Specialised Sickle cell service for young people
The children’s department at Mid and South Essex NHS Foundation Trust has developed a specialised sickle cell service for young people that has improved the care they receive.
The service is provided from one hub, so that patients from across mid and south Essex are seen at Basildon Hospital.
The Trust has educated NHS colleagues about this inherited disease that predominantly occurs in people of Afro-Caribbean heritage.
An additional community nurse and a paediatric sickle cell nurse specialist have been hired, and patients can now contact staff 12 hours a day for advice on everything from a painful crisis to care plans for school.
A transcranial doppler scan, which measures the risk of stroke that is higher in this group of patients, is now offered in the local area, meaning that patients and their families no longer need to travel to London for their care.
Patients also have 24/7 access to standardised patient-centred care, and two haemoglobinopathy-trained consultants, Dr Kilali Ominu-Evbota and Dr Eva Tsouana, led engagement with local patients to help shape the service.
Listen to patients who use the mid and south Essex paediatric sickle cell service at Basildon Hospital and the staff who care for them.
Know the signs of sickle cell
Dr Ominu-Evbota, consultant paediatrician, explains why it’s so important that people know the signs of a sickle cell crisis.
Knowing the signs of sickle cell blog.