NHS told to log all patients with knifing injuries

HOSPITALS will be told to identify knifecrime hotspots by logging every patient who shows up with a knife wound.

Health Secretary Matt Hancock said the NHS needed to do more to ‘root out the terrible seeds of violence’.

Currently, hospitals log data only on patients admitted to wards with wounds caused by knives or other sharp objects.

New proposals would require them to report victims sent home with less serious injuries. Anonymised data will be sent to police forces, who may put more officers on patrol in hotspots.

Yesterday Mr Hancock held a roundtable in Downing Street to discuss the role the NHS could play in tackling rising levels of knife crime. He said: ‘Every part of government has a role to play, focusing on prevention first...’

Meanwhile, a report by the All Parliamentary Group on Knife Crime yesterday estimated that 21 youngsters a day were turning up in hospitals with knife wounds or similar injuries.