Hospitals across England have removed thousands of “foreign objects” from patients’ rectums, with reported items ranging from vapes and Lego bricks to television remotes. The figures emerged after the Press Association submitted more than 100 Freedom of Information (FOI) requests to hospital trusts across the country, seeking data on “rectal foreign bodies” recorded by A&E and Urgent Care departments since 2022.
In Berkshire, hospital staff removed a Nerf bullet, a boiled egg, a Coke can, a potato, a deodorant bottle and a toilet brush handle during one incident. At hospitals in Lewisham and Greenwich in south London, doctors dealt with Lego bricks inside balloons, beer and shampoo bottles, as well as a toothbrush and a door handle.
Hospitals in the Birmingham area reported several visits involving objects including a mobile phone and a coat hanger. Other items on the list included TV remotes, children’s toys, a cocktail stirrer and a bank card. Food items included cucumbers, courgettes, grapes and an apple.
Doctors said such incidents are uncommon but urged anyone affected to seek “non-judgmental care” rather than suffer in silence.
Press Association analysis found that more than 1,500 people attended A&E in 2022 with a recorded “foreign body in rectum”.
The wider list also included metal screws, tweezers, razor blades, a knitting needle, knives, paper clips and a screwdriver. Other objects reportedly removed included a snow globe, a branch, a candle, a Kinder egg, a parsnip and a wallpaper scraper.
Chris Nordstrom, an A&E consultant at Northwick Park Hospital in 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 sent the FOI request, only 11 provided an itemised list. Some trusts said they did not hold the information, while others cited cost as an exemption. NHS England was approached for comment.
