Almost 2,500 children admitted to hospitals in England with Malnutrition in 2020

FOCUS on POVERTY IN BRITAIN

2,483 children under 16 admitted to hospital this year with MALNUTRITION reports Layla Moran MP

Lib Dem leadership candidate Layla Moran MP has collated this 'shocking' data on hospital admissions from 50 English hospital trusts in a FoI request.

Almost 2,500 children have been admitted to hospital with malnutrition in the first six months of the year - double the number over the same period last year - prompting fresh concern that families are struggling to afford to feed themselves and that the pandemic has intensified the problem.

Oxford West and Abingdon MP Layla Moran, said: "These figures I've collated have shocked me and make me angry that in Britain, in 2020, children are still being hospitalised due to malnutrition. We need to move forward and create a system of social security that helps everyone and makes sure no one goes hungry in our country.

"It is still widely believed malnutrition is a problem restricted to the developing world," she added. "Sadly, this is not true. Today, in the UK, thousands of friends, relatives, neighbours and colleagues are at risk of the effects of malnutrition."

Collectively the figures reveal 11,515 cases of hospital admissions of under-16s since 2015 due to malnourishment.

Fewer than two-thirds of all trusts responded, suggesting the real total figure is much higher.

The 50 hospital trusts representing 150 hospitals point to cases of child malnutrition in some of the most affluent areas.

Here in the East, almost 1,000 under-16s with malnutrition were admitted as inpatients to Cambridge University hospitals NHS foundation trust alone

An Environmental Audit Committee report last year recommended the government appoint a minister with responsibility for tackling hunger and food insecurity in the UK, a position it has yet to announce.

Malnutrition is a major public health issue costing the NHS over £19 billion per year in England alone. There are approximately 3 million people in the UK who are malnourished or at risk of malnutrition; 93% are living in their own home, 5% are living in care homes and just 2% are in hospital. Consequences of malnutrition include, increased risk of illness and infection, reduced energy levels, reduced muscle strength, increased risk of falls, slower wound healing and low mood and reduced quality of life.

Sources:

Malnutrition bda.uk.com

Shocking figures I've collated show that in Britain, in 2020, children are still being hospitalised due to malnutrition.

Read my 12/7 comments in the @ObserverUK

Cases of child malnutrition in England double in last six months The Guardian