Cost of living crisis ‘sparks return of Victorian-era illnesses’ like scurvy and rickets

Victorian-era diseases such as scurvy and rickets are returning because of the cost-of-living crisis, experts say.

Both conditions, which are the result of malnutrition, have largely disappeared in the 20th century due to improved nutrition.

Last year, nearly 11,000 people in England – including hundreds of children – were hospitalized for malnutrition.

Data from NHS England shows that admissions due to the serious condition have quadrupled over the past 15 years and doubled in a decade.

While the rise has been seen over the last decade, medics have argued that “we will end up with more of these Victorian-era diseases” because of the cost-of-living crisis.

Struggling Britons have been forced to cut back on fruit and vegetables and eat cheaper junk food, which lacks essential vitamins and minerals.

A request for freedom of information from The Times Health Committee shows that in the year to April 2023, 10,896 NHS patients in England were hospitalized for malnutrition.

Malnutrition occurs when a diet does not contain the right amount of nutrients, with unintentional weight loss, low body weight and a feeling of fatigue and weakness being the main symptoms.

The statistics also showed that 171 people were treated for scurvy and 482 for rickets, of which 405 were children.

Scurvy is caused by not consuming enough vitamin C, which is found in citrus fruits, broccoli, and potatoes. Typical symptoms are tiredness, weakness and irritability, severe joint or leg pain and swollen and bleeding gums.

Data from the Food Foundation shows that 9.3 million households in the UK – almost one in five – were food insecure by January 2023

Food insecure households were more likely to cut back on buying healthy foods like fruits, vegetables and fish, according to Food Foundation figures

Rickets is usually caused by a lack of vitamin D – with sunlight, oily fish and eggs being the main sources – or calcium, which is found in milk, cheese and green vegetables. Painful bones, skeletal abnormalities, and dental problems are telltale signs. It is believed to be one of the afflictions that plagued Tiny Tim in Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol.

Both can be easily treated by adding the vitamins to the diet by eating plenty of fruits and vegetables or taking supplements, which some families can access for free if they get Universal Credit or Child Tax Credit.

The figures may reflect malnutrition among immigrants and refugees arriving in the UK, but do not explain the sharp rise in cases, experts say.

Dr. Clare Gerada, president of the Royal College of GPs, told The Times that the cost-of-living crisis means people are ‘doing without’ and parents are ‘struggling to do basic needs for their children’.

“We’re going back to a situation where unless we take care of our poor, we’re going to end up with more of these Victorian-era diseases,” she said.

Cases of the diseases plummeted in the 1900s after important vitamins were added to commonly eaten foods, such as breakfast cereals, plant-based milks and margarine.

But data from the NHS shows there were only about 2,700 malnutrition hospitalizations in 2007/2008, rising to 5,500 in 2012/13.

While the public now “won’t end up like the Victorians” thanks to better access to medicine, it’s a “sad environment” that the nation will have to fight poverty “by handing out vitamin supplements,” Dr Gerada said.

The GP, who lives in South London, added: ‘If this is any indication of the health of our most vulnerable, then it is shocking. The poorest people in this country are poorer than all their counterparts in Europe… and it’s a bad diet.

“The most common reason a child under five is put under general anesthesia is dental care, so that is a sign of malnutrition.

“This isn’t about the health system, it’s about the social determinants of poor health, indicative of the past 15 years of austerity.”

It is unclear how old the hospitalized malnutrition patients are or where they are in the country.

But Dr Gerada said the rise in scurvy admissions could be due to a ‘tea-and-toast’ diet in older people who can’t afford fruits and vegetables.

She also blamed rising obesity rates on children “not getting the right calories,” increasing their risk of a vitamin D deficiency.

Free school meals for all primary school pupils in England could help tackle the problem, as children were ‘very healthy’ if they were fed food in schools when rationing was in effect after World War II, Dr Gerada said.

The NHS warns that malnutrition is a ‘common problem’ affecting millions across the UK, with children under five, the over-65s and people with long-term health problems most at risk. One in ten elderly people is malnourished or at risk of becoming malnourished, it says.

Earlier this year, doctors warned that the cost-of-living crisis was leading to an increase in cases of malnutrition, with Britons relying on cheap, processed and high-calorie foods, leaving them deficient in basic vitamins and minerals.

Britons have been told they have just £40 a week to feed their families and are skipping meals due to skyrocketing food prices, while food banks have reported spikes in demand.