Sickle cell patients to get better treatment after £9m boost

Patients with sickle cell disease are set to benefit from quicker and more accessible treatment thanks to major upgrades to life saving technology.  

Backed by a £9million investment from NHS England, the government is set to transform apheresis services – a specialised set of treatments which remove harmful components from a patient's blood – by funding more specialist treatment centres, as well as expanding access to cutting-edge technology. 

Funding will ensure that Spectra Optia machines, which perform automated cell exchanges, are more widely available to patients with sickle cell disease. This process involves removing a patient's sickled red blood cells, replacing them with healthy donor cells.

As well as helping patients benefit from more convenient care, this technology has the potential to save the NHS up to £12.9 million annually thanks to a reduction in time spent in hospital for patients and the reduced need for other treatments.  

Improvements will also be made to expand the availability of this treatment nationwide, which will include increased availability of out-of-hours services. This investment will also see an expansion of the specialist workforce to manage this advanced technology. 

This latest commitment comes as the government sets out how it is harnessing new innovations during London Tech Week, which shines a spotlight on the latest tech out there improve our everyday lives.

Health and Social Care Secretary, Wes Streeting, said: 

“People living with rare conditions like sickle cell disease face immense everyday challenges, and can sometimes struggle to get the specialised care they need.

“To make our health service fit for the future, we have to harness the power of new technologies, and these machines provide a shining example of how our is starting to make huge advancements in digital healthcare.  

“Through our Plan for Change, this government will be the one that removes the barriers to getting the latest and best tech to our NHS frontline, so patients can access the best care available, closer to home.” 

In England, there are around 17,000 people living with sickle cell disease – an inherited blood disorder, with 250 new cases a year. It is generally more common in people of Black African, Caribbean, Middle Eastern and South Asian heritage.  

Spectra Optia machines operate in hospitals across the country, with more than 20 NHS Trusts currently supported to offer treatment using this technology for sickle cell. The technology works by automatically replacing affected red blood  with healthy donor cells and has proved to be a lifeline for patients.

The treatment lasts longer in the patient than simple transfusions and has been shown to be highly effective in reducing complications such as iron overload.   

Robert Ojeer, 35, from West London has lived with sickle cell disease his entire life. Receiving care at Hammersmith Hospital, part of Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust, Robert receives automated red cell exchanges every four weeks.  

“I've been on the regular exchange programme since 2015,” he says. “Before then I would only have had exchanges in emergency situations, when I had more complex sickle cell crises. But now I go more often, when the amount of sickle cells in my blood increases. 

“Having access to automated exchange improves my quality of life. I have two children, and it means that I can play a bigger part in their lives. It means I can work and that I can just have a sense of normality – I can do things that everyday people would take for granted.” 

The red cell exchange service at Imperial College Healthcare runs a 24/7 service for adults and children and was the first in the country to provide automated red cell exchange for children. 

He added, “I hope that every sickle cell sufferer in England can access these services. I've been really lucky, living only a 20-minute walk from the hospital with these machines, however, I realise this isn't the case for everyone, so this is really great news for the sickle cell community as a whole.” 

Spectra Optia delivers substantial value for money and improved patient experience, as fewer follow-up appointments are needed. By replacing simple top up and manual exchange transfusions with the latest technology, it is estimated that the NHS will save almost £19,000 per patient, per year.  

Prof Bola Owolabi, NHS England director of healthcare inequalities, said:

“This is great news for people living with sickle cell disease — a condition that disproportionately affects Black African and Black Caribbean communities.

“Sickle cell patients have needed new treatment options for decades and this additional funding will provide greater access to this life-changing technology which has the potential to significantly improve patients' quality of life.

“Alongside this important step, the recent approval of a new gene-editing therapy for patients with severe sickle cell disease showcases the NHS's clear commitment to improving outcomes for the 17,000 people living with the condition in England.”

Richard Stubbs, Chair of the Health Innovation Network and CEO of Health Innovation Yorkshire & Humber, said:

"Sickle cell disease disproportionately impacts people from West African and Afro-Caribbean communities, many of whom live in the most socio-economically deprived areas.

“These patients are at higher risk of hospital re-admissions and of dying in a hospital, making timely and accessible care vital.

"This new funding announced today will enable the technology to be used on a longer-term basis, supporting frontline staff and ensuring sickle cell patients receive more regular care closer to where they live, as well as continuing our focus on tackling healthcare inequalities.”

Alongside this, advances are being made through clinical trials to offer an expanded range of treatments for people with this condition.   

In January, the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence recommended a groundbreaking gene-editing treatment for sickle cell disease, which has been hailed as a ‘functional cure' for sickle cell disease.