Emergency sickle cell help extended after campaign
Getty ImagesA temporary sickle cell emergency unit at the Royal London Hospital in Whitechapel will remain open following a campaign, it has been announced.
The Same Day Emergency Care (SDEC) unit was run as a pilot scheme between September and January, and provided an alternative to A&E admissions for sickle cell patients.
Following a campaign, Barts Health NHS Trust said an additional £1m investment would be used to keep the provision going.
Dr Raj Thuraisingham, Royal London Hospital's divisional director for medicine, said: "Improving services for people living with this lifelong condition is one of our priorities and we worked hard to improve our community outreach provision."
EPA"We also increased our capacity to undertake automated red cell exchange transfusion, a technique that reduces complications in those living with this condition and dramatically improves their quality of life," he said.
'Debilitating and dangerous'
In a statement on the trust's website, Barts Health NHS said: "It's debilitating, dangerous, and a disease that disproportionately affects people from Black and Caribbean backgrounds.
"Those living with sickle cell disease need more than the very best medical treatment to manage this lifelong condition," it added.
The trust said one in seven of all those in the UK with sickle cell conditions live in north-east London and Essex, and its hospitals had about 900 patients on their books.
It said this was why £2m was invested in launching the emergency unit for sickle cell in September "in order to improve patient outcomes, reduce health inequalities, and prevent hospital admissions".
It said the new £1m funding would help extend provision into 2027, however, It is yet to announce when it will reopen.
"In addition, we are expecting a similar sum to be allocated for a Barts Health focus on helping those with sickle cell manage emergencies caused by a painful crisis", the trust added.
'Brilliant news'
The Sickle Cell Society announced the news on Instagram and said: "Breaking News: We have been in discussions with commissioners regarding the Same Day Emergency Care Unit at The Royal London Hospital, and as a result, it will REOPEN."
Dozens of people posted comments of congratulations under the post, including one that said: "Absolutely brilliant news! See community when we all pull together!"
John James, chief executive at the Sickle Cell Society, told the BBC: "We welcome the agreement to reopen the same-day emergency unit at The Royal London.
"The evaluation of the pilot demonstrated clear positive outcomes for both patients and clinical teams, reinforcing the importance of specialist crisis pathways.
"We would like to thank the patients and families who used the service and consistently highlighted its value. Their experiences have been central to our discussions with commissioners, and we are encouraged that this has now resulted in the decision to reinstate the unit."
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