At Alder Hey Children's Hospital in Liverpool, a teenager with diabetes was found eating the emergency glucose prescribed to save their life during severe hypoglycaemia. Not because they didn't understand their condition, but because there was simply no food at home. This is not a story about poor health choices. It is a story about systemic failure, about the violence of poverty, and about a state that has abandoned its most vulnerable children.
Ian Sinha, a consultant respiratory paediatrician at Alder Hey, has lifted the lid on the harrowing realities of food insecurity among young people in the UK. Their testimony, delivered as part of the Right to Food Commission's report launched at this week's Labour Party Conference, exposes the brutal intersection of poverty, health, and institutional neglect.
What does food insecurity look like in UK hospitals?
The stories emerging from Alder Hey paint a devastating picture. One teenager with asthma stopped eating entirely because they were terrified of rats in their kitchen. The result? A severe eating disorder developed on top of an already compromised respiratory condition. Another young person with cystic fibrosis relies on food banks, yet the parcels often contain almost nothing suitable for children living with life-limiting conditions.
Sinha explained: