Carrying a knife is ‘insanity’ and can ruin both your life and the lives of those around you, according to a Nottingham surgeon.
JJ Reilly, one of the surgeons in the East Midlands Major Trauma Centre, at Queen’s Medical Centre, faces the stark realities of knife crime in the operating theatre when patients are admitted with life-threatening and life-altering injuries.
JJ has seen for himself the damage knives can do and says that as well as the immediate risk to life, stab and slashing wounds can lead to a lifetime of suffering for the victim and their loved ones.
The consultant surgeon is now working with police and other partners on how to tackle issues around knife crime.
Speaking during Sceptre, a national week of action on knife crime, which the force is taking part in, JJ said:
“I would say to someone thinking about carrying a knife that it is absolute insanity.
“The only real reason to carry one is to try and kill someone.
“I don’t buy the argument that people defend themselves with a knife. If you are carrying a knife, you have to assume that if you put that knife into someone you are going to kill them.
“The idea there is a safe place to stab someone is also a complete fallacy – it is a lethal fallacy.
“There is no safe place to stab someone and if you are carrying a knife and thinking of doing that then it is two lives you are going to destroy: theirs and yours.”
The major trauma centre has treated around 2,000 patients with knife or blade injuries from across the East Midlands since August 2006.
“As a surgeon you deal with patients and their injuries on a daily basis. However, as a group we feel if we don’t try to do something to prevent these injuries happening in the first place we will have failed.
“We want to try and stop this becoming a problem that we have to deal with further down the line and that is why we are working with Nottinghamshire Police and the Nottinghamshire Violence Reduction Partnership.”
JJ says knife crime impacts the victim, family members and the health staff involved.
“We are generally carrying out between two and three operations a week for knife-related injuries.
“The injuries vary from disfiguring superficial wounds to life-threatening internal bleeding. Superficial wounds can be dangerous because of bleeding from blood vessels in the skin.
“Any knife wound can have a lasting impact. Not a single system of the body is unaffected when someone is stabbed.
“You will face a major operation and be in intensive care for days. It can also have an impact long-term if you develop scar tissue which makes you more susceptible to conditions like bowel obstructions.
“We may have to take out a kidney, spleen or part of your liver or bowel. The psychological impact is also likely to be extreme. You’re in hospital a long time and can require physiotherapy afterwards.
“It is also important to remember the impact is not just on the patient but also on nursing staff, doctors, surgeons and others working in the operating theatre. We all carry the burden of seeing it.”
Police teams across Nottinghamshire are taking part in Sceptre, which lasts until Sunday (23 November).
Throughout the week of action, knife amnesty bins will be situated inside stations, shared services and other locations.
