Plymouth Hospitals Trust currently carries out around 700 tonsillectomies and adenoidectamies each year - many on children.

BBC: BSE risk halts tonsil operations

But following concerns raised by surgeons, all tonsillectomies and adenoidectamies have been postponed.

BBC: BSE risk halts tonsil operations

In 1994-95 some 77, 600 tonsillectomies were carried out in the UK. By 2009 this had dropped by 37% to 49, 000.

BBC: UK 'doing too few tonsil operations'

At the same time, we are seeing increasing rates of diseases and conditions that tonsillectomies can prevent or cure, like infections, and even cancer, of the tonsils.

BBC: UK 'doing too few tonsil operations'

In fact the data trends of increasing hospital activity for tonsillar problems seem to suggest that rather than performing too many tonsillectomies in the UK, we are now performing too few.

BBC: UK 'doing too few tonsil operations'

Approximately 6, 500 tonsillectomies are carried out each month.

BBC: surgeon