Sickle cell patients in Devon and Cornwall to benefit from national £1.5M technology investment
Children, young people, and adults in Devon and Cornwall suffering from sickle cell disease will soon benefit from better care closer to where they live, following the announcement of a national £1.5M investment in 25 red blood cell exchange devices.
Funding for the Spectra Optia® Apheresis System devices has been distributed to 22 NHS trusts, including University Hospitals Plymouth NHS Trust.
The Trust will receive funding to support improvements of its current apheresis service, to improve access to patients with sickle cell disease in the South West region.
Sickle cell patients are encouraged to speak to their haematologist about treatments, which they can receive every six to eight weeks.
Sickle cell patients often find themselves in and out of hospitals, enduring severe pain and requiring regular ‘top-up’ blood transfusions.
Automating red blood cell exchanges can help reduce the necessity for top-up transfusions, effectively manage pain, and lower the risk of experiencing a crisis. Eligible patients can receive treatment every six to eight weeks.
Sickle cell disease disproportionately impacts people from West African and Afro-Caribbean communities, and patients also often live in the most socio-economically deprived areas and are at higher risk of both re-admissions and in-hospital mortality.
This investment comes from NHS England Specialised Commissioning.
The Spectra Optia device is one of the technologies supported through NHS England’s MedTech Funding Mandate. The Health Innovation Network (formerly known as the AHSN Network) is the lead delivery partner for the Mandate, which is designed to accelerate the adoption of selected cost-saving medical technologies, diagnostics, and digital products recommended by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE). Health Innovation South West is delivering the MedTech Funding Mandate in South West England and is supporting University Hospitals Plymouth NHS Trust to improve its current apheresis service using the funding.
Improving access to red blood cell exchange therapy has the potential to save NHS England up to £12.9M[1] annually while reducing health inequalities.
Steve Johnson-Wood, Programme Director at Health Innovation South West, said: “As part of our role in driving the adoption of this innovative technology under the MedTech Funding Mandate, we have worked in collaboration with the South West NHS blood transfusion service, the South West-commissioned Haemoglobinopathy Coordinating Centre as well as local haematologists to understand the challenges with equity of access across the South West, to establish the need to expand existing apheresis services, over and above the existing service.
University Hospitals Plymouth NHS Trust has recently acquired an additional Spectra Optia platform which will improve access to patients with sickle cell disease in our region, enhancing the service they receive and the outcomes they experience.”
John Stewart, National Director for Specialised Commissioning, NHS England, added: “NHS England is committed to improving the support provided to people with sickle cell disease. This investment to increase the number of devices for automated red blood cell exchange across the country will support the expansion of services and improve access for patients who need regular transfusions.”
Verena Stocker, Director of Research, Innovation, Life Sciences and Strategy, NHS England: “This innovation is a great example of how working collaboratively across organisations helps accelerate the uptake of life-changing innovations. We are committed to bringing the best health technologies to patients more quickly, supporting the spread and adoption of medical devices, diagnostics, and digital products that are clinically effective.”
Find out more about the MedTech Funding Mandate.
If you would like more information about Spectra Optia, please contact National Programme Lead [email protected].
For more information about the delivery of the MedTech Funding Mandate in South West England please contact Health Innovation South West Programme Director, Steve Johnson-Wood ([email protected]).
