EXCLUSIVE: Three children treated in hospital every day for serious injuries caused by dogs
Freedom of Information data highlights the impact of dog attacks on children, and the work the NHS has to do in response
Hospitals across England are treating three children under the age of 16 every day for serious injuries caused by dog attacks.
The data, secured by heat radio's Freedom of Information request to NHS England, shows how common the dog bite incidents are, and the demands they are placing on the NHS.
Records show children under the age of five were in the age group most likely to need to undergo a procedure for skin repair or reconstruction surgery as a result of a dog bite when compared with the rest of the population.
In the latest eight month period:
- 255 procedures were carried out on 0-5 age group
- 246 on children aged 5-9
- 186 procedures on 10-14yr olds
The wider data shows in the same eight month period 6244 procedures were carried out across people of all ages, with 2,345 requiring more advanced interventions.
Numbers going "up and up and up and up"
Earlier this year a four year old girl died after being attacked by a dog in Milton Keynes, while a 15 year old girl was "significantly" injured in Sheffield after a dog attack.
Researchers have told us numbers of hospitalisations have doubled in a 25 year period, while surgeons have seen that increase on the coal-face.
Christian Duncan is a plastic surgeon at Alder Hey Children's hospital in Liverpool.
He's told our Take the Lead investigation he and his team are dealing with around one dog bite case per day during the summer months, when more incidents occur.
He said: "Back in 2008 we had roughly 120 (cases) per annum at Alder Hey and that has gone up and up and up and up, and by 2016 the through-the-door numbers were about 157 per year. It peaked in 2020 at above 230.
"It's settled down a little bit, but it's still at a very high level of over 200 per year. You're talking about two cases every three days."
Long term impact of dog attacks on children
Mr Duncan's surgery is in the heart of Merseyside region, which has some of the highest dog attack rates in the country.
He's told us the consequences of these events can be severe and long-lasting:
"The issue with some dogs and children is the size and weight match, where you have a large dog and a smaller, infirm person is a bad mix and these can be life-threatening injuries - major de-glovings of tissue, major tissue loss that requires complex reconstruction, and very rarely, mortalities can take place.
"Recently I've dealt with a few major upper lip losses, which although is not a life-threatening injury, the lip is not an easily replaceable piece of tissue.
"The injuries in children are principally lips, nose, ears, face and sometimes hands and these are parts of the body that are always on show and scars are always going to be there."
Stay tuned to heat radio throughout the week as we continue to investigate the rise in dog attacks, and ask what can be done to prevent them.