The specialist emergency sickle cell unit at the Royal London Hospital is set to reopen after The Mirror backed a campaign to stop its closure. The unit, originally introduced as a six-month pilot, provided rapid access to specialist care for people living with sickle cell disease, the fastest-growing genetic condition in the UK.
Primarily affecting people with African or Caribbean family backgrounds, around 18,000 people in the UK are impacted. Red blood cells take on a sickle shape rather than the usual circular form, causing painful blockages that can trigger life-threatening crises and severe complications.
Confirmation of the reopening was revealed by the Sickle Cell Society, which said: “We are pleased to confirm that the same day emergency care unit at the Royal London Hospital will reopen.” Funding was announced after discussions between the local Integrated Care Board, the Sickle Cell Society and the red cell clinical team at the Royal London, although a date, precise details of how the service will operate and its location are yet to be confirmed.
Londoner Delo Biye, 48, who has sickle cell, launched a petition to keep the unit open after discovering it was being axed when he attended the hospital for emergency care. He told The Mirror: “Two days after the closure I had to go to A&E. I was there for 24 hours and didn’t make it to the ward. I spent 12 painful hours on the blue chairs.”
Delo believes the campaign’s success was largely due to media support, particularly from The Mirror. He said: “The media coverage has been essential. Thank you for letting people see this battle, this struggle so that they can put their weight behind it.”
A Sickle Cell Society spokesperson added: “The reopening of this pathway will be reassuring for many patients and families. It also underlines why both local and national pilots need to lead to sustainable services that improve patient experience and health outcomes over the long term.”
