Hospitals across England removed thousands of “foreign objects” from people’s bottoms, including vapes, Lego bricks and TV remotes.
The items were disclosed after more than 100 Freedom of Information (FOI) requests were sent by the Press Association to hospital trusts nationwide, requesting data on “rectal foreign bodies” from A&E and Urgent Care departments since 2022.
Bizarre items removed by medical staff
Medical staff at hospitals in Lewisham and Greenwich, south London, had to remove Lego bricks in balloons, beer and shampoo bottles, a toothbrush and a door handle from patients’ rectums.
Hospitals in the Birmingham area recorded multiple visits to remove items such as a phone and a coat hanger. In Berkshire, hospitals removed a Nerf bullet, boiled egg, Coke can, potato and both a deodorant bottle and toilet brush handle in one go.
Edible and household objects
Edible objects included cucumbers, courgettes, grapes, and an apple. Among some of the other items people needed help removing were TV remotes, children’s toys, a cocktail stirrer and a bank card.
Metal screws, tweezers, razor blades, a knitting needle, knives, paper clips and a screwdriver also made the list, as did a snow globe, branch, candle, Kinder egg, parsnip and wallpaper scraper.
Data and medical advice
Data analysed by the Press Association showed that in 2022 more than 1,500 people attended A&E for a “foreign body in rectum”.
Chris Nordstrom, an A&E consultant at Northwick Park Hospital, north-west London, told the Press Association: “Thankfully, incidents of this kind are relatively uncommon but, when they do occur, our priority is to provide safe, compassionate and non-judgmental care.
“We would always encourage anyone experiencing difficulties to seek medical attention promptly rather than risk further injury.”
Of the 106 hospital trusts who received the FOI request, only 11 responded with an itemised list, because some did not hold the information or cited cost as an exemption. NHS England have been approached for comment.
