Decline of cash credited for drop in NHS surgery for children swallowing objects

Figures reveal 29% fall in operations in England to remove foreign bodies from children's airways, noses and throats

Cashless societies may be a sad fact of modern life for those with a nostalgic attachment to the pound in their pocket, but doctors have discovered one unexpected benefit of the decline of coins.

Far fewer children are having surgery after swallowing small items that could choke or kill them, and the scarcity of loose change is likely to be the reason.