotics are not needed for many cold-like symptoms.

"Stay at home if you feel unwell," she said.

"Taking antibiotics when you do not need them only puts you and your loved ones at more risk in the future, so please listen to your GP, nurse, dentist or pharmacist's advice."

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Source: BBC News, 17 November 2021

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HHS is seeking to open up patient data. MedStar Health says it's got tools to make those data useful

MedStar Health launched a new tool that automatically calculates a patient's risk of having a heart attack or stroke within 10 years. The tool enables doctors to more easily show patients their personal risk for heart disease, stroke and other cardiovascular diseases over time using easy-to-read graphics. 

"Seeing their risk on a visual display is more powerful than me telling them their risk,” said Ankit Shah, Director, Sports and Performance Cardiology for the MedStar Heart & Vascular Institute at Union Memorial Hospital in Baltimore.

The tool is embedded in MedStar's Cerner electronic health record (EHR), making it easier for physicians to use it during patient visits, health system officials said. The project highlights how MedStar Health National Center for Human Factors focuses on human factor design to improve technology for patients as well as providers. 

Final rules from the US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) will make it easier in the future for patients to share their health data with third-party apps.

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Source: FierceHealthcare, 9 March 2020

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Hertfordshire hospital forced to consider who should be refused oxygen

Oxygen supplies at a Hertfordshire hospital inundated with coronavirus patients became so precarious last week that officials considered how to decide who should receive the gas and who should miss out and likely die, the Guardian understands.

The oxygen system at Watford general hospital came close to breaking point on Saturday, when a critical incident was declared and staff had to tell the public not to come to the hospital. Some patients were moved out to prevent the vital system failing.

A senior clinician said: “They were [consulting] the hospital ethics committee every day and considering who they were not going to oxygenate and ventilate if they needed it, and making decisions about who would be triaged to not have oxygen and die.”

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Source: Guardian, 5 April 2020

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Herpes deaths: NHS trust lied about virus links, inquest hears

The mother of a young woman who died with herpes said she was "disgusted" with an NHS trust which "lied" about the potential cause of the virus.

Kim Sampson and Samantha Mulcahy died with herpes after the same obstetrician at the East Kent Hospitals University NHS Trust carried out their caesareans.

Yvette Sampson's daughter had been "fit and healthy" until she gave birth on 3 May 2018, an inquest has heard.

She said the trust had lied about links between the two mothers' deaths.

They were treated by the same surgeon and midwife six weeks apart, neither of whom were tested for herpes, the inquest in Maidstone was told.

Ms Sampson said her daughter had been "in agony" from 3 May when she gave birth to her second child, until she died on 22 May.

She told the inquest she had received "poor treatment" by midwives at the Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother Hospital (QEQM) in Margate, which she felt also "contributed" to her daughter's death.

Ms Sampson was initially denied a Caesarean and instead told to push for almost three hours, despite repeatedly telling midwives that "something wasn't right" and "clinging to the bed in agony", her mother said.

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Source: BBC News, 20 April 2023

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Hernia mesh implants used 'with no clinical evidence'

"Too many" types of hernia mesh implants are being used on NHS patients with little or no clinical evidence, the BBC has been told.

New data shows more than 100 different types of mesh were purchased by NHS Trusts from 2012 to 2018 in England and Scotland, leading to fears over safety. The meshes can cut into tissue and nerves, leaving some people unable to walk, work or care for children.

Currently, hernia mesh devices can be approved if they are similar to older products, which themselves may not have been required to undergo any rigorous testing or clinical trials in order to assess their safety or efficacy.

In England, around 100,000 such operations are performed each year, the majority using mesh. Many go well. But the Victoria Derbyshire programme has heard from nearly 300 people who have experienced complications - including chronic pain, infections and organ perforations. International guidelines estimate one in 10 patients will experience "significant chronic pain" following a mesh repair.

The director of devices at the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA), Graeme Tunbridge, told the BBC: "The benefits and risks of using mesh for hernia repair have been considered in detail by clinicians and the professional bodies who represent them. We continue to monitor and review evidence as it becomes available and will take any appropriate action on that basis."

Mr Tunbridge said he recognised the system "does need strengthening" and said new legislation on medical devices would take effect from May 2020.

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Source: BBC News, 15 January 2020

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Hepatitis: UK investigates sudden cases in children

The UK’s Health Security Agency (UKHSA) says it is investigating after finding more than 100 cases of sudden hepatitis in children.

Doctors said they had seen "increasing" evidence the problem is linked to adenoviruses - a group of viruses that can cause illnesses such as the common cold and flu.

The HSA said it cannot rule out other possible causes such as Covid, which it is also investigating, but that an adenovirus has been identified in 40 out of the 53 cases so far tested.

In Britain, cases have reached 81 in England, 14 in Scotland, 11 in Wales and five in Northern Ireland, with the majority of patients under five years old.

No children in the UK have died, it was confirmed, after the World Health Organization said there had been 169 cases globally with at least one child who had died from the illness.

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Source: The Independent, 26 April 2022

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Hepatitis in children mystery still being investigated as cases rise

UK health officials say they are still no clearer on the cause of a rise in liver inflammation, or hepatitis, in children.

A common adenovirus is thought to play a role, but other possibilities are still being investigated.

In the UK, 163 cases have now been identified, and 11 children have received liver transplants.

Cases have been detected in 20 countries worldwide, with nearly 300 children affected, and one death.

"It's important that parents know the likelihood of their child developing hepatitis is extremely low," said Dr Meera Chand, from the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA).

She said parents should still be alert to the signs - particularly jaundice, a yellow tinge in the whites of the eyes - and they should contact a doctor if concerned.

Since last week, another 18 children in the UK with hepatitis have been identified - 118 live in England, 22 in Scotland, 13 in Wales and 10 in Northern Ireland.

The children's most common symptoms were jaundice and vomiting - and most have been under five years old.

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Source: BBC News, 7 May 2022

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