BUG BEAR
Cases of ‘Victorian diseases’ rickets and scurvy soar as rising cost of living sparks ‘health crisis’
Plus, all the signs and symptoms of scurvy and rickets you need to know
SCURVY and rickets are making a comeback in England, an investigation shows.
Both Victorian diseases are caused by malnutrition and have, until now, been largely eradicated in the Western world.
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But new damning figures suggest cases of the diseases have surged.
From 2019 to 2023, 28,379 Brits were diagnosed with rickets and 269 with scurvy.
The worst-hit trusts when it came to rickets were The Royal Surrey, University Hospital Southampton, and the Royal Free London, which saw 4,927, 3,899 and 2,169, cases respectively.
For scurvy, the highest number of cases was reported in Kettering (34), with 23 of those in the past year, while Manchester University and Wye Valley had 14 each.
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The new data from the Liberal Demoncrats was sourced from Freedom of Information requests to 78 hospital trusts nationwide.
Lib Dem health and social care spokeswoman Daisy Cooper, said: "In 21st century Britain, no one should be suffering with these Victorian era diseases.
"It is high time that the Conservative Party dropped their Dickensian attitude toward healthcare and took public health seriously."
Previously, experts said the rising cost of living is likely to be behind the surge in rickets and scurvy, as parents struggle to afford fruit and veg and are instead forced to buy cheaper junk food, which lacks vital vitamins and minerals.
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Separate figures, from the Times Health Commission, found that cases of malnutrition have doubled over the last decade and quadrupled since 2007/8.
From 2022 to April 2023, almost 11,000 Brits - 312 of which were children - were hospitalised.
Malnutrition is a serious condition that happens when a person's diet does not contain the right amount of nutrients, the NHS says.
Dr Clare Gerada, president of the Royal College of GPs, told The Times the rise in cases is indicative of the inadequate “tea and toast” diet of those unable to afford fresh fruits and vegetables.
She said: "We won’t end up like the Victorians because it’ll all be sorted by a tablet, but it’s a sad environment that we have to sort out poverty by giving out vitamin supplements."
A government spokeswoman said the Lib Dem's use of data was “misleading”.
She said: “It is a clinical fact that in the UK the main causes of malnutrition are not solely due to poor or inadequate eating, while recent NHS data demonstrates there has been no significant rise in hospital admissions for these conditions since 2016.
“We are determined to support people to have a healthy and balanced diet, and through our healthy food schemes - Healthy Start, Nursery Milk and the School Fruit and Vegetable Scheme - the government is helping more than three million children and providing a nutritional safety net to those who need it the most.”
Several other diseases and health conditions common during the Victorian era re-emerged in the UK this year.
In April, experts warned that a sudden drop in vaccine uptake post Covid could be behind the surge in some of these Dickensian illnesses.
This includes scabies, diphtheria, measles, tuberculosis and syphilis.
What is scurvy?
Scurvy is a disease caused by a deficiency in vitamin C, which is rare in the developed world.
It's renowned for being the disease of pirates and sailors.
They would develop the condition while being out at sea for long periods and would run out of citrus fruits.
While very treatable with some fresh fruit and veg, it can become deadly if left for too long.
According to the NHS, symptoms of the condition include feeling very tired, weak, irritable, sad, suffering from severe joint pain, swollen and bleeding gums, and having skin that bruises easily.
What is rickets?
Rickets is a condition which affects the bone development of children.
A poor diet and a lack of exposure to sunlight usually causes it.
A lack of vitamin D and calcium is the most common cause.
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The NHS says it can leave the bones weaker and softer than normal, meaning they are more susceptible to deformities, such as bowed legs or curvature of the spine.
Other symptoms of the condition include bone pain and dental problems.
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