Rising levels of knife crime are having a "ripple effect" across the health service, leading to cancelled operations and strains on the ambulance service, a leading surgeon said.
Figures published last month showed police in England and Wales recorded 40,829 offences involving knives or sharp objects in 2018, the highest number since comparable data started in 2010/11.
Knife crime has risen by 11 percent across Nottinghamshire, with five separate knife-related incidents happening over the May Bank Holiday.
Professor Chris Moran, national clinical director for trauma at NHS England, also told the Daily Mail that police have had to be deployed on some wards to stop potentially armed gangs looking to "finish the job".
Separate figures published by NHS England show the number of hospital admissions among teenagers has jumped 54% - from 656 in 2012-13 to 1,012 in 2017-2018.
Admissions for knife and sharp object injuries - such as glass - including across all age groups have gone up by almost a third (30%) since 2012, from 3,849 to 4,986 last year.
Mr Moran, Professor of Orthopaedic Trauma Surgery at Nottingham University Hospital, said an increase in the number of people admitted with stab wounds "has a ripple effect through the whole system".
He said: "There's a large number who've got very serious injuries who need the trauma team, they need admission, they need ... intensive care... it means operating time is lost, while we do extra emergency cases.
"It's having a significant increase in acute services in the NHS and then a knock-on effect in elective care because you end up cancelling surgery to operate in these cases, a knock-on effect on general practitioners who are having to try and pick up the pieces."
Earlier this week, Home Secretary Sajid Javid said £12.4 million will be distributed to 18 police forces dealing with high levels of violent crime, part of a £100 million fund.
He said: "I've been doing everything in my power to ensure we have the strongest possible response to tackle violent crime - and law enforcement plays a key role in this.
"This money means forces can take urgent action, including more officers on duty in the worst affected areas.
"It takes a collective effort to tackle violent crime and I'll continue to work closely with police and partners to end this senseless bloodshed."
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