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Decline of cash credited for drop in surgery for children swallowing objects

Figures reveal 29% fall in operations in England to remove foreign bodies from children’s airways, noses and throats

Cashless societies may be a sad fact of modern life for those with a nostalgic attachment to the pound in their pocket, but doctors have discovered one unexpected benefit of the decline of coins. The fall has been greeted with relief by doctors and surgeons, who for years have been warning of the dangers posed by young children ingesting magnets, tiny batteries and other risky objects. The Royal College of Surgeons of England (RCSE), which obtained the figures, collated from hospital admission data, identified the rise of the cashless society as the main reason.

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