BIRMINGHAM: Two circumcision botches weekly, a life at risk monthly

Ending Unnecessary Circumcision in the UK
July 14, 2012

Birmingham Hospital Bosses Stay Silent As Botched Circumcisions Put 100 Boys In A&E

By Glen Poole
Two boys a week are being admitted to the Emergency Department in Birmingham Children’s Hospital and one boy [a] month comes close to death as a result of male circumcision.

The startling information was uncovered by a Freedom Of Information request which also revealed that Hospital bosses are remaining silent on the issue.

Rob Checketts, Director of Communications at Birmingham Children’s Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, has confirmed that the hospital conducted an audit of 105 boys admitted to the Emergency Department with circumcision related complications in 2009. He said the audit has been sent to commissioners at Birmingham & Solihull NHS Cluster but that the commissioners had not replied.

He said the audit was produced because the Birmingham Children’s Hospital Emergency Department wanted to investigate if the appropriate aftercare was being provided to the high volume of boys being admitted with circumcision-related complications.

Mr Checketts also confirmed that in 2011, 11 baby boys aged 0-1 years old were admitted to the paediatric intensive care unit with life-threatening complications directly caused by circumcision.
The circumcision complications they were treated for included life threatening haemorrhage, shock and sepsis (which is the body’s immune system overacting to an infection)