Sickle cell patients to have quicker and more accessible treatment in England | Sickle cell disease
By: Tobi Thomas Health and inequalities correspondent | Published: 2025-06-12 23:01:00 | Source: www.theguardian.com
People living with sickle cell disease in England are to benefit from quicker and more accessible treatment due to a £9m investment, the government has announced.
Apheresis services, which are a type of treatment that removes harmful components from a patient’s blood, are to improve across England through the funding of more specialist treatment centres. The funding will ensure the wider availability of machines that remove a patient’s sickled red blood cells and replace them with healthy donor cells.
More than 20 NHS trusts currently offer Spectra Optia technology, a treatment more effective than blood transfusions and having been shown to be highly effective in reducing complications such as iron overload.
The investment could save the NHS up to £12.9m every year thanks to a…
